Department of Educational Foundations and Counseling Programs

Hunter College, CUNY Department of Educational Foundations and Counseling Programs Counseling Skills & Interviewing Techniques COCO 725.04 - Fall 2008

Instructor: Markus Bidell, Ph.D. Office: W 1114/ West Building Office hours: Tuesday 7.00 PM to 9.00 PM and Wednesday 3.00 PM to 5.00 PM Or By Appointment Phone: 212-772-4714 E-mail: [email protected]

Required Texts: Freedman, J., & Combs, G. (1996). Narrative Therapy: The Social Construction of Preferred Realities. W. W. Norton & Company - ISBN 0393702073.

Recommended: Winslade, J. M. & Monk, G. D. (2006). Narrative Counseling in Schools: Powerful & Brief. Corwin Press – ISBN 1412926203. Monk, G. D., Winslade, J. M., Crocket, K., Epston, D. (Editors). (1996). Narrative Therapy in Practice: The Archaeology of Hope. Jossey-Bass Psychology Series- ISBN 0787903132. *Additional Articles/Chapters may be dispersed throughout the semester for additional reading on Blackboard. The Following Must Be Down-loaded From the WWW (Also on BlackBoard):  American Counseling Association Code of Ethics: www.counseling.org  Ethical Standards for School Counselors: www.schoolcounselor.org  Code of Professional Ethics for Rehab. Counselors: www.crccertification.com  Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct: www.apa.org  Class Conduct and Policies must be downloaded from BlackBoard – you are responsible to read and abide by the class conduct and policies.

Additional Materials: For recording purposes, students will need a computer thumb drive or a 2 re-writable CD's. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO DOWNLOAD (from Black Board) AND READ A COPY OF THE CLASS POLICIES – YOU WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO THE RULES, RESPONSIBILIES, AND RIGHTS OUTLINED IN THIS DOCUMENT.

Course Description

Catalog Course Description Two semesters (8 credits) of continued experience in applying techniques of counseling with selected populations in a variety of settings depending upon specialization. Weekly seminars to discuss clients, roles, and responsibilities of the counselor.

Expanded Course Description

1 This course is designed to assist your continued growth in developing: a) self-awareness as a counselor; b) understanding the process of counseling as it relates to Narrative Therapy and Supervision; and, c) further development of multicultural counselor competency. You are expected to have a thorough understand of and ability to use the basic and advanced counseling skills covered in COCO 701. This course will assist in your ability to utilize these skills in context with a deeper theoretical perspective. As you gain a deeper understanding of the counseling process, you will be expected to understand your strengths and growth areas with regard to multicultural counselor competencies. In this course, an emphasis is placed on developing a self- awareness of the attitudes, skills, and knowledge you hold about specific multicultural clients/issues as well as ways you can strengthen your abilities to work with a diverse range of clients .Internship is an applied course and designed for students to gain additional counseling skills and self-awareness. Students will simultaneously be enrolled in the Internship course at Hunter and engaged in counseling at a fieldwork site for twenty hours each week. At the fieldwork site, students are expected to provide ongoing counseling for at least one client throughout the semester, tape-record at least two counseling sessions, and engage in weekly, individual supervision with their fieldwork supervisor. Some fieldwork sites may allow students to engage in additional counseling activities, such as group therapy, advisement, intake, and assessment. To receive a final grade in this course, students are responsible for turning in to the Professor a written evaluation of their performance from the on-site supervisors before the completion of each semester.

Instructional Methods and Format

This is a seminar with both didactic and experiential elements and will comprise lectures, group discussions, in-class exercises, demonstrations, and case presentations. As a matter of basic courtesy and as evidence of one’s own professionalism, all students are asked to be respectful of the personal comments and/or professional information shared during class. If you choose to share any relevant stories about your work with a particular client, you must ensure that identifying information is disguised. Please note, though, that information you choose to share in class is not confidential.

