ccmh551 | Graduate

Individual Counseling

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This course focuses on intensive skill building in individual counseling. The relationship between assessment, theory, application of strategy and intervention, setting goals with clients, closure, and referral are emphasized as essential to the counseling environment. Emphasis is also placed on treatment plans, ethics, and cultural diversity.

This graduate-level course is 6 weeks This course is available as part of a degree or certificate program. To enroll, speak with an Enrollment Representative.

Course details:

Credits: 3
Continuing education units: XX
Professional development units: XX
Duration: 6 weeks

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    The Parameters of Counseling

    • Define primary, secondary and tertiary prevention and discuss the role of prevention in counseling.
    • Define counseling and describe some of the ways clients may benefit from it.
    • Describe the characteristics of effective helpers.
    • Review the major theoretical approaches to counseling and behavior change.
    • Discuss the importance of attending skills across all approaches to counseling.
    • Identify current strategies for treatming common presenting problems based on a specific theoretical orientation in view of the current standards of care.
    • Describe and practice attending skills.

    Establishing Communication

    • Describe the basic stages of the counseling process.
    • Review informed consent procedures in initiating the therapeutic relationship.
    • Demonstrate the initiation of the counselor-client relationship in terms of rapport and trust.
    • Develop client observation skills in relationship to verbal and nonverbal cues and responses.
    • Describe the importance of self-awareness in the counseling relationship.
    • Define boundaries and explain the importance of maintaining boundaries in the counseling relationship.
    • Discuss the relationship between the counselor’s level of self-awareness and his or her ability to respect boundaries and perceive potential boundary violations.
    • Discuss issues of over-identification with the client or counselor, such as transference and counter transference.

    Planning and Implementing Intervention Strategies

    • Differentiate between affective, cognitive, behavioral, and systemic interventions.
    • Identify and develop strategies to address client resistance at various points in the therapeutic relationship.
    • Discuss the process of goal setting and describe its challenges.
    • Develop a well-written and comprehensive treatment plan from assessment data.
    • Articulate the relationship between theory and intervention.
    • Demonstrate a framework for understanding exceptional abilities and strategies for differentiated interventions.

    Termination and Follow-Up

    • Conceptualize termination as an important step in the client’s growth.
    • Discuss common challenges that arise during termination such as client and counselor resistance.
    • Define the role of termination and referral in the counseling relationship.
    • Discuss the importance of planning for termination.
    • Explain the process of termination.

    Cognitive Interventions

    • Explain the purpose and goals of cognitive interventions.
    • Explore various cognitive intervention strategies, including A-B-C-D analysis.
    • Describe the use of cognitive restructuring as a therapeutic tool.
    • Describe the use of paradoxical intention as a therapeutic tool.

    Developing the Working Relationship

    • Define the role of questioning in assessment and intervention.
    • Describe the characteristics of a therapeutic or ‘working’ relationship.
    • Discuss and practice verbal and nonverbal skills that counselors use when building the therapeutic relationship.
    • Identify the influence of factors such as age, gender, and ethnicity in the counseling relationship.

    Affective Interventions

    • Explain the purpose and goals of affective interventions.
    • Explore strategies for helping clients understand and express emotions.
    • Describe the influence of culture on emotional expression.

    Systemic Interventions

    • Explain the purpose and goals of systemic interventions.
    • Discuss the interaction of counseling within and between the larger system of family, school, and culture.
    • Explore various systemic intervention strategies.
    • Describe the unique skills of counselors who use systemic interventions.

    Establishing Priorities and Goals

    • Describe the purpose and the components of assessment.
    • Identify and prioritize presented problems.
    • Discuss the importance of identifying and building on client strengths.
    • Identify characteristics of individuals that represent strength and promote resiliency.
    • Distinguish between the terms normal and healthy.
    • Describe strategies for promoting wellness in clients.

    Behavioral Interventions

    • Explain the purpose and goals of behavioral interventions.
    • Explore various behavioral intervention strategies.
    • Describe the skills required for successful implementation of behavioral strategies.
    Tuition for individual courses varies. For more information, please call or chat live with an Enrollment Representative.

    Please ask about these special rates:

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    The University of Phoenix reserves the right to modify courses.

    While widely available, not all programs are available in all locations or in both online and on-campus formats. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.

    Transferability of credit is at the discretion of the receiving institution. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm whether or not credits earned at University of Phoenix will be accepted by another institution of the student’s choice.