Counseling

This is a pass/fail course that is required of all students in the Counseling Master's program. Before beginning the program, students will attend the orientation meeting to learn about the overall program and policies in the Student Handbook. Students will continue in this course throughout the duration of the program and complete requirements found on the Non-Academic Checklist Form. 

This course is an introduction to the profession of counseling, summarizing its history, the value of professional organizations, and professional referral agencies and resources. The class exposes the student to requirements and procedures for certification and licensure, as well as the importance of professional credentialing, standards, and ethics including technological considerations impacting current counseling practices. The course encourages students to reflect on personal/professional attributes, culture, and diversity issues that can impact the client. This class is a basic course in professionalism that must be taken during the first year in the program. 

The focus of the course is on current ethical and legal concerns in professional counseling.  Counselors face ethical issues on an ongoing basis. The course includes ethical decision-making processes; a variety of ethical and legal critical skills necessary for the professional counselor for protection of clients, success in the workplace, and professional accountability of all counselors.

This course provides an examination of philosophical assumptions of multiculturalism, ethical considerations related to multiculturalism, strategies with diverse populations, and indigenous counseling approaches. The influence of gender, race, ethnicity, and other factors related to diverse populations on the counseling process and on the counselor will be discussed. Students will learn ethical and cultural characteristics needed to sensitively and appropriately serve multicultural and diverse populations.

Students will examine theoretical constructs related to the developmental process and developmentally based behavior patterns across the age spectrum.  The course will also examine accepted theories and current research in the learning process and lifespan development. Students will apply developmental concepts to case conceptualizations.

The focus of the course is on the study of classical and contemporary counseling theories. Theories will be discussed in terms of historical perspectives and concepts with a focus on applying theory to case conceptualization. Students will identify processes related to developing personal models of counseling.

This course is an introduction to family counseling theories and techniques with special emphasis on family relationships, assessment, intervention, treatment, and a gender, cultural, and ethnic sensitivity to families.

This course is an introduction to the basic principles, theories, and practices of career counseling. Students are exposed to the methods used for assessment and delivery of career counseling services as well as the relationship of career to other facets of development and wellness. The course will cover the holistic view of career counseling as an integral part of the counseling field. Completion of COUN6532 is preferred. 

This course focuses on the development of essential listening skills for counseling effectiveness including principles and procedures of individual counseling. Students learn to apply effective interviewing and micro skills which include the use of required videotaped counseling interviews, role-playing, and counseling process models. Earning a grade of B or better in this course is necessary in order for the student to enter Practicum in Counseling. Students are expected to take COUN6541 just prior to COUN7561. If more than one year has elapsed between taking Pre-Practicum and Practicum, a demonstration of counseling skills may be required of the student or the student may need to repeat Pre-Practicum at the discretion of faculty. May be repeated for credit.

This course is a survey of the theory and practice of group counseling, including rationale for effective group counseling, group leadership, process skills, theoretical approaches, cultural issues, and ethical decision making in groups.  An emphasis is placed on dynamics of group behavior and on self-understanding as applied to group procedures. This course is experiential in nature and students will be required to effectively facilitate and evaluate a group counseling experience from a particular theoretical orientation.

This course is designed to help students develop basic competence in the skills of diagnosis using the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. This course will cover assessment, diagnostic criteria, and treatment planning strategies related to major diagnostic categories.

Students will cover critical concepts in addiction counseling, including a study of addictive substances, diagnosis, evidence-based treatment and interventions, and resources for people with substance use disorders and their relevant systems (i.e., family, legal, and peer support). Students will learn the core components of Motivational Interviewing and the empirical support that addresses the competent use of the technique. This course will equip students with the skills and knowledge to assist clients toward sustained recovery.