Course Objectives

 Awareness of self as a helping professional, including an ability to critically examine your own clinical work, as well as provide appropriate feedback to your peers. [KSD; EP; CC; CACREP E1-2]  Conceptualize client cases, generate theoretically grounded hypotheses, and utilize micro-skills most appropriate for your clients and setting. [KSD; EP; CACREP E2]  Demonstrate an awareness of critical clinical issues, including depression, suicidality, neglect, and abuse, as well as the appropriate actions to take when these issues arise. [KSD, SJ, CC, P & CACREP C2-4]  Demonstrate an awareness of the professional and ethical codes of conduct in mental health and an understanding of how the codes relate to you and your clients. [KSD,SJ, P, CC & CACREP: A8, C5]  Understanding of issues and ability to apply skills around termination and/or referrals;  Increased ability to assess your multicultural counselor competencies (attitudes, skills,

2 and knowledge) as they relate to specific clients and diversity issues as well as how you work to strengthen your cultural competencies.

Changes I reserve the right to change, add or delete syllabus contents, assignments or lectures outlined with adequate notice and rationale. If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to check on announcements made while you were absent.

Grading and Assignments

Evaluation of your performance encompasses more than the quality of your written work or class participation. In the role of counselor, your attitudes and actions, both within class and in your field placement, should demonstrate the highest level of professionalism. The grade you earn will be based upon your performance in class and in your field placement. Class Assignments

1. Attendance and Participation (15%) This is an applied course for which attendance and participation are mandatory. Students who miss more than two classes may, at the Professors discretion, have their grade lowered by one-half a grade and may be asked to repeat the course. In case of an emergency or sickness, please notify the Professor before class, when possible. Repeated tardiness will also impact your grade. More than two unexcused late days will be counted as an absence. Active participation may include, but is not limited to: 1) open discussion within the group about your concerns as a beginning counselor that may impact your ability to be therapeutic, 2) disclosure of client issues/concerns for which you need assistance from the Professor and from your peers, 3) facilitating the growth and development of yourself and others by providing constructive feedback to your peers’ and being open to receiving feedback on your work from others in the course. Your evaluation from your field supervisor will also be a factor in point calculation.

2. Written Journal (15%) Students are required to hand-in a typed journal every week (15 Journals; two page maximum). The journal should focus on clinical process versus content. Therefore, please include the following:

1. Your feelings, thoughts, and reactions to your sessions/site/supervisor/classmates, including an exploration of why you might have the aforementioned feelings, thoughts, and reactions. 2. How your feelings, thoughts, and reactions might influence your counseling style and counseling relationships. 3. Other people’s reactions to you and how that might relate to your style and personal characteristics such as racial/ethnic group, gender, social class etc.

Journals should not be used to describe the content of sessions, unless the description is necessary in order to process clinical issues related to yourself and the client. You may receive written feedback and reactions to your journals from the Professor.

3 3. Counseling Tapes and Transcript Analyses (2) (40%) Within the first three and last three weeks of class, please pick a client to evaluate yourself and your counseling skills. You will be provided a format on how to structure your evaluation – you will transcribe your interventions and tally up the types on interventions you utilized. You will examine your strengths and areas for further development. You will also complete and turn in 2 case notes.

4. Case Presentation (30%) You will present a client in class (Client can be from your Case Analyses). Students will be assigned a date to present their client and should be prepared with the following: 1) a tape recorder, 2) audio-tape to be handed into the Professor, 3) copies of the transcription for the class, 4) 1 copy of the transcript with analysis for the Professor.

