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Article 52
A Framework for Teaching Undergraduate Courses on Counseling Psychology
Implications for Occupational and Educational Aspirations
Abstract: Consistent with the discipline, undergraduate courses about the field of counseling psychology (CP) should focus on the themes of counseling research, practice, and theory. Pedagogical suggestions for this framework are presented. Preliminary findings regarding the usefulness of this structure were highlighted through students’ post-course reports. Evidence suggested that students felt they learned about CP research, clinical practice, and theory within the course, and thought that what they learned was relevant to their careers and life. Pretest and posttest comparisons demonstrated that, though the students’ occupational aspirations did not significantly change, their educational aspirations decreased by the end of the course as hypothesized.
Paper based on a program presented at the 2008 National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology Conference, January 3-6, St. Petersburg Beach, FL.
Course content should closely mirror the subject matter being taught. As a counseling psychologist teaching undergraduate courses on the profession of counseling psychology (CP), I sought to bring the field of CP to life for undergraduates appropriate to their level of study. In CP graduate training, emphasis is placed on utilizing research, counseling practice, and theory to improve people’s mental health and well-being. It should be noted that CP as a discipline is similar to and yet different from the discipline of counselor education, both of which have overlapping histories and skill sets, but are distinct professions in their own right. More information about these two professions can be found in the literature (Atkinson, 2002; Bernard, 2006; Fouad, Carter, & Subich, 2012a, 2012b). Since this university offers master’s level counselor training housed in a psychology department, the faculty believe that an undergraduate course on CP helps provide students with more information about the field of CP and how it compares and contrasts with other related fields. Armed with such information, students may be better poised to make career decisions regarding what field of study they wish to pursue.
Through reading the syllabi of past instructors, I found that a variety of other professionals who had previously taught the course had only focused on the “counseling” part of CP. Though a focus on learning counseling skills is valuable, another course at this university was created to teach helping skills to undergraduates, which again is related to but different from a course on CP. In discussions with colleagues, a theme emerged that other professionals without specific training in CP seemed to lack a clear picture of what CP is and therefore left important pieces (such as the emphasis in CP on the research that supports our counseling practices) out of the CP course when teaching it. These themes are integral to the identity of CP and inherent in the scientist-practitioner training model that most CP graduate programs utilize (Gelso & Fretz 2001). According to Gelso and Fretz (2001), scientist-practitioners are trained as competent researchers and clinicians who apply research results to their clinical practice, consider what is needed for clinical practice in forming their research questions and agendas, and apply scientific inquiry in monitoring the work done in both research and clinical capacities. Also, scientist-practitioners rely heavily on theory in guiding their practice and research work; hence, the knowledge of theory is integral to understanding the field of CP and the approach of counseling psychologists (Gelso & Fretz 2001). Therefore, teaching undergraduates about this field suggests that they be instructed in the major themes in research, practice, and theory relevant to helping people improve their life satisfaction and mental health.
In this article, I propose a framework for teaching undergraduate courses on CP based on focusing on the themes of CP research, practice, and theory. First, I present a review of literature pertaining to pedagogy with undergraduate college students. Second, I outline a framework for teaching undergraduate CP courses, and then identify specific pedagogical recommendations. Third, I present preliminary data on students’ perspectives on this teaching framework. Finally, a sample syllabus for an introductory CP course based on this framework is provided in the appendix.
Existing Literature
No one article was identified that addressed a comprehensive teaching strategy specifically for undergraduate counseling psychology courses. Most closely related to the topic were articles on teaching components of the three-part framework proposed in the current article. In terms of research instruction, authors have proposed methods regarding teaching scientific reasoning (Eflin & Kite 1996), using case studies (Aberson 2005), and having a mentored research experience (Kardash 2000). In undergraduate counseling skills instruction, a number of excellent techniques and suggestions have been offered and investigated (Hill et al., 2008; Korn, 1980; Naar, 1974; Payne & Woudenberg, 1978; Sommers-Flanagan & Heck, 2012). For example, Sommers-Flanagan and Heck (2012) provided a guide on how to plan and facilitate courses devoted to counseling skills training. Also, Hill et al. (2008) recommended that students learn counseling skills via dyadic role-playing exercises. Furthermore, authors have devised creative methods of teaching students how to implement therapeutic interventions. Goldstein (1993) developed a collaborative learning project where students designed a clinical workshop. Also, Lambert and Lenthall (1988) advocated use of computerized case simulations to teach clinical diagnostic and intervention skills.
Teaching counseling theory has been addressed by many authors. Particularly relevant to CP are approaches that focus on pedagogical practices for personality (e.g., Hess 1976), counseling theory (e.g., Miserandino et al., 2000), and multicultural counseling courses (e.g., Alvarez & Miville 2003). Though this literature is relevant to pedagogy in each of the three major areas of CP coursework, no article was found which focused on a comprehensive approach to instruction of undergraduate counseling psychology courses. Thus, I propose a comprehensive framework for teaching classes on CP.