This introductory course will demonstrate how Therapeutically Applied Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TA-TTRPGs) in play therapy can be a useful tool for personal growth and community development when facilitated by a trained professional. TA-TTRPGs can be tailored to align with various play therapy practices for change found across several therapeutic orientations. Transtheoretical change mechanisms such as the Therapeutic Powers of Play are a perfect example of how TA-TTRPGs can be a perfect fit for play therapy interventions in both group and family play therapy sessions! Current research and practices will be discussed, and recommendations will be noted that can be used to make TA-TTRPGs even more effective. Through shared experiences during this course, students will experience firsthand the healing power that storytelling, roleplay, and gameplay have for groups and families in play therapy.

This is an advanced play therapy course. Students must successfully complete COUN 7518 Play Therapy Theory and Techniques in both Sand Tray and Sand Play Approaches. This advanced course goes deeper into how to use sand tray therapy. Sand therapies are effectively inclusive of so many clinical theories and approaches. This course instructs students how to integrate clinical theory with sand work, resulting in more focused therapeutic work. In addition, by building on practical sand tray basics, this course takes a more detailed look at such clinical applications as neurodiversity, attachment, and trauma in sand tray work.  Fee: Additional fee required.

This course is an introduction to Adlerian play therapy (AdPT). AdPT combines the underlying concepts of Alfred Adler’s theory of individual psychology with the principles and practices of play therapy and allows play therapists to develop their own style in the playroom. Students will be instructed how to structure a play session and approach issues from an AdPT perspective. Adlerian play therapists combine non-directive skills with directive strategies according to the phase of counseling and clients’ specific needs. The course will demonstrate the basic play therapy skills necessary to prepare a client’s lifestyle assessment and then choose interventions to help clients become aware of choices they have in behavior (addressing goals of misbehavior), shift feelings of inferiority (e.g., by fostering the crucial Cs), or become aware of relational styles that undermine their social connectedness and practice new styles. Fee: Additional fee required.

This course will give an overview of neurodiverse clients and the effective treatments that target not only the socio-emotional and behavioral challenges of the neurodiverse, but also mediate the neurological and developmental impact of these differences. Students will learn which evidence-based, brain-based technique to utilize while attempting to decipher how to make these treatments more child-centered, playful, and developmentally appropriate. An integrated, brain-based approach in play therapy with the neurodivergent population will be presented. Fee: Additional fee required.

This course is designed to assist students in gaining a higher comfort level with the use of art in play therapy. Focus is on developing a basic understanding of the use of art to assist clients in developing more intrapersonal awareness, meeting psychosocial and developmental goals or tasks, and/or to work through emotions. Students will learn the philosophy and rationale for utilizing art expressive techniques, become familiar with basic materials and techniques and gain skills that contribute to building rapport in a play therapy session. Fee: Additional fee required.

This course is an introduction to Child-Centered Play Therapy. The course will give an overview of the history and development of Child-Center Play Therapy. It will present current techniques as well as the current research being done to demonstrate their relevance to the practice of play therapy with children and their families. The course will demonstrate the basic skills necessary to prepare a playroom and how to facilitate parent consultations. Students will be instructed how to structure a play session and approach issues from a Child-Centered Play Therapy perspective. Fee: Additional fee required.

This course will seek to assist students in how to start a private practice specializing in play therapy. The course will include information on the business aspects of counseling that are not ordinarily covered in graduate school such as: the importance of networking; types of insurance needed; the who, what, when, where and why of how to get paid; billing; office choices; how to obtain clients; advertisement; HIPAA regulations; and beneficial tips to get your private practice up and running. Students will leave with the understanding of how to open their own play therapy private practice as well as familiarity with suggested tools for its success and sustainability. Fee: Additional fee required.

This course will review current research demonstrating how trauma results in the significant alteration of socio-emotional, behavioral, and neurological functioning, which leads to considerable developmental impact. The core components of predominant trauma treatments will be outlined. Students will learn how to integrate non-verbal and sensory-based play therapy interventions into trauma treatment to work with children from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds. A trauma-informed, integrated approach will be presented in this course. In creative and playful ways, participants will learn how to incorporate play-therapy techniques into trauma-informed evidence-based treatments, while maintaining fidelity to these models. Fee: Additional fee required.

This course will introduce essential people and theorists that shaped the history of the profession of play therapy. It will help to identify developmentally appropriate play therapy toys and materials. The course will deepen the student's understanding of the developmental stages of children and children's play. Students will learn how to evaluate and assess elements of and stages within the play therapy relationship, from intake to termination. The course will allow the student to appreciate the legal and ethical issues that are unique to play therapy, as well as understand issues of diversity and how they impact every facet of play therapy. Fee: Additional fee required.

Over the past decade, the practice of play therapy has witnessed a number of innovations and refinements of existing procedures. The goal of this class is to present a state-of-the-art overview of the latest advances and developments in the field, including the three main pillars of therapy:  theory, research and practice. This course will present the leading theories in play therapy and the current research being done to demonstrate their relevance to the practice of play therapy with children and their families. The core theories that will be explored in this course are psychodynamic models (i.e., Psychoanalytic, Jungian, and Adlerian approaches, etc.) and humanistic models (i.e., Child-Centered, Filial, Gestalt, and Experiential approaches, etc.). Fee: Additional fee required.

Students will learn the basic skills necessary to use the play interventions of therapeutic storytelling, bibliotherapy, and game play. This course will teach students how storytelling can be used effectively with both children and young adolescents to help them gain personal understanding and self-acceptance. Bibliotherapy refers to a process designed to help individuals solve problems and better understand themselves through reading literature or watching movies, videotapes, and the like. Games serve a variety of functions is counseling, and this class will demonstrate how games can be used to teach new behaviors, facilitate verbalization, and address specific concerns of a child or adolescent. Fee: Additional fee required.

Students will learn the basic skills necessary to use the play interventions of expressive/art therapy, puppetry, and dramatic role play. This course will teach students how to best utilize expressive art techniques to reduce anxiety, develop rapport, capture attention, create and intensify moods, and communicate feelings. Puppet play allows young clients to displace their feelings about significant others onto the puppets, allowing for more self-expression in describing events and situations that may be problematic. Drama, in counseling, involves spontaneous, highly personalized improvisation that encourages safe expressions of strong feelings, both positive and negative, allowing clients to learn from externalizing an experience.  Fee: Additional fee required.

This clinical application course will develop student knowledge, skills, and self-awareness of play therapy techniques specific to clients across the lifespan. Play therapy can be therapeutically relevant to the specific developmental needs and issues of the client. Students will learn how to assess and evaluate the developmental needs of the client and to use the most effective play therapy techniques as they pertain to the developmental needs of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. Fee: Additional fee required.

This clinical application course will develop student knowledge, skills, and self-awareness of play therapy techniques specific to special populations. Play therapy can be extremely effective to help counselors address the needs of children with a variety of diversity issues. Other special populations that present with unique therapeutic challenges are children who have experienced trauma, grief and loss, and children of divorced and blended families. This course will also demonstrate how play therapy can be used to address the special needs of children with low self-esteem, challenging psychopathology, and disruptive behavioral issues. Fee: Additional fee required.

This course will examine the common childhood diagnoses that present at time of treatment. The healthy personality development will be discussed as it relates to abnormal childhood development and how these developmental differences can impact case conceptualization and treatment planning. This course will also introduce assessment and diagnosis tools using specific play therapy techniques. Students will learn how to develop appropriate treatment plans for these challenging diagnoses and discuss how certain play themes within the context of the play sessions can be utilized in effective adult collaboration and parent consultation practices. Fee: Additional fee required.

Over the past decade, the practice of play therapy has witnessed a number of innovations and refinements of existing procedures. The goal of this class is to present a state-of-the-art overview of the latest advances and developments in the field, including the three main pillars of therapy:  theory, research and practice. This course will present the leading theories in play therapy and the current research being done to demonstrate their relevance to the practice of play therapy with children and their families. The core theories that will be explored in this course are systemic models (i.e., Family, Group, and Ecosystemic approaches, etc.) and emerging models (i.e., Theraplay, Solution-Focused, Cognitive-Behavioral, and Prescriptive approaches, etc.). Fee: Additional fee required.

