PY 630 FALL 2017

Avila Universitys Department of Psychology, Graduate Psychology

PSYCHOLOGY 630 Section 01
THEORIES OF COUNSELING
Fall 2017 3 Credit Hours
Location ORI 117

Instructor: Sydney Morgan, MA Course Time: Monday, 6:00 8:40 PM

Office Hours: by appt Course Location: ORI 117
Office Phone: 816-235-2203 Email: sydney.morgan@avila.edu*

*preferred method of contact

Textbook:
Prochaska, J. O. & Norcross, J. C. (2014). Systems of psychotherapy (8th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA:
Brooks/Cole.

American Psychological Association (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological

Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Course Description
This course introduces students to theories of counseling and therapy used by professional
counselors and psychologists. It includes an orientation to professional practice and emphasizes a
multicultural approach to counseling and therapy.

Co-requisites listed: PY 605

Graduate Level Outcomes

o Scholarship: The MSCP program prepares students to acquire, critically evaluate, and
communicate a wide array of information using the scientist-practitioner model within the
counseling field.
o Professional Attitude and Behavior: The MSCP program prepares students to comport
themselves professionally within a counseling context, as indicated by the ethical
standards for professional counselors, including the ability to maintain appropriate
boundaries, accept and implement feedback, and demonstrate interpersonal and
intrapersonal awareness.
o Cultural Competence and Advocacy: The MSCP program will provide training to increase
awareness, knowledge, and skills related to culturally competent professional behavior in
the field of counseling psychology. In addition, the MSCP program will challenge students
to become advocates for social justice in the global community.
o Professional Practice: The MSCP program will provide training in the use of appropriate
counseling and appraisal skills with an emphasis in counseling settings; students will also
be exposed to skills related to professional consultation, presentation, and evaluation.

Course Objectives
Upon completion, students will know the predominant theoretical orientations used in practice
today. They will have an introduction to case conceptualization, and will formulate an initial frame
of reference for counseling.
PY 630 FALL 2017

Methods of Teaching:
This course will include didactic lecture, small and larger group discussions, class exercises and
digital presentations of psychotherapy.

Attendance Policy
The Psychology Department places a high value on the quality of learning that takes place in an
active and interactive classroom. Therefore students are expected to attend all classes. However,
illness and other conflicts can occur. If a student is unable to attend class, please contact the
instructor via e-mail of the missing class. Please know that missing four or more classes
roughly one-fourth of the coursecould result in automatic course failure.

Policy on Late Assignments

Late assignments will be accepted. Ten percent will be deducted from late work.

Policy on Make Up Exams

If a student needs to take an exam at a different time than the scheduled time, please see the
instructor as soon as possible.

Cheating and Plagiarism

The policy of Avila University concerning cheating and plagiarism will be strictly followed in
this class. Plagiarism consists of stealing ideas and not just words without giving proper
credit. Please be aware that this is a matter of respecting other peoples intellectual property,
which consists of anything from published PowerPoint presentations to photographs to written
works. When in doubt, cite the author!! APA style is required on all type written assignments.

Disability Statement
If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the office of Disability
Services early in the semester so that the students learning needs may be appropriately met. You
will need to provide documentation of your disability to Disability Services before any
accommodations are arranged. You can visit the office, which is in the Hodes Center or call 816-
501-3666 (telephone and TTY) for more information.
Course Requirements and Assessment
Course Objectives
Related Assessment
(taken from above list)

Know the predominant theoretical Discussion Questions; Position Paper; Group Teaching
orientations used in practice today Assignment; Reaction Paper; Participation

A thorough concept
Group Teaching Assignment; Position Paper; Short Case
regarding the application of
Conceptualizations; Reaction Paper
theory to practice
PY 630 FALL 2017

Requirement Points Due

Group Teaching Assignment 75 points On days scheduled
Position Paper 100 points December 4
Short Case 20 points each (60) On days scheduled
Conceptualizations
Reaction Paper 25 points October 23
Discussion Questions 2 points each (24) Mondays at 1pm
Participation 1 point each (16)

Grading Scale
A = 270 300 points
B = 240 269 points
C = 210 239 points
D = 180 209 points
F = < 179 points

Requirement Guidelines

Group Teaching Assignment (75 points)

Students will choose to present on one of four theories, and groups will consist of 3 to 5
members each depending on class size. We will choose your topic in class on 8/28. The
presentations should be approximately 1 hour in length. Each group will need to thoroughly
study the assigned theory in order to develop and present a highly interactive and engaging
discussion/Powerpoint presentation of the theory. The presentation should cover the
background, major concepts, view of health/dysfunction, role of client & counselor, techniques
used, multicultural perspectives, and empirical findings. Although there is some degree of
freedom in the format of this presentation, students should incorporate at least one example of an
application of the theory either through a case study/vignette, video, in-class practice of a
technique, or another activity. Your presentation should be an engaging and informative
discussion so you are encouraged to include a few thoughtful discussion questions or additional
activities to increase class participation. The presentation should not simply be a review of the
chapter, so you are encouraged to include information from other resources such as books and
journal articles about the theory. Group members will be assessing one anothers contribution.
Thus, in addition to conducting the presentation on the assigned day, each student also needs to
complete the Group Presentation Experience via Canvas to describe and evaluate each team
members contributions to this presentation. This form should be completed by each group
member independently. It is possible that individual members may receive different grades
associated with this assignment.

