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Required Core Courses – All Specialty Tracks

(3 credits/ea. X 11 courses = 33 hours)

 - Professional Orientation & Ethical Standards in Counseling:

• • Provides an introduction to professional, ethical, legal, theoretical, and practical aspects of counseling. Students will examine the roles and responsibilities of counselors, professional organizations, and associations. Historical and social contexts along with emerging professional issues and directions are included.

 - Research and Assessment:

• • This course provides a basic introduction to psychometric issues related to assessment, evaluation, and research in a multicultural society.

 - Counseling Theories:

• • Introduces students to the major theories in counseling and associated techniques. Summaries of applicable research are covered.

 - Lifespan Developmental Issues:

• • Students will analyze and conceptualize human developmental themes from the perspective of various learning and personality theorists. The counseling process, interventions, and strategies will be addressed concerning the topical issues presented in the class.

 - Social and Cultural Foundations:

• • Study of the nature and needs of diverse groups in the context of societal changes and trends. Socioeconomic, multicultural, and subgroup changes and conflicts are considered. Social issues and trends in multicultural and diverse societies are examined.

 - Family Systems: Theory and Practice:

• • Introduces students to the theory, skills, and major approaches of family counseling, emphasizing the role of family systems in the maintenance of problem behavior. The decision of whether or not family counseling is the treatment of choice and the implications for intake methods are considered. Students will apply the concepts learned to a study of their own family that describes the dynamics involved. Ethical and training considerations are discussed.

 - Lifestyle and Career Development:

• • Examines career development theories; occupational and educational information sources and systems; career and leisure counseling guidance and education; lifestyle and career decision-making; and career development program planning, resources, and evaluation.

 - Beginning Counseling & Human Relational Skills:

• • Provides students with experience in human relations laboratory, focusing on basic communication skills and the development of beginning counseling skills.

 - Group Dynamics and Intervention:

• • Application of basic knowledge of the roles, functions, and dynamics among group leaders and group participants; covers group process theory and the research pertaining to group process; students analyze the interaction within a group.

 - Assessment and Treatment Planning:

• • Covers interviewing and intake skills, including diagnostic assessment, psychosocial history, case notes, case summary, treatment format and planning, and evaluation of treatment effectiveness. Students are required to work with actual client(s).

 - Interventions w/Children & Adolescents:

• • Trains students in the knowledge, skills, and techniques of individual and family play therapy to treat various problems that affect children, adolescents, and families. Students will practice techniques in class and with healthy volunteer children/families.

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Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling Specialty Courses

(3 credits/ea. X 9 courses = 27 hours)

- Psychopharmacology & Substance Abuse Counseling (3)

• • Reviews the functions of the human nervous system before exploring the basic principles of psychopharmacology. Examines the historical patterns of use and development, the physiological mechanisms of action, and the various effects resulting from drug use.

- Sex Therapy (3)

• • Participants in this course will learn about how to assess and intervene with sexual issues. The main focus is to help mental health professionals demonstrate the ability to discuss and assess sexual issues and demonstrate the ability to create basic interventions related to sex and sexuality.

- Advanced Family Systems (3)

• • Participants will learn about evidenced-based couples counseling and how couples counseling is different from other forms of counseling. Students learn about models, techniques, and research related to working with couples.

- Practicum I: Individual & Vocational Counseling (3)

• • Beginning application of theory and practice in individual and vocational counseling and therapy with adults.

- Practicum II: Individual & Vocational Counseling (3)

• • Advanced application of theory and practice in individual and vocational counseling and therapy with adults.

- Crisis Intervention and Trauma Counseling (3)

• • Introduces students to an overview of crisis intervention, crisis intervention models, and trauma counseling for individuals, groups, organizations and communities. Counseling strategies and techniques for dealing with individual, group and organizational crises in a variety of settings will be explored. Types of crises include suicide, domestic violence, sexual assault/rape, school and community violence, military trauma, terrorism and natural disaster.

- Family and Couples Counseling (3)

• • Introduces applied practice of family and couples counseling approaches, concepts, and techniques. Covers modern and postmodern theories and trains students to begin to apply them in counseling families and couples. Emphasizes both live and team supervision.

- Counseling Internship I (3)

• • Student is placed in an agency setting and expected to perform a variety of agency and counseling related activities for a minimum of 600 hours (in combination with , including a minimum of 240 hours of direct client contact.

- Counseling Internship II (3)

• • Student is placed in an agency setting and expected to perform a variety of agency and counseling-related activities. This is a continuation of Internship I.

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Program Contact Information

Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling Track Lead:

Counseling Program Coordinator: