Courses
GMHC-500 Mental Health Counseling (3)
This course examines the historical movement and professional evolution of the mental health counseling profession, including requirements for licensure. Because effective practitioners must maintain currency in the daily implementation of their skills, the course also explores both contemporary and continuing issues such as ethics, legalities, personal values, consultation and accountability. Included in the course will be lectures, videotapes, group discussions, guest speakers, and the sharing of student research projects. A mandatory training session on the identification and reporting of child abuse and neglect is included.
Attributes: TGMH ZCLXGMHC-510 Counseling Theories (3)
This course is the first in a series of counseling courses that are intended to lead to a successful placement and experience in an internship site. This course focuses on an introduction to counseling theories and strategies from a variety of theoretical perspectives. The main focus will be on facilitating the new student’s awareness of the different evidence-based intervention strategies. Emphasis will be on developing strategies that match the client’s needs and are consistent with the therapist’s style.
Attributes: TGMHGMHC-515 Social Cultural Diversity (3)
This course focuses on the process of counseling, with a primary emphasis on the development of cultural self-awareness, knowledge, and skills regarding working with clients from diverse backgrounds in order to become a culturally responsive therapist. The American Counseling Association’s multicultural competencies for counselors will be used as part of this course.
Formerly titled: Process of Counseling
Attributes: TGMH ZEXL
Pre-requisites: GMHC-510 CGMHC-520 Assessment in Counseling (3)
This course reviews the basic assessment procedures and tests used in assessment by mental health counselors. Students will learn how to select, evaluate, and interpret scores on tests of cognitive ability, memory, individual and academic achievement, personality, and social and emotional functioning. In addition, students will learn to administer tests commonly used in the practice of mental health counseling. An introduction to issues and strategies for behavioral assessment, suicide and lethality assessment, psychosocial assessment, and mental status exam through interviewing strategies and practice will also be covered, with emphasis on integrating a variety of assessment tools and culminating in oral and written reports.
Additional fees apply.
Attributes: TGMH ZEXLGMHC-525 Psychopathology&Diagnosis (3)
This course will facilitate understanding of psychopathology using both traditional and strengths-based strategies to assess and diagnose mental disorders. These strategies will help students develop skills in differential diagnosis for use in treatment planning. Advanced awareness of the DSM-V and the methods used in determining the diagnostic classification of a client will be the major focus of the course.
Attributes: TGMH
Restrictions: Including: -Program: Cert: Mental Health Counseling, MS Mental Health CounselingGMHC-530 Treatment Plan&Interventn (3)
This course integrates assessment and diagnosis of psychological disorders with the development of appropriate treatment plans and interventions to facilitate therapeutic changes in clients. Students will be introduced to several research-based (evidence-based) treatment strategies to treat commonly encountered psychological disorders in settings where mental health counselors work. The course will focus on: (1) integrating evidence-based practices with a relational/humanistic orientation to the client change process; (2) practicing interview methods to identify symptoms (cognitive, emotional, and behavioral) for change, while being sensitive to multicultural differences; (3) identifying appropriate goals, objectives, and specific treatment methods that are consistent with evidence-based practices; (4) describing and demonstrating, as appropriate, the protocols that are used to treat individuals with different diagnoses; and (5) learning about the elements of formal treatment plans and how to review them for efficacy and make relevant changes in response to emerging client needs.
Attributes: TGMH ZCLX
Pre-requisites: GMHC-500 C AND GMHC-510 C AND GMHC-520 C AND GMHC-525 CGMHC-540 Group Therapy & Process (3)
This course is a review of current theory and research on group counseling and the application of these concepts to real-life groups. In this course, students will analyze behavior as applied to group dynamics. Among the topics covered are group formation, cohesion, conformity and influence, leadership, group performance, decision-making, conflict, and groups as agents of change. Focus on approaches and skills in group dynamics as they relate to performance and enhancement of cooperative/collaborative situations is emphasized. Additionally, each student is required to integrate theories of group process with practices of group counseling in an experiential format. A wide variety of techniques and skills used in group therapy will be introduced.
Attributes: TGMH
Pre-requisites: GMHC-510 C
Restrictions: Including: -Major: Mental Health CounselingGMHC-550 Counseling Practicum (3)
This course is the first opportunity for students to apply their skills in a mental health setting by providing counseling services to clients under the supervision of a faculty instructor and a site supervisor. The settings offered for practicum will be based on the needs and interests of students and the availability of qualified supervisors. The student will spend 100 clock hours during the semester on-site. It is expected that a minimum of 40 hours will be spent providing direct clinical service in both individual and group counseling sessions. Students will receive at least one hour of weekly individual supervision from a faculty instructor and 1.5 hours of group supervision per week from program faculty. The supervised counseling sessions will facilitate each student?s personal and professional growth. Feedback from the site supervisor and the faculty member will help students to identify strengths and areas needing improvement that will be further developed in their internship. Graded S/U.
Attributes: TGMH ZCIV
Pre-requisites: GMHC-515 C AND GMHC-530 C AND GMHC-535 C AND GMHC-536 SGMHC-575 Research & Prog Eval (3)
This is a hands-on applied research methods course. The purpose of this course is to provide the student with the skills to understand the research process and techniques and to evaluate a program. During this course, students gain in-depth knowledge of evaluation by (a) first reading about it and then (b) conducting their own research/evaluations. Each student will participate in an evaluation project. The goal is to facilitate students’ progression from educated researcher to beginning evaluator.
Attributes: TGMH ZCIVGMHC-585 Psychopharm Intervention (3)
This course provides an overview of the central nervous system, neural communication, the neurobiology of mental disorders, basic principles of pharmacology, and the pharmacotherapy of mental disorders. Students will learn the use and side effects of the major classes of psychotropic medications and how to combine them with psychosocial interventions. Related topics include herbals and supplements, other somatic treatments, consideration of gender-specific issues in psychopharmacology, and an understanding of basic lab abnormalities. Students will develop a knowledge base and practical skills that will facilitate collaboration with prescribers and other professionals in a multidisciplinary team setting in order to promote the health and recovery of their clients.
Attributes: TGMH
Pre-requisites: GMHC-525 Y CGMHC-590 Child & Adol Disorders (3)
This course will review advanced assessment and treatment processes used by mental health counselors who work with children and adolescents. Assessment-related topics will include interviewing strategies for use with children, adolescents and their families, along with formal testing procedures that will culminate in preparation of a psychological report. Students will also learn a variety of intervention strategies for use in individual, group, and family settings, designed to help children and their families cope with the various behavioral, social, and emotional issues that children and adolescents can face, including trauma, ADHD, and family transitions.
Attributes: TGMH ZCLX
Pre-requisites: GPSY-603 C OR GMHC-603 C
Restrictions: Including: -Program: Cert: Mental Health Counseling, MS Mental Health CounselingGMHC-600 Family&Partner Counseling (3)
This course will introduce students to the history and evolution of the field of family therapy and the various traditional and contemporary models of family therapy used by family and couples counselors. Integrative and evidence-based strategies designed to help families and couples facilitate resolution of their challenges will be presented using a variety of methods, including live demonstration, case study and video analysis. In addition, students will be able to explore a variety of contemporary topics in family therapy, including divorce, cultural issues, substance abuse, and pertinent ethical and professional issues relevant to the practice of family and partner counseling.
Attributes: TGMH ZEXL
Pre-requisites: GMHC-510 CGMHC-603 Human Dev in Counseling (3)
This course presents an overview of human growth and development based upon a lifespan approach that provides an understanding of the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels, from infancy through advanced age. Emphasis is placed upon using developmental theory as a means for understanding the counseling process.
Attributes: TGMH ZRESGMHC-605 Human Sexuality/Counseling (3)
Knowledge of normal sexual development and sexual dysfunctions are important for the professional mental health counselor. This course will cover sociocultural foundations of the study of sexuality, basic anatomy and physiology, major sexual dysfunctions and disorders, diagnosis and treatment, and the counselor’s role.
Attributes: TGMH ZCLX
Pre-requisites: GMHC-510 CGMHC-610 Adult Career Counseling (3)
This course is designed to focus upon adult development including career choices and family dynamics. The role of work in people’s lives often creates challenges in terms of living arrangements and family systems. Students will explore the issues in counseling adults with challenges related to the work setting. Students will learn to identify and use assessment strategies related to career choice, apply counseling theories to issues revolving around careers, and facilitate clients’ goals and choice of appropriate career pathways.
Additional fees apply.
Attributes: TGMH ZCLX
Pre-requisites: GMHC-510 CGMHC-615 Counseling the Older Adult (3)
Students will gain knowledge of the needs of older adults for mental health services and of ways to work successfully with them utilizing basic competencies in gerontological counseling. Students will explore issues faced by older adults and their families and will learn to apply fundamental counseling strategies to this population. We will analyze the lives of older adults within frameworks of social institutions and race, class, and gender. Through practice with older adults, students will have the opportunity to learn by doing.
Attributes: TGMH
Pre-requisites: GMHC-510 CGMHC-620 Crisis & Trauma Counseling (3)
This course is designed to help students acquire an understanding of the theory and practice of counseling individuals in a crisis and/or intervening to address sequelae of traumatic experiences. Models of crisis assessment and intervention will be presented with emphasis on a developmental-ecological approach. Core counseling skills that are critical to an effective response to crises will be reviewed along with evaluation of an individual’s response in terms of diagnostic criteria for relevant mental disorders. Suicide and homicide assessment and intervention will be covered in detail. Crisis assessment and intervention will be guided by examining examples (scenarios) in the life of individuals who have encountered, or are currently dealing with, situations including, but not limited to, sexual assault, relationship violence, loss and bereavement, natural disasters, military combat, and terrorism.