A Framework for Teaching Counseling Psychology
Given that no work has been found that directly advises on how to teach a CP course, it seems helpful to advance a framework for this purpose. CP courses can benefit from introducing students to CP research, clinical practice, and theory by overtly emphasizing this framework from the first day of class and throughout the course. In my formulation, the format of the class involved discussions, lecture, and class activities designed to promote deeper understanding of the concepts along the three themes. Specific strategies utilized in teaching the course are detailed below. For more information on the course itself, please see the Appendix for a sample course syllabus.
Research Learning
With regard to the research theme, students were exposed throughout the course to the research findings regarding different aspects of theory and clinical practice. Also, students were given a major writing assignment where they needed to select one recent empirical research article from a prominent journal in CP (either the Journal of Counseling Psychology or The Counseling Psychologist) and review and critique that article. In selecting the article, students were asked to focus on what topics interested them most in order to learn more about the research being done in CP. Students explained how the results of the article related to the field of CP and described in their own words the “take home” message of the research article.
Also, students worked in small groups to compare and contrast the major designs used in CP research. Each group took one of the designs and came up with a short description of it, the pros and cons of using it, and then presented this information verbally to the class. This group work was then compiled and shared with all the students for use as a study aid. Finally, all students were given the option to experience being a research participant to learn more about how research is conducted.
Clinical Practice Learning
Throughout the course, counseling examples were explained to aid students’ learning about research and theory as well as counseling itself. In addition, students were able to learn about counseling skills and techniques by practicing them with classmates using a role-play format. To deepen their processing of this experience, students wrote a short reaction paper about what it was like to be in the counselor role during their class role-plays.
These exercises provided an opportunity for students to get a taste of what it is like to sit in the helper’s role as well as the client’s role; for more information on this teaching strategy, please see Hill et al. (2008) and Anderson, Gundersen, Banken, and Halvorson (1989). Beyond these exercises, students participated in a class assignment where they were clients for graduate students in the master’s counseling program for a minimum of three sessions (it should be noted that, for ethical reasons, students were given a choice to opt out of the counseling session assignment and instead complete a series of journaling self-awareness exercises). Interestingly, some of these students chose to extend their counseling sessions with their graduate student helpers beyond the three sessions. Afterwards, students discussed in a short paper their thoughts about the talking cure as a healing method, based on their experiences. In order to support student confidentiality and privacy, they were not required to discuss the actual content of their sessions in the paper.
Discussion of real-world applications of counseling concepts was another strategy. For instance, student interest was usually piqued when discussing such questions as “What do counselors do when they find out their client murdered someone 15 years ago? What does this mean for confidentiality?”, “How can career counseling theories actually help me?”, and “What would a consulting counseling psychologist do to improve our university? Our local hospitals? Our schools?”
Finally, an experiential exercise was used to facilitate student understanding of group counseling. In this simulation, the class sat in a circle and shared embarrassing moments with one another (Ritchie, 2006). It was important to let them know that verbal participation was voluntary (students who chose not to share were allowed to remain in the group activity as observers) and that they should support one another’s sharing using the basic counseling skills of reflection and empathy. Afterwards, the instructor helped them process the experience of being in a group like this (Ritchie, 2006).
Theory Learning
Similar to the other major content areas, theories were also emphasized throughout the course and connections were made between theoretical perspectives and different rationales for research directions and counseling practices. Students were exposed to a digest version of the theories that are taught frequently in CP graduate education. The Gelso and Fretz textbook, Counseling Psychology (2001), presented the major theories of counseling (psychoanalytic/psychodynamic, cognitive and/or behavioral, humanistic) as well as systems and career counseling theories. The instructor explained these theories and through discussion sought to expand students’ understanding of the theories by applying them to real-world situations. Also, the use of humor was used to increase comprehension of counseling theories by incorporating popular jokes about the theories and/or theorists. For example, there are good jokes about major counseling theorists like Carl Rogers and Albert Ellis that reflect their different approaches. Instructors can learn about these, or make up their own. It is possible for everyone to have a good laugh and then talk about how the joke represents the concepts about the theory.
Additionally, students’ learning about multicultural theory and concepts was augmented by a multicultural identities activity. The instructor hung signs around the room describing different categories of multicultural identities (e.g., size, nationality, gender, position). Then, the students wrote down what they saw as their four or five key identities, and discussed their choices in small groups. Afterwards, the instructor facilitated a large group discussion of these identities and the different levels of power and privilege associated with them based on the context.
Bring It All Together: CP as a Profession
During the course, students were also directed to think more on the possibility of CP as a career path through a variety of exercises and assignments. For example, after learning about the training of counseling psychologists, they were asked to free-write for 5 minutes on their reactions to what it takes to become a counseling psychologist. Again, please the Appendix for a sample course syllabus.
Current Study
In order to investigate the three-part teaching framework proposed in this paper, student perceptions of the usefulness of providing an undergraduate-appropriate experience of the major training elements for counseling psychologists were examined. Also, since some students indicated that they take topical courses such as CP to gauge their interest in CP as a career path, this author investigated the occupational and educational aspirations of students enrolled in undergraduate courses on CP. Occupational aspirations pertain to the career choice a person desires to attain, and educational aspirations refer to the level of education a person intends to achieve. This instructor conducted analyses of student survey responses using a pretest/posttest design.
Hypotheses and Rationale
A number of hypotheses were advanced in the current study. First, it was expected that students would leave the class feeling like they learned much about CP research, practice, and theory. These three elements were emphasized throughout the course, were reflected in the course structure, and were taught in a manner that helped students apply concepts to their lives and the world around them. Therefore, the first hypothesis was that students would consider themselves knowledgeable about these course components, feeling like they really learned something about CP. As a second, related hypothesis, it was expected that students would value this knowledge and consider it salient to their lives and career paths.
Third, it was expected that occupational aspirations for CP would decrease, so that most students would lose interest in a CP career path by the end of the course. Though the students might value learning about CP, CP is a demanding field in terms of the time, money, and energy required to invest in one’s training as a counseling psychologist as opposed to other fields such as counseling (Gelso & Fretz, 2001). For example, a person can be an independent counselor with a master’s degree and license, which costs less and takes less time than the doctoral degree and license required to be a counseling psychologist. The course instructor as well as the textbook was overt about these issues with students, which was believed to shape attitudes at least in part.
Fourth, it was hypothesized that students’ educational aspirations would also decrease, meaning that their desired levels of educational attainment might decrease as they learned more about what a doctoral level degree in CP often entails. This hypothesis was based on the notion that students who wish to take a class on “counseling psychology” might not know that there is a difference between this more research- oriented, doctoral level path and that of the practice-oriented master’s degree level path of “counseling.” Once educated about these and other differences, it was thought that students’ educational aspirations would adjust, and ultimately decrease.
Method
Participants
The sample consisted of 32 college students (women: n= 24; men: n= 8). Age ranged from 19 to 51 (M= 31.3; SD=10.6). The sample’s ethnicity was 55.9% European American, 35.3% African-American, and 2.9% Asian or Pacific Islander (5.9% did not respond). Regarding marital status, 61.8% were single, 14.7% were married, 14.7% were divorced or separated, and 2.9% were engaged (5.9% did not respond). Everyone who responded had declared a major, and of these, only 2.9% considered themselves only tentatively decided about their choice of major. Though 41.2% indicated they had decided on a career, 32.4% were tentatively decided on a career and 20.6% considered themselves undecided about a career.
Procedures
One instructor taught two sections of the 300-level undergraduate course titled “Counseling Psychology” in the fall of 2007 and 2008 and made every attempt to teach both sections as similarly as possible. Therefore, no changes were made to the class structure, content, activities, or textbook across the two semesters. The decision to teach both classes the same way was as much for data collection reasons as it was for pedagogical ones: similarity among the courses justified the decision to analyze them as one sample, and pedagogically the course approach seemed effective.
In the first class, the pretest questionnaire was administered after a brief explanation of informed consent and the right of each student to choose not to participate without penalty. Students were also assured that no identifying information would be collected and that their responses would be analyzed after grades were submitted. After the questionnaires were completed, the course officially began. At the end of the semester, students completed the posttest questionnaire in the last class period.
The course involved introducing students to CP research, clinical practice, and theory via a variety of student projects emphasizing this framework. On the first day, students were informed of this framework, and were reminded of the three major themes throughout the course. The format of the class involved discussions, lecture, and class activities designed to promote deeper understanding of the concepts. During the course, students were also directed to think more on the possibility of CP as a career path through a variety of exercises and assignments. For example, as previously mentioned, after learning about the training of counseling psychologists, they were asked to freewrite for 5 minutes on their reactions to what it takes to become a counseling psychologist.
Measures
Both the pretest and posttest questionnaires were constructed by the course instructor and consisted of a variety of forced-choice and open questions. Occupational aspirations were measured by asking the students questions like “Are you considering counseling psychology as a career option?” with response options of yes, no, and maybe. Educational aspirations were measured by asking, “What level of education do you hope to achieve?” Response options included some college, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctoral degree, and other (which included an option to write in a response). For analyses, these response options were coded 1 (some college) to 5 (other). Other questions were asked using a scale of 1 (poor) to 10 (excellent), such as how difficult the student viewed the career path of becoming a counseling psychologist, how demanding the course was, and their ratings of the course and of the instructor. Open questions included items like “Why are you taking this class?”
Figure 1
Perceived Applicability of Course to Students’ Future Work.
