Community Counseling

Degrees and Certificates

Classes

CN 501 : Counseling Theory (Foundation Course)

This course will cover major theories and techniques of counseling. Students will come to understand essential counseling skills, therapist variables that affect the therapeutic process, and the selection of appropriate interventions.

Hours

3

CN 502 : Ethics and Professional Orientation (Foundation Course)

This course examines professional ethics and legal issues, including professional roles and responsibilities in various counseling settings and areas of professional specialization. The course emphasizes the application of the American Counseling Association’s ethical standards to clinical situations.

Hours

3

CN 503 : Relationship Dynamics (Foundation Course)

This course will focus on building therapeutic relationships as students learn the theory and skills necessary to forming and maintaining relationships in a clinical setting from the interview to the counseling session. Primary attention will be paid to attaining professional knowledge to foster effective interpersonal skills in multiple professional contexts.

Hours

3

CN 504 : Human Lifespan Development (Foundation Course)

The course explores theories that describe human growth as a developmental process from infancy through maturity. Special focus will be provided on understanding important developmental stages in order to inform sound counseling practice.

Hours

3

CN 505 : Appraisal of the Individual (Foundation Course)

The focus of this course is on the analysis of concepts, methods, and procedures utilized to provide a better understanding and evaluation of individuals. This will include the theory and practice of assessing problems through various interviewing techniques and psychological testing methodology.

Hours

3

CN 506 : Career Development

The course examines vocational choice theory and the relationship between lifestyle and occupational choice. The course is intended to enhance a student’s ability to help others in the process of making career choices.

Hours

3

CN 507 : Group Therapy

Students will consider a variety of theories on the dynamics of group therapy. Students will come to understand the powerful change afforded by this approach and the different models associated with conducting group psychotherapy.

Hours

3

CN 508 : Social and Cultural Diversity

This course prepares students to work professionally with individuals from populations diverse in age, disability, religion, gender roles, socio-economic status, urban and rural cultures, and ethnic origins. A primary focus of this course will be exploring cultural differences and understanding personal biases toward individuals from diverse cultures.

Hours

3

CN 509 : Research Methods

This course trains a counselor to be an educated consumer of research. It is designed to help the student understand how research can direct best clinical practice and inform theory and interventions for services.

Hours

3

CN 510 : Psychopathology I

This course focuses on factors involved in normal and abnormal human behavior. Students explore the etiology and diagnosis of disorders as described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—Fourth Edition (DSM-IV-TR). Historical context, current research, principles of lifespan development and cultural diversity, and appropriate treatment for particular diagnoses will be explored. This course is the first of two diagnostic courses. The primary focus is on the introduction and use of DSM-IV-TR as well as the following sections: DSM-IV-TR Classification System; Multiaxial Assessment; Disorders Usually Diagnosed in Infancy, Childhood, or Adolescence; Substance-Related Disorders; Mood Disorders; Anxiety Disorders; and Additional Codes.

Hours

3

CN 511 : Psychopathology II

This course focuses on factors involved in normal and abnormal development. Students will explore the etiology and diagnosis of disorders as described in the current edition of the DSM. Historical context, current research, principles of lifespan development and cultural diversity, and appropriate treatment for particular diagnoses will be explored. This is the second of two diagnostic courses covering the major DSM disorders not examined in CN 510 Psychopathology I.

Hours

3

CN 512 : Marriage & Family Therapy

This course will study the numerous conceptual theories utilized in working with family systems with special attention to the theoretical and practical aspects of working with couples and families, the primary focus falling on systemic interventions. Multiple perspectives will be utilized as students learn to choose techniques that fit specific family situations.

Hours

3

CN 514 : Children and Adolescent Therapy

This course investigates disorders of this age group and various approaches to treatment. It will entail interviewing techniques, methods of evaluation, and treatment for this age population including an introduction to specialized treatment modalities for children. Ethical standards and legal requirements will also be integrated.

Hours

3

CN 516 : Addictions Counseling

This course focuses on the nature and development of addiction as both an individual and societal problem, with special attention to the properties of addiction, the physical consequences of misuse and treatment issues and skills. This class provides the necessary foundational skills to work with individual who misuse and abuse substances along with understanding the addiction cycle process.

Hours

3

CN 517 : Human Sexuality

This course focuses on the sociological, physiological, psychological origins of human sexual behavior with an emphasis on the etiology of abnormal sexual behaviors displayed in the clinical populations. Special focus will be on educating students on assessing and treating topics related to sexual disorders and dysfunction.

Hours

3

CN 518 : Psychopharmacology for Counselors

This is a course designed to teach the fundamentals of psychopharmacological agents most commonly used in mental health. Topics include the fundamentals of neurobiology; how and why the body reacts to different drugs; types of psychotropic drugs commonly used for mental health conditions and the nature of their actions; indications and contraindications of different drugs; common dosing guidelines; and side-effects and other related risks.

Hours

3

CN 519 : Crisis and Trauma Counseling

This course is designed to introduce students to crisis and disaster counseling: theories and techniques for the evaluation and management of behavioral emergencies and other crises that confront counseling clients and individuals in the community.

Hours

3

CN 521 : Practicum

The practicum is designed to give students a limited experience in a specialized area of counseling supervised by both a designated on-site supervisor and a faculty member.

Hours

3

Prerequisites

CN 501, CN 502, CN 503, CN 504, CN 505 and 15 additional hours of CN coursework.

CN 522 : Internship I

This supervised clinical experience will provide an intensive exposure to the training in the knowledge, skills and attitudes embodied in the role and functions of the professional counselor and will contribute substantially to the continuing personal and professional growth of the student. The Practicum Coordinator will assist students in identifying suitable placements for internships.

Hours

3

Prerequisites

CN 523 : Internship II

This supervised clinical experience will provide an intensive exposure to the training in the knowledge, skills and attitudes embodied in the role and functions of the professional counselor and will contribute substantially to the continuing personal and professional growth of the student. The Practicum Coordinator will assist students in identifying suitable placements for internships.

Hours

3

Prerequisites

CN 522.