Date Topic Group Members

10/9 Person-Centered
10/16 Experiential
10/23 Interpersonal
10/30 Behavioral
11/13 Cognitive
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Short Case Conceptualizations (20 pts x 3).
The purpose of short case conceptualizations is to practice conceptualizing clients using a given
theory. Using clients specified in class, explain possible sources of the clients problems, as well
as reasonse for their current symptoms according to the specified theory. Then, propose
recommendations for therapy using that theory. Be sure to use most of the theorys central
concepts. Be prepared to discuss what you wrote in class in order to get feedback on
conceptualizing and appropriately applying the theory.
Considering that we will be discussing them in-depth in class, these papers will not be accepted
late and will be turned in at the end of class with your own edits and comments based on
feedback and class discussion.
Date Topic
9/25 Psychodynamic
10/30 Behavioral
11/27 Gender & Culture Sensitive

Reaction Paper (25 points)

The purpose of writing the reaction paper is to provide students with an opportunity for reflective
thought regarding the content of the course and to receive timely feedback about writing; both in
terms of clarity and grammar, in addition to adherence to APA style. Student writing will be
evaluated regarding the presentation of the work of others responsibly. In other words, writing
without plagiarism.

Students may write a reaction paper about Experiential Therapy (Chapter 6) or Interpersonal
Psychotherapy (Chapter 7) and the papers will be due on 10/23. Also, if turned in at any other
time, it will be late. The student will not place their name on the paper; only identify your work
with your Avila identification number. Length 6 - 8 pages, APA style. Students need to cite the
textbook at least three times during the writing of the paper. The paper must include responses to
the following questions:

1. What aspects of this theory appeal to me? What aspects do I find foreign, or
unacceptable?
2. What role does the therapist play in this theory, is it active, passive, or didactic,
for example? How well does that role seem to fit how I interact with others?
3. What are the implications for me, as a counselor-in-training? Can I see myself
utilizing these ideas and techniques in therapy? Why, or why not?

Feedback to the reaction paper will be recorded by the instructor and will be used when grading
the final paper. For example, if a student makes an error citing sources in the reaction paper and
the same error occurs in the final paper, the papers grade will be lowered. Please pay attention
to the feedback from the first paper when writing the second.

Position Paper & Presentation (100 points)

After studying all of the counseling theories presented in this course, you will be asked to write a
paper (~10-12 pages), discussing which approach best matchest your thinking, style, and plans
for the future. I realize that this is a work in progress; however, I am asking you to reflect upon a
favored theoretical orientation. It is not uncommon for people to integrate more than one
theory into their personal practice. If this is the case, please address how how these theories
complement one another or may be used to off-set each others limitations. This paper should
specifically address: who and what theor(es), in particular, speaks to you and why. You should
PY 630 FALL 2017
incorporate your worldview with respect to counseling and describe how your chosen theories
are complementary to your worldview and which you plan to delve further into. Please also
address any limitations you observe with the theories (e.g., lack of attention to diversty, may not
be appropriate in a time-limited setting, little empirical support), and how you might address
these in a counseling setting.

You are expected to evaluate the current empirical research on your theor(ies) and indicate how
this impacts your decision to utilize the theor(ies). Be sure to specify what the literature says
about multicultural concerns and what populations or presenting concerns the theor(ies) are most
suited. Make sure you integrate and cite at least 3 empirical articles testing some aspect of the
theory. Please contact the library for assistance with research tools.

Students will provide a 10-15 minute classroom presentation based on their position paper on
12/4 or 12/11.

Participation (16pts)
Students are expected to attend and participate in every class section. Plan to read all assigned
readings and bring assigned articles with you either on an electronic device or as a hard copy as
we will be discussing them in-depth.

Discussion Questions (24pts)

Discussion questions will be turned in by 1:00pm every Monday on Canvas. These questions
should be well thought-out and intended to spark conversation and critical through. These
questions should not be content questions (i.e., what is a RCT); the should be more about the
issues raised in the readings and their implications for the science, practice, and professional
identity of counseling psychology and professional counseling. Each question is worth 2 points,
and 1 point will be given for participation in small group and class discussion.
PY 630 FALL 2017

TENTATIVE TOPIC SCHEDULE

Date Topic Reading & Assignment

8/28 Introduction & APA Style
9/4 NO CLASS LABOR DAY
9/11 Defining & Comparing Psychotherapies Ch 1
Stricker & Trierweiler (2006)
Wampold & Imel (2011)
9/18 Psychoanalytic; The power of the unconscious Ch 2
Guest Lecture: Sarah VanMattson, MA Buckley (1989)
Mitchell & Black (2016)
9/25 Psychodynamic/Adlerian Ch 3
The interpersonal realm Case Conceptualization
Guest Lecture : Mirella Flores, MA
10/2 Existential Ch 4
Living life awake & with purpose Bauman & Waldo (1998)

10/9 Person-centered* Ch 5
Self-concept is paramount Rogers (2007)
Group Presentation
10/16 Experiential Therapies Ch 6
Greenberg (2004)
Group Presentation
10/23 Interpersonal Therapies Ch 7
Psychotherapy Process Reaction Paper due
Group Presentation
10/30 Exposure & Flooding; Behavior Therapies Ch 8 & 9
Group Presentation
Case Conceptualization
11/6 Cognitive Therapies Ch 10
Beck (1995) pp. 13-24
Cognitive Distortion List
Group Presentation

11/13 Third Wave: DBT & ACT Cognitive Therapies Ch 11

Guest Lecture: Wen Wen Chong, MA Linehan & Wilks (2015)
Hayes (2012)
11/20 Gender & Culture Sensitive Ch 13 & 14
The fish knows nothing of water Ens (1997)
Case Conceptualization
11/27 Brief Solution Oriented Therapy/Constructivist Ch 14
Language of strength & possibility

12/4 Position Paper Presentations Position Paper due

12/11 Position Paper Presentations