Attributes: TGMH
Pre-requisites: GMHC-515 CGMHC-630 Substance Use Counseling (3)
The primary goals of the course are to acquire a fundamental understanding of the biopsychosocial context of substance use disorders and to learn counseling competencies that are based in theory and are associated with positive treatment outcomes. The topics addressed include the nomenclature (language) of addiction and recovery, information about the physical effects of the major drugs of abuse, approaches to assessment and diagnosis of substance use disorders, treatment planning and models of treatment intervention that are tied to identified client needs, multicultural counseling issues, the role of the family in treatment, self-help programs, and working with special populations. A major emphasis in this course is learning about Motivational Interviewing and the application of the Transtheoretical Model of Change to substance abuse counseling. The methods that will be used to impart knowledge and acquire and practice skills include reading assignments, didactic instruction, role-play and demonstrations, video presentations, and interactions with persons in recovery and with professionals in the field.
Formerly titled: Substance Abuse Counseling
Attributes: TGMH ZCLX
Pre-requisites: GMHC-510 C AND GMHC-535 Y C AND GMHC-536 Y SGMHC-632 ATOD Topics for Counselors (3)
This course will address key topics pertaining to the use, abuse and dependency on alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD) to promote understanding of factors that underlie prevention and treatment of addiction. It seeks to broaden the student?s knowledge of historical facts about ATOD to include social, cultural and political influences on use as well as etiological models that have been advanced to explain dependence and addiction. This course will also examine topics that pertain to physical and pharmacological effects of drugs of abuse, medical diseases and conditions associated with abuse and provide an overview of approaches that are considered to be effective in screening, evaluating and treating addiction to ATOD. Finally, this course will cover approaches to family and community education and prevention to encourage wellness and increase understanding of addiction.
Attributes: TGMHGMHC-634 Animal Assisted Psychother (3)
Animals have been aids to humans for centuries. In our modern times we have now chosen to utilize them as helpers in the psychotherapeutic process. While much of the research on animal assisted therapy is qualitative and full of personal description, researchers are now beginning to study the use of animals in a quantitative manner. Research with animals as psychotherapy assistants suggests that humans show signs of reduced stress, fear and anxiety, and increased calmness and comfort when the right animal is present. Animal assisted therapy, as a complementary therapy, has been beneficial to both children and adults in individual and group settings. This course will cover the foundations of animal assisted mental health and psychotherapy with an emphasis on equine and canine ?assisted approaches. The basic skills and knowledge necessary to incorporate animal assisted methods in your practice will be gained by participation in this course. Credit toward certification in equine assisted psychotherapy may also be possible.
Attributes: TGMHGMHC-636 Neurology in Counseling (3)
This course will enable students to gain an understanding of how the different regions of the brain function and influence emotional states. Students will be exposed to the latest research in the neurosciences which relate to the formation neural pathways and how normally healthy pathways can get distorted in predictable ways related to specific mental disorders. The course will summarize advances in the neurosciences and how these findings can be applied to those assisting individuals with medical, mental health and/or substance use needs to inform more effective clinical interventions. Additionally, the role of motivation, attachment, trauma, parental consistency, and need fulfillment will be explored to help practitioners better understand and facilitate change on a physiological level. The goal is to share these findings in language students can understand, to clearly illustrate the interactions of the various brain mechanisms and to contrast unhealthy vs. healthy brain functioning. A biopsychosocial perspective will benefit those interested in the integration of physical health, mental health, and substance use needs to guide interventions and reduce stigma through the normalization of disorders via an increased understanding of physiology and neurology.
Attributes: TGMHGMHC-650 Counseling Internship (3 TO 12)
The internship is the post-practicum “capstone” clinical experience of the program in which students, under the supervision of a qualified site supervisor, are expected to refine and enhance their assessment and counseling skills in the delivery of evidence-based treatment services to individuals, groups, couples, and families. The 18 credits of internship typically extend over three semesters with students spending a total of 900 clock hours in clinical settings, of which a minimum of 360 hours must be spent in providing direct service. In the typical sequence, students enroll in six credit hours of internship in a semester and spend 300 clock hours at the agency site. Individual supervision sessions conducted by the site supervisor will occur one hour per week, and students will attend group supervision facilitated by a faculty member 1.5 hours per week throughout the internship. The internship will typically be completed in two different settings, one of which will be in the same setting as the practicum, in order to expose students to a broad range of clinical populations and mental health delivery systems. The experience will be designed in a way that students gradually gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to work more independently so that, upon graduation, they can function autonomously within the mental health setting of their choice. Graded S/U.
Attributes: TGMH ZCIV
Pre-requisites: GMHC-550 SGMHC-675 Thesis (3)
This elective course is designed to prepare those students who plan to continue in academic settings. Students will engage in independent research of the topic of their choice. Students will be expected to develop a research question, review the associated literature, conduct an independent investigation into the topic, and prepare a scholarly paper and oral presentation of their results. Permission of the instructor required for registration.
Attributes: TGMH ZRES
Pre-requisites: GMHC-575 C