INTRODUCTION TO COUNSELING

Catalog description

This course introduces students to theories and approaches in counseling and psychotherapy, including psychodynamic (psychoanalytic, Adlerian), existential -humanistic (existential, person -centered, Gestalt), cognitive -behavioral (behavioral, cognitive, multimodal), narrative, family systems, and integrative approaches. The didactic portion of the course considers the importance of an authentic understanding of persons, the counselor as person and professional, professional ethics, and evidence-based practice for the treatment of a variety of psychological conditions. Counseling theories will be evaluated from a Catholic perspective of persons, with specific consideration given to promising therapeutic approaches such as affirmation therapy (Baars and Terruwe), character psychology (Allers), logotherapy (Frankl), reality therapy (Glasser), contextual family therapy (Boszormenyi -Nagy), and/or positive psychology (Peterson and Seligman). A significant experiential component offers students an opportunity to learn and practice the interpersonal skills involved in the counseling process. Prerequisites: PSYC 201, PSYC 317.