Therapeutic Interventions with Diverse Children and Adolescents

Catalog description

This course provides a contextual exploration of today’s youth in the urban environment, centralizing foci on the counselor’s role as an advocate and the role of resilience in response to youth risk. Critical to this course is an intersectional analysis relative to the effect of race, ethnicity, class, gender/gender expression, sexual identity and orientation, and their ability to shape the lives of young people (ages 5-18) developing in urban communities and schools as members and learners. A focus on therapeutic interventions with children and adolescents individually, in groups, and within school, community and familial contexts to respond to early and/or complex trauma as well as to support mental health and well-being is engaged. Issues such as substance use and abuse, gang involvement, teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV, the role of the media, technology and music will be discussed. The pre-requisites of CSP 615, 649, 652 and 654 are required as well as CSP 657A or CSP 706.