Master of Arts in Counseling - Course Descriptions

PSYC 5301 Theories of Psychotherapy

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the major counseling theories and practices. Several of the major theories of counseling will be examined with an emphasis on four areas: key concepts of the theory, its beliefs about the therapeutic process, the role of the counselor, and how to apply the theory to helping a client change. Each theory will be analyzed for its uniqueness and similarity with the other approaches and applied to case examples.

PSYC 5303 Techniques in psychotherapy

This course emphasizes the stages of the helping relationship. Students practice basic attending and communication skills, including questioning, reflection of feelings and meaning, summarization, focusing, and self-disclosure. Therapy skills are introduced through didactic, demonstration, and experiential learning situations. Students will be rated on oral communication and clinical skills in application of various techniques.

PSYC 5305 Group Psychotherapy

A study of group dynamics, process, theoretical applications, techniques and leadership skills in an experiential setting. This course traces the major theoretical orientations in group psychotherapy/counseling. Students will learn to apply group approaches to the treatment of mental health problems.

PSYC 5309 Introduction to Assessment

This course provides an overview of various approaches to assessment and procedures for evaluation. Special emphasis is given to counseling decision-making, and treatment planning. Theoretical and applied material will be integrated in order to provide the student with an understanding of the context of assessment and evaluation. Emphasis will be placed on equipping students to understand technical terms in professional journals, test manuals, and test reports.

PSYC 5312 Lifespan Development

This course provides an advanced overview of current research and theory on life-span human development, and will enhance students’ understanding of significant developmental changes that occur over the life span. Emphasis will be placed on standard physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development as well as on issues such as diversity and socialization in relation to perceptions of human development. Professional, clinical, legal, and ethical issues will also be addressed.

PSYC 5316 Advanced Psychopathology

This course will provide an overview of psychopathology and treatment planning with an emphasis on children and adolescents. An interactive, developmental perspective for conceptualizing psychopathology as well as resilience will be employed. In particular, the influence of development, neurobiological mechanisms, and contextual features on the emergence, exacerbation, and alleviation of psychopathology will be discussed. Contemporary diagnostic and treatment issues will be critically reviewed

PSYC 5321 Research Design & Program Evaluation

A review of the research methods used in counseling. Included are experiences in searching research literature databases, understanding basic statistics and using statistical software, planning research, and communicating research findings. Students also will participate in a community action project involving implementing and assessing a prevention project, an advocacy project, or counseling outreach project. A written paper and presentation of the community action project will be presented to faculty and peers in a spring semester research forum.

PSYC 5327 Sociocultural Factors for Counseling Professionals

This course provides students with an understanding of the social and cultural context of relationships, issues, and trends in multicultural and diverse societies. Students will study principles related to socialization and the influence of group dynamics upon individual thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In addition, students will learn how multicultural and pluralistic trends and treatment strategies are related to such factors as culture, race, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, sexual orientation, mental and physical characteristics, education, disability, family values, religious and spiritual values, socioeconomic status, and unique characteristics of individuals, couples, families, and communities.

PSYC 5330 Professional Issues and Ethics for Practice

This course provides a survey of professional identity, ethical standards, and legal codes for mental health counselors and therapists. Topics will include: the history and philosophy of the counseling profession; knowledge of professional roles including consultation and group work; and moral principles and virtues in counseling practice, training, supervision, and consultation.

PSYC 6301 Marriage and Family Therapy

This course provides an overview of marital and family counseling from a systems perspective. An overview of the predominant systems theories essential in working with couples and families will be presented. Special emphasis is given to evidence based treatments and the current research on attachment theory and the role of attachment in couple and family distress. Students will become familiar with attachment issues, working from an emotion focused perspective, and they will gain proficiency in assessment and intervention. Students also will engage in learning exercises and role-plays in order to facilitate application of course content.

PSYC 6303 Fundamentals of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

This course focuses on the theoretical, historical, philosophical and technical bases of cognitive behavior therapy. Specific treatments for various psychological disorders will be reviewed, and clinical skills will be developed through the discussion of case presentations and practice.

PSYC 6305 Career Counseling Across the Lifespan

Students will be introduced to career development recognizing the importance and uniqueness of various facets of career counseling. Emphasis is given to developmental considerations and the role of testing, educational and career development program planning and implementation. Technology-based career development applications and strategies will be explored. The interrelationships among and between work, family and other life role factors will be considered with a special emphasis on gender, diversity and working with specific populations. Legal and ethical issues will be discussed as well as issues of personal faith and values.

PSYC 6307 Behavior Modification

This course provides an introduction to behavior analysis and learning principles derived from an analysis of scientific research. Principles and procedures in the course curriculum include reinforcement, extinction, differential reinforcement, punishment, stimulus control, issues of discrimination and generalization, shaping, fading, prompting, concept formation, stimulus equivalence, respondent learning, conditioned reinforcement, schedules of reinforcement, and behavioral definitions.

PSYC 6313 Counseling Practicum I

Counseling psychology supervised field experience in counseling and/or assessment. The practicum experience is designed to give beginning students in counseling the opportunity to put into practice the skills and knowledge they are developing throughout their counseling program. Students will meet weekly to review cases, discuss theory, interventions, and new techniques.

PSYC 6315 Counseling Practicum II

This course is designed to be a continuation of Practicum I with greater emphasis on comprehensive clinical Definition and carefully written reports in accordance with the standards of the profession. Students present a minimum of three videotaped counseling experiences, supplemented with a case summary.

PSYC 6351 Evidence-Based Practices of Faith Integration in Counseling

In this course, students explore personal and professional issues of faith and spirituality as they pertain to clinical competency in professional counseling. Students will have an opportunity to learn about frameworks for faith integration in professional practice. The course provides students with an overview of several common approaches to mental health counseling from a faith perspective that have been well-supported in research.