Choose a case that you feel stuck or feel you have been the most ineffective with to present to the class. Turn in a 4 - 6 page summary that outlines the following:

Client Introduction: Provide identifying information (demographic data), strengths, presenting problem, history (psychiatric, family, social, educational/vocational, medical), diagnostic formulation and/or diagnosis, treatment plan - goals, and analysis. Case Formulation: Provide a theoretical rationale to articulate why your client has the strengths and problems she/he has as well as the course of treatment (interventions, prognosis, main concepts). Multicultural/Human Diversity Discussion: Describe the multicultural/diversity issues this client faces (How do the client’s multicultural issues relate to the client’s diagnosis and diagnostic formation, treatment decisions) as well as how the client’s multicultural background impacts transference or countertransference issues. You should have done appropriate research in this area – site 1-2 journal articles concerning the diversity issues you are presenting. Summarize the readings and how they helped/didn’t help your understanding of this multicultural issue. Make copies of the references (not the articles to distribute to the class).

Present this case to the class (using the outline described above) and focus the discussion on one or two questions or issues you have in relation to this case and for which the class might help you. (Examples: Why do I feel stuck with this client?, What is the diagnosis for this client?, How do I deal with XXXX ethical issue?, What client strengths can I mine to support the treatment plan/goals). BE CREATIVE! The case presentation should last no more than about 20 minutes and we will reserve another 20 minutes for discussion of the questions you present.

Grading: You will earn your grade based on four factors: Total Points Attendance and Class Participation 15% Written Journals 15 % Counseling Tapes and Transcript Analyses 40% Case Presentation 30% TOTAL 100% (The instructor reserves the option to include 8 potential

4 bonus points)

Assignments. All assignments must be submitted to the instructor on the due day listed in the schedule. Unexcused late assignments (i.e., those without documented family and/or medical emergencies) may be dropped one letter grade for each day they are late; assignments submitted more than 2 days late may not be accepted and may receive a grade of zero.

The grading system used by Hunter College will be used for final grades: A+ 97.5 – 100% B- 80.0 – 82.4% A 92.5 – 97.4% C+ 77.5 – 79.9% A- 90.0 – 92.4% C 70.0 – 77.4% B+ 87.5 – 89.9% F 77.3 – 69.9% B 82.5 – 87.4%

Students will be graded based on the scoring rubric provided. The grades are assigned according to the values published by the Hunter College Graduate catalog.

5 Tentative and Preliminary Schedule

1. Aug. 27 Introduction and orientation. Overview of course. READINGS: None.

2. Sep. 3 The Client-Counselor Relationship and Supervision Schedule. READINGS: Freedman & Combs, Ch. 1 ASSIGNMENT DUE: Reaction 1.

3. Sep. 10 Client Stories and Social Constructionism. READINGS: Freedman & Combs, Ch. 2 ASSIGNMENT DUE: Reaction 2.

4. Sep. 17 Crisis Counseling. READINGS: Crisis Article, BlackBoard ASSIGNMENT DUE: Reaction 3.

5. Sep. 24 Substance Abuse 1. READINGS: Substance Abuse Article 1, BlackBoard ASSIGNMENTS DUE: Reaction 4. Analysis I

6. Oct. 1 No Class. 7. Oct. 8 No Class.

8. Oct. 15 Substances Abuse 2. READINGS: Substance Abuse Article 2, BlackBoard; Freedman & Combs, Ch. 3 ASSIGNMENT DUE: Reaction 5/6/7.

9. Oct. 22 New Directions for Clients. READINGS: Narrative Article 1, BlackBoard; Freedman & Combs, Ch. 4 ASSIGNMENT DUE: Reaction 8.

10. Oct. 29 Multicultural Counselor Competency. READINGS: Narrative Article 2, BlackBoard ASSIGNMENT DUE: Reaction 9.

11. Nov. 5 Student Presentations.

ASSIGNMENT DUE: Reaction 10. Analysis II

ASSIGNMENTS DUE: Reaction 11. Case Presentation Write-Up

6 13. Nov. 19 Student Presentations.

ASSIGNMENT DUE: Reaction 12.

15. Dec. 3 Student Presentations.

16. Dec. 10 Final Class: Course summary and Closure READINGS: None. ASSIGNMENT DUE: Reaction 15.

NOTES: