PACO 618 Advanced Marriage and Family Counseling

This course covers advanced skills in marriage and family counseling. The purpose of the course is to present more in-depth concepts and philosophies of marriage and family counseling for pastoral counselors. This course will also teach advanced skills and techniques necessary when counseling marriages and families.

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (4)

No details available.

Family Life Cycle Essay Assignment

The student will complete a Family Life Cycle Essay that covers the vertical and horizontal stressors that come with the inevitable transitions of family life. The student must discuss typical vertical and horizontal stressors and unhealthy and healthy ways of dealing with them. The essay must be 500–700 words (excluding title page and bibliography). The essay must use at least 3 relevant scriptural citations. The student must use current APA formatting. (CLO: A)

Communication Case Study Assignment

The student will read a case study and describe a Christian approach to conflict resolution and apply a technique designed to promote intimacy in the relationship of a couple in distress. The student will identify the relevant biblical issues as described in the Holmes textbook, explain the contributing factors of the alienating interactional pattern, employ EFT micro skills from the Johnson textbook to help the couple better understand their negative communication pattern, and offer recommendations as to how each partner can adjust their behavior to reverse their interactional pattern. The assignment must be 500–700 words, in APA format, with all sources properly cited. (CLO: A, B)

Referral List Project Assignment

The student will read a case study and explain the effects of divorce on specific family members, highlight adjustment issues, and develop a referral list to help members in a typical, blended family. The student will conceptualize the individual and family needs from the family in the case study, identify local resources in the student’s area, and develop a referral list. This assignment does not need to be in APA format, however, the student must properly cite any external sources used. (CLO: C)

Marriage Conference Presentation Assignment

The student will create a presentation describing ways in which couples can deepen in their relationships throughout the life cycle. The assignment will provide the contemporary context by discussing the contemporary influences on gender roles and relationships over time, offering a biblical proposal of a biblical understanding of an authentic sexual self, painting a vision for a sustained and fulfilling intimate relationship for life, describing the typical challenges couples face in maintaining and fostering connection at each stage of the life cycle, and offering suggestions for overcoming these challenges. Each presentation must be 7–10 minutes. (CLO: A)