This course will introduce the psychotherapy process and basic counseling skills. Topics include evidence-based practices, common factors, and an overview of various foundational psychotherapy modalities including (but not limited to) humanistic, psychodynamic, interpersonal process, existential, cognitive-behavioral, and others. The class will discuss the various theoretical approaches to conceptualization of the problem, the role of the therapist, theory of cure, and applications with diverse groups. Basic counseling skills will include active and reflective listening skills, nonverbal behaviors, paraphrasing, empathy responses, and building a therapeutic alliance, among others. Skills will be introduced through role plays in class and students will be assigned weekly practice. (Fall) [Graded (Standard Letter)]

This course is designed to begin building skills and practices to help students develop into professional clinicians. The class will introduce students to the psychotherapy process and basic counseling skills. Topics include evidence-based practices, common factors, and an overview of various foundational psychotherapy modalities including (but not limited to) humanistic, psychodynamic, interpersonal process, existential, cognitive-behavioral, and others. We will discuss the various theoretical approaches to conceptualization of the problem, the role of the therapist, theory of cure, and applications with diverse groups. Basic counseling skills will include active and reflective listening skills, nonverbal behaviors, paraphrasing, empathy responses, and building a therapeutic alliance, among others. We will be introducing these skills through role plays in class and students will be assigned weekly practice.

Sue, D., & Sue, D.M. (2008). Foundations of counseling and psychotherapy: Evidence based practices for a diverse society. Wiley.

Nelson-Jones (2016). Basic counseling skills: A helper’s manual (4th ed). Sage Publications Ltd.

Additional Required & Optional Readings will be provided on Canvas, some of which are listed in the course schedule below.

By the end of the semester, students will be able to:

• Identify major theoretical foundations used in psychotherapy and analyze and compare foundational theoretical approaches with regards to views of human nature, the role of the therapist, theory of illness and cure, and techniques associated with each theoretical approach.
• Identify empirically supported iterations of these theories and the research support of common factors essential to psychotherapy.
• Identify multicultural issues and application of these theories with diverse client groups.
• Demonstrate core basic skills essential to the practice of psychotherapy.
• Demonstrate the capacity for self-reflection and personal growth regarding skills, worldview, and possible biases in worldview.
• Be able to analyze and critique psychotherapy research.

This course will utilize various methods including readings, class discussions, lectures, and role-plays, and assigned activities that align with SUU Essential Learning Outcomes (ELOs) including Communication, Critical Thinking, Ethical Reasoning, Inquiry & Analysis, Intercultural Knowledge & Competence, and Integrative Learning. Additionally, this course is designed to introduce and practice Domain Specific Knowledge (DSKs) and Profession Wide Competencies (PWCs) in Health Services Psychology as outlined by the American Psychological Association. The SUU ELOs are indicated below. Details regarding specific DSKs and PWCs are provided at the end of this syllabus.

Course Structure

Students should come to class each week having read the assigned readings and prepared to engage in discussion. Classes will generally start with an article review and discussion (and students will take turns leading the discussions), followed by a didactic and interactive lecture introducing theoretical concepts and general psychotherapy practices. A portion of each week will be dedicated to instruction and in-class practice of basic therapeutic skills. All students need to be prepared to engage in role plays and demonstrations and/or share a video of their weekly practice. Course materials and assignment submission (other than in-class participation) will be primarily on Canvas.

Reading Summaries & Discussion

Each week, students will be assigned readings from the texts and supplemental articles. Everyone is expected to read the required readings each week, but students will also be assigned to take turns leading the discussion to review articles and the empirical evidence behind the theoretical approaches. With each theoretical approach, students will be expected to select one scholarly article relevant to said approach and provide a written analysis of the article, including strengths and weaknesses of the study design, limitations, and an understanding of clinical utility/significance vs statistical significance of the results.

Basic Skills Practice

Each week, we will discuss skills essential to the practice of psychotherapy. We will start with self-reflection and awareness, talk about progress tracking and monitoring, and explore ‘micro’ skills such as active listening and reflective statements. By the end of the semester, you will have practiced several interpersonal communication skills and be able to articulate how those skills relate to the therapy process. All students are expected to participate in in-class role plays several times throughout the semester, and each week you will practice the skills and record a brief interaction with either a classmate or other volunteer (INFORMED CONSENT IS A MUST!!). You will view and evaluate your own recordings and share them with fellow classmates for peer evaluation. You will also be writing a ‘progress note’ to summarize each session as though you were taking clinical notes. At the end of the semester, you will submit a 10 to 15-minute recording of you demonstrating multiple skills when interacting with another person. For this assignment, you will need some device capable of recording video and audio (most smartphones or webcams will suffice). Be mindful of audio and video quality.

Reflection Essays

Students will write three reflection essays throughout the semester regarding their skill development particularly with regards to the Profession Wide Competencies established by the APA.