Results
Pretest and posttest questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired samples t-tests. In the post-test evaluation, students were asked about their degree of perceived learning in the course related to CP research, practice, and theory, using the following scale: did not increase knowledge, uncertain, somewhat, and very much increased. In focusing on those who rated their knowledge as “very much increased” by the course, 32.4% indicated such for CP research, 58.8% for practice, and 50% for theory. Also, post-course findings indicated that students saw the course concepts and skills as applicable to their work (70.6% indicated “yes”) and to their lives (79.4%); see Figures 1 and 2. Thus, both the first and second hypotheses were supported.
In regards to the third hypothesis, students reported that 8.8% of them did change their occupational aspirations since the beginning of the semester, and 8.8% indicated that their career plans changed as a result of the course. When comparing pre- and posttest results in regards to occupational aspirations via a t-test, no significant results were found (t = -0.24; p < .81). However, when looking at the descriptive statistics for this variable, 29.4%, or 10 respondents, indicated they were interested in CP as a career option at the beginning of the course, whereas only 17.6%, or 6 respondents, indicated the same at the end of the course. Indeed, most students perceived the career path of counseling psychologists as difficult, with 76.5% of ratings at 7 or above on a 1 to 10 scale. In fact, a post-hoc t-test revealed that there was a significant difference between students’ post-course ratings of the perceived difficulty of becoming a counseling psychologist (doctoral-level specialty) versus a licensed counselor (master’s level; t = 2.45; p < .05). Therefore, the third hypothesis was not supported because there was no significant difference in occupational aspirations from pre- to posttest, though the evidence did support a nonsignificant decrease in occupational aspirations.
Figure 2
Perceived Applicability of Course to Students’ Lives.
In regards to educational aspirations, t-test results indicated a statistically significant difference from pre- to posttest (t = 5.30; p < .001). Upon examination of the means, it was determined that the educational aspirations of the students as a group decreased over the semester (pretest: M = 3.79; posttest: M = 2.83). Therefore, the fourth hypothesis was supported.
Additionally, students’ ratings of the course difficulty, course overall, and instructor were collected. For each of these questions, students were asked to make ratings using a 1 to 10 scale (for course difficulty, the poles were “easy” and “difficult;” for the other two ratings, the poles were “poor” and “excellent”). Using the criteria of a rating of 7 or above, course difficulty was rated at a 73.5% (meaning that 73.5% of students rated it at 7 or above on a 10 point scale), the course overall at an 82.3%, and the course instructor at an 88.1%. Furthermore, 67.6% saw their experience with their graduate student counselor as positive, while 14.7% thought it was a mixed experience.
Discussion
Preliminary Findings and Implications
In regards to the first hypothesis, students did see themselves as learning a lot about CP research, practice, and theory. It is encouraging that this first hypothesis was supported by the data, especially since these were the three major thrusts of the course. Also, in regards to hypothesis two, what they learned was meaningful to them. Consistent with predictions, about 70% students thought the course skills and concepts were applicable to their work, and about 80% thought what they learned was applicable to their lives. Since helping people is an integral theme to CP, the course involved a lot of lecture and discussion on how to understand people better and be more effective in communicating and working with them. These types of things are important in any walk of life, and it seems the majority of the students thought so, too.
Some evidence for the third hypothesis was found, in that occupational aspirations did decrease somewhat, though not enough to be considered statistically significant. Specifically, the t-test results indicated that there was no major change in occupational aspirations, though descriptive statistics showed that six of the students were considering CP as a career at the end of the course. When compared to the 10 students considering CP as a career option at the start of the course, a small difference is revealed. Perhaps with a larger sample, a statistically significant change might be detected. At this point, the third hypothesis was not fully supported by the data, so we cannot at this point conclude that occupational aspirations significantly decreased.
Though there is some evidence that at least a few students stopped considering CP as a career path, some did not. Given that about 41% of the students considered themselves decided on a career at the beginning of the course, it makes sense that not many of them would probably be in the course for the reason of deciding on a career— almost half had already decided. As a 300-level course, the class is usually taken by college juniors and seniors, which may have implications for student career development and university curriculum. Potentially, students have decided on a career path at this university before they get to this course, and so it might be better for them to take topical courses like this prior to this point in their career development. If this is true, then curriculum changes such as perhaps restructuring the course to a 200-level experience might make it more accessible to first and second year students. However, not everyone is meant to become a counseling psychologist, so these conclusions are tenuous at best, given the current evidence.
On the other hand, it is interesting to note that though all who responded indicated that they had decided on a major, only 41% of students had decided on a career, with about 53% being at least somewhat unsure of what careers they wished to pursue. Therefore, this suggests that topical courses, such as this one on CP, can play an important role in exposing students to and helping them learn about possible career paths. Though undoubtedly some students take these courses for non-occupational reasons (e.g., needing to fulfill a degree requirement or finding a course that better fits into one’s schedule), at least some of them have career needs and questions in mind.
In regards to the fourth hypothesis, a decrease in educational aspirations was borne out by the data. T-test results and subsequent evaluation of the means showed significant decreases in students’ educational aspirations when measured at the beginning and end of the course. This was expected since some students seem to want additional education beyond the baccalaureate level, especially since many prestigious careers tend to require graduate education (e.g., doctors and lawyers). However, the realities of gaining this education come with costs in terms of time, money, and energy, and even with more of these resources, not everyone possesses the intellectual capacity or sustained interest required for doctoral-level work. Since these realities were openly addressed in this course due to the variety of career paths compared to and contrasted with CP, it follows that students might adjust their educational aspirations accordingly. For example, students learn that if they want to help people by counseling them, they do not necessarily need to choose to become a counseling psychologist. Careers in counseling and social work may only require a master’s degree and a license to practice and may be more attractive to employers and managed care organizations because their services are more affordable (Gelso & Fretz, 2001). In contrast, by law one must have earned a doctoral degree and a license to be called a counseling psychologist, which again takes more resources. Thus, it is possible for students to attain their career goals by aiming for a different educational level, and this reality can subsequently have an effect on their educational aspirations. Indeed, about 76% of the students saw the career path of counseling psychologists as demanding and thought that becoming a licensed master’s level counselor would be less difficult.
Finally, the students tended to see the course as a difficult yet enjoyable experience. Since the instructor aimed to make the course experience analogous to the field of CP, which she saw as a potentially difficult yet enjoyable field, these findings seem to support the idea that this aim in some part was achieved.
Limitations
Limitations of the study included the small sample size of 32, as well as the small percentage (25%) of men in the sample. These limitations could be addressed by collecting a larger sample, and perhaps over time a more gender-balanced sample might be achieved. Also, these results are limited by use of one instructor. Though having the same instructor across the two sections increased consistency of experience for the students, it is unclear to what extent these findings may be dependent on characteristics of this particular instructor. In future studies, it would be informative to gather data on other undergraduate courses on counseling psychology with different instructors.
Pedagogically, a limitation pointed out by these results is that students did not think that they learned as much about research (33%) as they did counseling (59%) and theory (50%). Even though another 44% of students did indicate that they felt their knowledge about research was “somewhat increased” (increasing the percentage of their rated learning about research to 76%), the criteria of thinking their knowledge was “very much increased” was not met at the same levels as the other two major facets of the course. Since the instructor saw research-driven discussions as part of the backbone of each class period, it may be that students did not make this same connection and that more could be done to either help make this link or otherwise increase their learning about the research. In any event, if students do not feel they have learned “very much” about research, something needs to be changed to help increase their comprehension.
Finally, this research could have been improved by measuring learning about the three major course elements using learning outcomes. Instead, students were surveyed regarding their perceived learning, which offers useful information about what they think they learned. However, future work can be strengthened by also employing more objective measurement of their actual learning.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this paper focused on a comprehensive, three part approach to teaching undergraduate courses on counseling psychology and presented a number of pedagogical suggestions. Focusing on the themes of research, clinical practice, and theory were supported in part by students’ reports of being more knowledgeable about these areas. The data provide only limited and preliminary support for the teaching framework proposed. Further research is needed in order to evidence the effectiveness of this framework. Also, the course appeared to not significantly change students’ occupational aspirations, though other evidence suggests that some students felt their career plans were influenced by the course. As expected, students’ educational aspirations were found to decrease over the semester. In conclusion, it appears that most students found the course beneficial and useful in a variety of ways.
References
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Appendix
Sample Syllabus for a Counseling Psychology Undergraduate Course.
Sample Syllabus for Counseling Psychology
Professor: Contact Info:
Course Meets: Location:
Required Reading
Gelso, C., & Fretz, B. (2001). Counseling psychology (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Group/Thomson Learning.
Course Overview
This course is designed to give students a good look into the field of counseling psychology. In this class, the role of the scientist-practitioner will provide a guiding influence for our inquiry into this profession, as this is a major model of counseling psychologist training and identity. This model embodies a set of ideals which posit that our research should inform our practice, and that our practice should inform our research. Hence, we will focus on what is known about human beings and how they are thought to change from both research and applied perspectives.
Course Objectives
By the end of the semester students will be able to:
describe the history of counseling psychology and major current trends in counseling psychology.
iterate the professional preparation required for careers in counseling psychology.
identify the professional organizations and legal structures governing the profession.
describe the fundamental ethical principles of counselors and apply them to specific case examples.
compare and contrast the foundational theories in counseling psychology.
describe fundamental counseling processes such as building a therapeutic relationship, assessment, treatment, termination and referral.
demonstrate knowledge of the practical domain of counselors and counseling psychologists in terms of specialties and settings.
demonstrate knowledge of the role personal traits, interests, and values in counseling.
discuss their own personal traits, interests, and values as they relate to the role of the professional counselor and "fit" with the profession.
discuss the ways in which multicultural issues affect counseling processes, and ways of providing culturally-sensitive counseling.
Course Format
Though a portion of class time will be devoted to lecture, student learning will also be stimulated through other learning activities. A central component of class will be discussion of the readings and questions that arise in the course of the lecture or course presentations. Students are expected to come to class thoroughly prepared to discuss the readings and other course assignments. Students are expected to be active participants in class discussions, activities, and lectures, though students should monitor themselves so as to avoid dominating discussions. Be prepared: I will call on students at random each class period and ask them to share their thoughts or answer questions. Class members are expected to listen to and respect the opinions of others in the class. Disagreements are expected, but should be expressed with openness and tolerance. The instructor reserves the option to give unannounced quizzes on readings for the class period, which may not be made up if a student is absent.
Attendance and Participation
Students are expected to attend every class period and be punctual in their arrival to class. Though attendance will not be taken formally, only students who are in attendance will have the opportunity to earn points toward their grade via unannounced quizzes and assignments. If a student is unable to come to class due to illness or other personal circumstances, it is the student’s responsibility to inquire about what she or he missed when absent.
Grading
In-class assignments/quizzes (50 total points). These unannounced assignments will vary in format, and will be intended to help the students to think more in-depth about course material. These assignments will also provide an estimate of attendance and participation as the student must be in class that day in order to receive points for the assignment. To allow for unforeseen circumstances that may prevent a student from attending every class period or otherwise perform to the best of her or his ability, one of the grades for in-class assignments will be dropped from the total points allotted for this type of assignment in the overall course final grade. This means that every student is allowed to miss one of these assignments without detriment to the overall grade. These in-class assignments may involve unannounced quizzes over the readings assigned for that day, experiential activities designed to promote active learning, or other types of activities. NOTE: These assignments are called “in-class assignments” because these assignments are given out in class, and NOT because they are necessarily completed in class.
Counseling sessions and Analysis Paper (50 total points; 20 sessions, 30 paper).Each student will be paired with a graduate student in the counseling psychology master’s program to talk about and work on a personal issue. The student is expected to schedule a total of 4 one-hour sessions with his/her counselor, and these sessions will occur within the first half of the semester. It is up to the student what she or he chooses to talk about, though the student will be able to discuss and formulate a goal for the 3 sessions with the help of her or his counselor. The purpose of this assignment is to allow students in this class to deepen their self-awareness of their own interpersonal process and issues, and through this process better understand the complexity of the role of practicing counseling psychologists. Also, students will also gain a better understanding of how counseling works, which is also centrally relevant to our coursework. The counseling trainees working with the students will respect the confidentiality and privacy of their student clients, though students should keep in mind that their counselors are in training and will be supervised in their work by the counseling master’s program faculty members. Also, should a student appear in imminent danger to himself or others, confidentiality may need to be broken to protect that student or others (other limits to confidentiality will be discussed in class and in your sessions by your counselor). However, please keep in mind protecting students’ confidentiality is of utmost importance, and only in extreme circumstances will confidentiality be broken. Furthermore, the course instructor will not be privy to anything the student chooses to share with the counselor; rather, the only information the course instructor will receive is whether the student attended his or her 4 sessions, as this information will be shared for the course instructor’s grading purposes. If a student attends all 4 sessions in a timely manner, then the student shall receive all points allotted for this part of the course assignment.
Analysis Paper (30 points). This paper should be your reasoned insight into what it was like to be a client and what that means to you as you consider the therapy aspects of counseling psychology. What was your experience like as a client? (You do not need to reveal the content of what you spoke to your therapist about.) How do you feel about the idea of the “talking cure” as a healing process? What do you take from this experience in regards to your career plans? This brief paper (3 to 5 pages, typed & double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, APA style) is designed to give you a forum for expressing your own ideas about the above issues. In grading these papers, your views will not be evaluated or judged; rather, the clarity of your arguments as you present your ideas and experiences as well as how you present these things (proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, APA Format, et cetera) will determine your paper grade. Since grammar, spelling errors, and the like affect the quality of your work, more of these mistakes will result in fewer points. All papers are due at the beginning of class. Unexcused late papers will be subjected to a 10% grade reduction per day. In cases of excused late assignments, you must communicate with me prior to the due date to set up a date by which the assignment will be turned in. Extensions to due dates will be granted only for dire unforeseen situations. Finally, if you will be out of town on the due date, you are expected to turn your paper in to my mailbox before you leave.
NOTE: There is an alternate assignment available for this counseling assignment. Please see the instructor at the end of the first or second class if you feel that this option might be more appropriate for you.
Exams (150 points total). There will be three 50 point exams given during the course. These exams may vary in format; the test format will be announced in class prior to the exam. The first two exams will take place during our regular class time, and the final exam is scheduled for 11:30 am on Monday, December 14th. Please note that the final exam time has been set to one hour before our normal class time by the University. All students are expected to make arrangements to ensure their on-time arrival to the exams. Once the first student to finish an exam has left the classroom, students who arrive to class after the first student to finish has left WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO TAKE THE EXAM AND WILL EARN ZERO POINTS FOR THAT EXAM. If you are not present in class the day of the exam, you will receive no points for that exam. If you are in a position where you know you will miss an exam, you must come talk to me before the day of the exam if you wish to take the exam (note that permission for this to happen will be given at instructor’s discretion).
Make-up exams will only be given under EXTREME circumstances and must be completed within one week of the original exam date. You must notify me that you will miss the exam BEFORE the exam, you must have a legitimate emergency to be eligible to make up the exam, and you must provide appropriate documentation of your emergency to the instructor (doctor’s note, tow truck receipt, et cetera) in order to be eligible for a make-up exam.
Research Review Paper (50 points) and Peer Reviews (20 points). Choose one article from one of two prominent journals in counseling psychology (either The Counseling Psychologist or Journal of Counseling Psychology). The article to be reviewed must present original research (e.g., an article summarizing other’s research or a book chapter are not appropriate), and must be published within the last 10 years. The research can be on a topic of the student’s choice. You will write a review/critique of the article. No two students may review the same article, so you must email me the complete citation of your article to secure that article for yourself—first come, first choose! If you have any questions about the appropriateness of the article you have chosen, please see me. The purpose of this assignment is to have you read, learn from, and think critically about published research deemed important to the field of counseling psychology. In general, you will write an analysis that addresses the following questions (however, make sure you look at the rubric posted on WebTycho for more specifics for the paper):
How is this article relevant to the field of counseling psychology? What was the research hypothesis?
What were the characteristics of the study’s sample?
What did the researchers find? Were their hypotheses supported?
What were the limitations of the study? Future directions?
What is the take-home message of the study?
How does the study relate to the real-life experiences of people?
Once you select your article, email me to secure your topic/article and make two copies of the article. One copy is yours, the other needs to be paper-clippedto your research analysis paper when you turn it in to me.
Students need to follow the grading rubric for this paper, posted on WebTycho. The rubric shows how the paper should be organized by naming the major paper headings and sections, as well as what to address within each section of the paper.
Papers that are not typed, are in part or in whole illegible, or that address the above questions in list format will not be accepted; they will be returned to the student, who will be subject to the late assignment policy henceforth during the time in which it takes to make corrections to the paper. Spelling and grammar mistakes will be corrected, and papers with a large number of spelling and grammar mistakes will receive fewer points, so please proofread carefully. The expected length of your paper is 3 to 5 pages of text, double-spaced using 12 point Times New Roman font. Be sure to use APA format; thus, your paper will have a title page, introduction section, methods section, discussion section, and reference page. DO NOT PLAGIARIZE—this means that any two words that you duplicate from the original author is a violation! See Academic Integrity statement, this document.
Peer Reviews (20 points total). Each student will review two other students’ Research Review papers, giving detailed suggestions of how to improve the paper in terms of content, APA style, and so on. As a reviewer, you will “grade” the other students’ papers, giving feedback on how to improve the paper. This is a written and oral feedback process only—students will not actually give each other letter grades on their papers. There are a number of points to consider in giving good research review paper feedback.
Students will exchange papers on a particular day in class and will hand back the reviewed papers in class approximately one week later (see syllabus schedule). Students MUST make 2 copies of both the research review paper and the original articlethat was reviewed/analyzed to give to two of their class colleagues.
Reviewers will give both oral and written feedback that is both positive and constructive. To give the oral feedback, plan a meeting to talk to each of your classmates about the report for at least 15 to 20 minutes, outside of class.
Base your suggestions around the assignment criteria for the Research Review paper listed in this syllabus AND using the grading rubric for the paper available on WebTycho. These resources are not exhaustive; rather, they are meant to be a guide to help you in your feedback process! Other resources such as the 6th edition APA style manual as well as incorporating the “raw data” information in the original article your peer is reviewing are strongly encouraged. Again, do not give a grade; instead, give feedback on what you think can be done to improve the paper.
Summary of Graded Assignments
In-class assignments/quizzes | 50 points | 50 |
Counseling sessions | 20 points | 20 |
Counseling Analysis paper | 30 points | 30 |
Exam I | 50 points | 50 |
Exam II | 50 points | 50 |
Exam III | 50 points | 50 |
Research paper | 50 points | 50 |
Peer Reviews | 20 points (2 at 10 points apiece) | 20 |
(Extra credit | 10 points | 10) |
Total | 320 pts |
(+ 10 extra cr)
Grading Scale
A = 95 - 100% | B+ = 87 – 89 | C+ = 77 – 79 | D+ = 67 – 69 | F = 0 – 59 |
A- = 90 – 94 | B = 84 – 86 | C = 74 – 76 | D = 64 – 66 | |
B- = 80 – 83 | C- = 70 – 73 | D - = 60 – 63 |
This grading system is intended to promote mastery of the material, not competition among students. Using this grading system, there is theoretically no upper limit on the number of As or Bs in the class and there do not have to be any Ds or Fs. You are competing only with yourself and not with other class members.
Academic Dishonesty
All students also are expected to be honest and to do their own work. This includes quizzes, exams, term papers, homework, extra credit work, presentations, and any other assignment to be completed in or out of this and any other class (unless otherwise directly indicated by the instructor). Academic honesty includes, at the very least, submitting work that is yours, giving appropriate credit whenever someone else’s work is used, and taking tests and completing assignments strictly according to the conditions specified by the instructor. Any evidence to the contrary will result in a failing grade for this course, and perhaps even the filing of a report of academic dishonesty with the Academic Integrity Review Board. Cheating will not be tolerated under any circumstance. If you are not sure what the expectations are for any assignment, it is up to you to ask your instructor for clarification.
For term papers, research reports, and other typed/word-processed assignments, you may have someone else proofread your work prior to submission to check spelling, grammar, writing style, punctuation, proper vocabulary, correct (i.e., APA) paper format, etc., and you are encouraged to make use of the services provided by the Langsdale Library and the Achievement and Learning Center for the preparation of student papers. However, the work of actually researching and writing a paper is YOUR responsibility.
The most frequently occurring problem behavior in this context is plagiarism. Plagiarism occurs when a person submits written work as her/his own, when in fact the work has been done entirely or in part by someone else to whom the person has not given appropriate credit. This includes any written work that copies the language, structure, ideas, or thoughts of another (see Student Handbook, 2006), work that has been paraphrased, and even the reporting of facts derived from another source and not a part of common knowledge. This includes sources such as magazine or newspaper articles, encyclopedias, dictionaries, pamphlets, brochures, other students’ term papers and reports, articles in professional journals, transcribed interviews, live interviews, books, internet pages, CD-ROMs, etc. This list is not meant to be exhaustive. The fact is, if you do not give appropriate credit to any source of your written words besides your own ideas or common knowledge, you have committed plagiarism.
If you make a statement in a written assignment that is not original and is not general, public knowledge, then you MUST tell the reader the source of the statement. This is done in APA format through in-text, parenthetical citations of sources, and a reference page at the end of the paper. In general, you must give enough information so that the reader can easily look up and verify the source. See the current edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association for specific citation formats.
Students with Disabilities
If you need special accommodations as a result of a disability, please inform your instructor by the end of the first week of class so that every effort to accommodate your disability can be made. Documentation of your disability and the resources required as a result must be provided before accommodations will be made.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE (changes will be announced in class)
Date | Reading | Lecture Topic | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
8/30 | Introduction to course | ||
9/01 | Ch 1 | Defining Counseling Psychology | |
9/06 | NO CLASS: Holiday | ||
9/08 | Ch 2 | Counseling Psychology as a Profession | (start sending me article choices—first come first serve!!) |
9/13 | Ch 3 | CP as a profession cont’d | |
9/15 | Ch 4 | Field Dynamics | |
9/20 | Ch 7 | Preparation as a CP | |
9/22 | Ch 5 | Ethics | |
9/27 | Ch 6 | Diversity | |
9/29 | Diversity (cont’d) | ||
10/04 | EXAM I | ||
10/06 | Ch 8 | Counseling Elements | |
10/11 | Ch 9 | Elements (cont’d) | |
10/13 | Ch 10 | Psychoanalytic Approach | ALL article choices due! |
10/18 | Psychoanalytic (cont’d) | ||
10/20 | Ch 11 | Behavioral & Cognitive Approaches | |
10/25 | More on Behavioral & Cognitive (cont’d) | ||
10/27 | Ch 12 | Humanistic Approach | |
11/01 | Humanistic (cont’d) | Research Review Papers (first draft) DUE—bring 2 copies of paper & article to class | |
11/03 | Ch 13 | Assessment | |
11/08 | Assessment (cont’d) | Peer Reviews DUE | |
11/10 | EXAM II | ||
11/15 | Ch 14 | Career Theories | All counseling sessions |
11/17 | Ch 15 | Career Counseling | |
11/22 | Ch 16 | Group Therapy | Counseling Analysis Paper |
11/24 | NO CLASS: Holiday | ||
11/29 | Ch 17 | Systems | Research Review Paper (final paper version) |
12/01 | Ch 18 | Other Interventions | |
12/06 | Ch 19 | Role of Consultation | |
12/08 | Wrapping up | All extra credit due | |
12/13 | EXAM III: begins at 11:30 am |
NOTE: The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus. Changes will be either announced in class or announced via email. Students are responsible for what happens in class regardless of whether they are in class that day or not.