COUC 797 Counseling Seminar

As a basis for their work, counselors and counselor educators must have an advanced understanding of counseling theories and their relevance for guiding the therapeutic process. In addition to understanding core theoretical principles, counselors and counselor educators need to appreciate contributions from various theoretical approaches to the actual practice of counseling. This understanding serves to heighten competence in formulating effectual treatment strategies and in aiding in the delivery of ethical and effective treatment.

Assigned readings and presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

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

Throughout the term, the student will develop a creative resource file that includes information and interventions selected from the course texts and at least three different journal articles. The required readings are on the Course Template. For the journal article readings, the student will select articles from the Association of Creativity in Counseling’s Journal of Creativity and Mental Health or other counseling journals, that may be used in teaching or supervising emerging counselors.

The student will participate in a variety of exercises, activities, and group projects designed to help master the course objectives. The Participation and Professionalism Assignment grade will reflect participation and professionalism throughout the term. The student will complete a self- assessment of his/her professionalism and participation with the grading rubric, then include a brief, one paragraph rationale for the answers.

Outside of class time, each student will maintain a creativity journal of at least one entry per week, starting the week the class opens. Through the experience of keeping a large spiral bound art journal (art pad of the student’s choice; 11 x 14 for mixed media) each student is expected to become more aware of his or her own unique creativity including imagery, symbols, color, and space, etc. Active participation in terms of citing inspiration, creative reflection, personal awareness, and insight is encouraged. Entries may consist of any art media the student wishes to use. Experimenting with new things is strongly encouraged. All entries must be signed, dated, and titled. All journals will be strictly confidential, and I will be the only person who sees the entries. The student will not be graded on the emotional tone or content of his/her journals but rather a genuine and willing approach and effort displayed on the assignment.

The student will work together in groups of two or three during the week of the intensive to research a particular area of creativity and its practical application to a specific helping profession. Each group will make a formal presentation to the class using appropriate technology (most likely during the post-intensive portion). At the time of the class presentation, each group will provide a reference list to the rest of the class. Example topics include: using metaphors in school counseling, using puppets in the classroom, using song lyrics with families, etc. An experiential component should also be incorporated, highlighting a specific technique that seems particularly useful from the research that the group has done. Individually, the student will also submit a 10–15-page course synthesis paper that reflects on his/her experiences throughout the term while also

1. 1. Illustrating and synthesizing the insights and contributions from this course into an understanding of how to ethically and effectively integrate the creative arts into counselling.
   2. Critically analyzes and synthesizes course content from a biblical worldview.

The student will complete reading in preparation for the Reading Summaries Assignment and complete a short quiz to confirm reading completion. This quiz will cover the Learn material from Module 1. This quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 1 true/false question, and will have a 30-minute time limit.

The student will select 3 journal articles from the Journal of Creativity and Mental Health to read in preparation for the Reading Summaries Assignment and complete a short quiz to confirm reading completion. This quiz will cover the Learn material from Module 2. This quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 2 true/false and essay questions, and will have a 30-minute time limit.

Quiz: Dispositions Reflection

This Dispositions Reflection quiz will ask the student to rate him/herself on the nine dispositions required for this program by our accrediting bodies. This quiz will cover the Learn material from Module 1 and Module 3. This quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 10 multiple-choice and essay questions, and will have a 60-minute time limit.