• The first essay will serve as a formative self-assessment regarding your initial viewpoint on therapeutic change and your baseline counseling skills. What is your primary theory of how people can change? You need not be able to articulate this from a solid theoretical framework yet, but how do people change and what ‘ingredients’ lead to change? What is the role of a therapist in facilitating that change? What skills does a therapist need? Based on this view, write up a summary of what you believe your baseline skills are thus far and how have you acquired those skills? What skills do you find challenging, or that you anticipate having difficulty with and why? Consider your cultural context and background- how might this affect how you relate to potential clients? (2-3 pages)
• The second reflection essay will serve as a mid-semester self-evaluation and focus on your developing competency with the 3 elements of the Communication and Interpersonal Skills PWC (see below and additional details on Canvas). Relate specific skills identified in the readings to the PWC elements. What skills have you noticed improving? What skills are still challenging? How has self-monitoring and formal observation of skills (i.e., watching your own recordings, watching role-plays, etc.) affected your abilities? What new insights do you have? What are some areas to focus on for the rest of this semester? Again, consider cultural background and context and how that may affect skill development or implementation. What difficulties do you foresee in relating to diverse client groups, fellow professionals, and supervisors? What skills do you have/need to improve your ability to manage difficult communication well? (3 pages)
• This final essay will serve as a summative self-evaluation of your basic counseling skills. Summarize the learning process, what was surprising to you and what seemed to develop as expected? What are some potential future challenges and pitfalls to be aware of? What is your plan to continue to develop proficiency in the skills we’ve covered this semester? What additional skills can you identify that you need to develop next, and what might be a plan to pursue those skills? (3-5 pages)

Emerging Theoretical Orientation

As a summative assessment of your work in this course, each developing therapist in the class will begin to formulate a theoretical orientation to guide your future clinical practice. This project also serves as a formative assessment as part of the overall training program. This will be the first of multiple formal methods of articulating and developing your theoretical orientation throughout your training, hence the ‘Emerging’ part of the title.

Like the initial reflection essay, articulate your primary theoretical orientation to psychotherapy, but this time from a solid theoretical foundation including appropriate use of theory terminology. You do not need to adhere strictly to a theory covered in this class, this is your philosophical approach to understanding humans and the change process. As a result, some may find it useful to start with close adherence to an existing theory, while others may incorporate components from multiple approaches. Be cautious about an overly eclectic approach, as the final product does need to be logically consistent and provide a theoretical explanation for why various techniques will be effective.

Be sure to include your view of human nature, theory of illness and cure, the role of therapist, and the mechanism by which techniques work to effect change. You will need to be intentional and direct when you address multicultural implications such as compatibility with various diverse client groups who may have a different worldview. You should articulate the critical thinking process in adopting this theoretical orientation, including relevant empirical support for the approach and gather at least 5 scholarly sources beyond the text or in-class assigned articles. Include a critical analysis of potential shortcomings of the theory (questions your orientation cannot account for yet). Identify some steps for further refining your theoretical orientation as you continue to develop as a therapist this first year and throughout your training program. We will have in-class discussions to share theoretical orientations toward the end of the semester.

This assignment connects to your developing competency in the Intervention Profession Wide Competency from the APA.

Exams

Periodically, you will complete exams to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of theory and your own process of learning theory. Exams will be essay format primarily focused on your ability to accurately describe and explain each theoretical approaches view on human nature, theory of illness and cure, role of the therapist, and associated techniques. Each exam will have two components: unassisted and assisted. First you will write what you know/remember about these components without references. Then utilize your text or other source materials to fill in additional or missing information. The ‘final’ exam will require you to reflect on your overall exams and the process by which you learn theory. What components of theory were easiest to learn or most difficult, and what sources seemed most impactful, etc.

Grading

Performance on the above activities will provide the basis for your course grade. All written assignments will be graded based on content and writing (grammar, spelling, use of appropriate terminology, etc.) Students are strongly encouraged to utilize resources to help with the writing process including peers and the Writing Center on campus (yes, they can help with graduate papers).

Grading is based on the Student Grading Policy for the SUU Doctorate of Psychology in Clinical Psychology, and is broken down in this course as follows:

Grades will be assigned on the following basis

A = 100-94%      B+ = <90-87%      C+ = <80-77%      D+ = <70-67%      F < 61%
A- = <94-90%      B = <87-84%      C = <77-74%      D = <67-64%
B- = <84-80%      C- = <74-70%      D- = <64-61%

Additional Supplemental Readings may be required and will be available on Canvas.

I reserve the right to refuse any work submitted after the listed deadline in Canvas, but may consider late submissions on a case-by-case basis provided you have contacted me prior to the deadline. Documentation of a university-excused absence or late submission (i.e., a note from a physician) may be required for approval. Late work that is accepted will be penalized 10% per calendar day after the due date. I will not accept any late work after the last day of scheduled classes.