Counseling Techniques & Helping Relationship – COUC 505

CG • Section 16WK • 07/01/2018 to 12/31/2199 • Modified 09/05/2023

Course Description

This is a competency-based course with an experiential emphasis. The student is required to demonstrate proficiency in counseling concepts and techniques that align with a variety of theoretical approaches which are all fundamental to understanding and modeling a therapeutic counseling relationship. These basic skills will be practiced and applied.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

This course meets the requirement of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) that students must have curricular experiences and demonstrate their knowledge in the common core area of “counseling and helping relationships” (CACREP 2016 Standards, Section 2.F.5.). The ability to integrate and apply an understanding of the theories and techniques to one’s personal and professional life is critical in counselor development. In fact, this course may be one of the most important courses in the program as it addresses the essence of counseling. This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the basic knowledge, communication skills, and values necessary to invite others to share their life stories and experiences, explore blocks to change, and engage in a reflective decision-making process in order to implement strategies for change.

This course also encourages self-awareness and self-exploration so that students can gain an understanding of how their own personal experiences, preferences, feelings, values, and worldview influences their practice as a counselor. A key feature of this course is the opportunity to practice these essential counseling skills and experience the counseling process in a safe, controlled environment. Over the course of the semester, students will be able to practice their skills with other counselor-trainees.  Extensive uses of media and situational role-plays will help the student learn the essential skills involved in building an effective helping relationship. Students have the opportunity to practice these essential counseling skills and experience the counseling process in a safe, controlled environment over the semester. As Christians, this course helps students develop skills to effectively navigate their Christian worldview while working with clients of different values and belief systems.

Method of Instruction: This semester-long course is delivered using a digital synchronous format. Students attend 2 hours of digital synchronous video-based instruction each week. In addition to the once a week digital synchronous class time, students are expected to complete additional practice of skills online throughout the semester, at least one hour per week.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and supplemental material

Course Requirements Checklist

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

Advising Acknowledgement Quiz

Students will review the program handbook and licensure information by following the link within the quiz information. Once reviewed, the student will need to complete the Advising Guide Acknowledgment Quiz.

Students must complete this quiz prior to practicing counseling skills and after reading the information on the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) Policy Regarding the Provision of Distance Professional Service.

Students must answer emergency acknowledgement and contact information questions prior to practicing counseling skills.

Students must complete this quiz prior to practicing counseling skills.

Quizzes (12)

Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the Module in which it is assigned. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 10 multiple-choice questions, and have a 20-minute time limit. (CLO: A-F)

Quiz: Triad Practice Progress: Skills Observation Forms & Video Submissions (12)

During the student's weekly practice, he/she will record all practice sessions. After each practice the student will send his/her Skills Observation Form, found in the assigned module under the Learn section, to the counselor he/she observed. The counselor will review the feedback sheet and only upload the link to the Triad practice video in the Quiz: Triadic Practice Progress. The student will receive points for completing the Quiz. This needs to be done weekly during the course. (CLO: A-F)

The student will submit a written transcription recording 5 interactions that he or she would like to redo during his or her session. (CLO: A-F)

Benchmark Final Skills Competency Scale (SCS) Participation Assignment

Faculty/consultants will complete a competency scale at the end of the course, which will be used to calculate overall participation points. If basic skills are not met with an 80% pass, then the student will need to discuss a remediation plan with their lead professor. (CLO: A-F)

Self-Reflection and Self-Care Evaluation Plan Assignment

The student will submit the Self-Reflection and Self-Care Evaluation Plan Assignment after receiving individual and live supervision feedback. The student must take into account the feedback received up to this point and how to address concerns and improve skills competencies going forward. (CLO: A-F)

Quiz: Benchmark Live Supervision Participation

After the intensive week, students will need to continue to practice weekly. Consultants will schedule 2 live supervision meeting times (approximately an hour) for student triads triad. These will be recorded and uploaded to the course. CMHC students will also upload to Tevera. (CLO: A-F)

The student will will rate him/herself on the nine dispositions required for this program. The quiz will contain 9 multiple-choice questions and 1 essay question and is limited to 60 minutes. The student is allowed 1 attempt to complete the quiz.

Quiz: Practice Video: Pre Skills

Two videos will be recorded and uploaded to Canvas in the assigned modules. This will allow a pre-assessment of counseling skills as the student works toward clinical competency. This will be recorded during the student's weekly practice time and uploaded to Canvas. (CLO: A-F)

Quiz: Weekly Class Participation

In order to pass this class students must attend weekly classes online using both audio and video. Each week, students will be graded on attendance/punctuality, preparation, and participation. Points are lost for being late, being unprepared and not participating. If a student misses 2 or more weekly class sessions, (10 or more minutes late to class constitutes an absence), the student may be awarded a grade of "F". Participation is graded for all activities. Simply sitting without contributing, in any of these roles is not enough to pass the course. For this quiz, students will provide a self-evaluation on the Quiz: Weekly Class Participation Grading Rubric, based on their participation during class. Professors will determine the students' final grade for attendance and participation, but will take the students' self-evaluations into account.