Sandplay is a unique technique that combines the wonderful use of touch and texture with that of creating a metaphor or narrative of the child’s world. Students will learn the basic steps of using sandplay and the sandtray in their work with children. The sandtray technique will be contrasted with the differences in utilizing sandplay within a play session and how one would differentiate when to use which skill. This course will also present the basic skills of doing group sandplay work, while exploring its different uses and its therapeutic value in the clinical applications with a wide variety of specialized populations. Fee: Additional fee required.

This course will present three current models of play therapy with families; namely, Person Centered Family Play Therapy, Filial Therapy, and Child Parent Relationship Therapy. Participants will acquire knowledge of each theory’s basic tenets and their effective clinical applications, as well as review the current research being done to demonstrate their relevance to the practice of play therapy with families. Each approach's unique challenges in implementation and application will also be discussed. Participants will learn the basic skills necessary to use the play interventions of Child Parent Relationship Therapy, Filial Therapy, and Family Play Therapy. This course will help participants distinguish between these three basic models of play therapy with families by defining the concepts, goals, and techniques specific to each approach. Fee: Additional fee required.

Providing quality supervision for play therapists is both a responsibility and a challenge for counselor education programs and professionals in the field.  The purpose of this course is to present a format of supervision outlining both a model and helpful guidelines to facilitate the supervisory relationship between supervisor and supervisee doing play therapy.  Supervisors have a number of roles and responsibilities, including assuring the welfare of the client; making sure that ethical, legal, and professional standards are being upheld; overseeing the clinical and professional development of the supervisee; and evaluating the supervisee.  For this reason, the roles and responsibilities, as well as effective models of play therapy supervision will be discussed in this course.

This course covers the role of the school counselor, including the Idaho Model in elementary, middle, and secondary school counseling. Relationships with school personnel and students will be explored with an emphasis on professionalism in counseling.

This course develops students in a broad base of understanding in the contextual dimensions of clinical and marital, couple, and family counseling, including the history, fundamentals, societal trends, issues in working with diverse systems, funding streams, administrative factors, legal dimensions, and the roles of clinical and marriage and family counselors.

This course is designed to prepare counselors to develop comprehensive school counseling programs that are standards-based, data-driven, accountable, and grounded in principles of human growth and development. Emphasis will be on contemporary approaches to “transformed” program development based on the ASCA Model for School Counseling Programs and the National Center for Transforming School Counseling by The Education Trust.

This course is designed for counseling professionals whose work will bring them into contact with clients experiencing sexuality-related problems and concerns. This course presents an overview of the biological, psychological, and relational aspects of human sexuality. Attention is given to developing the assessment skills required to deal with sexuality issues.

Students will acquire the knowledge to assess and conceptualize individual, couple, and family problems and functioning as they exist within the context of the client’s system. Formal and informal assessment and diagnostic methods will be addressed. The course includes strategies for evaluating counseling outcomes and emphasizes multicultural considerations in assessment and outcome evaluation. To support students’ ability to assess couples and families, the course is divided into three main sections. First, overall information about assessing will be provided. Second, methods for evaluating the outcome of client cases will be addressed. Finally, students will be introduced to, administer, score, and interpret various formal couple and family assessment instruments. It is recommended that students take COUN6533 before or concurrent with this class.

Building on the concepts of case conceptualization and assessment, this course is an advanced study of systems and couple and family counseling theories and models. Emphasis will be on advanced application, with theory-congruent techniques and interventions addressed and practiced.

Contemporary families experience a range of challenging characteristics and situations. A cultural and theoretical perspective on coupling will provide the backbone to the discussion of clinical treatment with adults and children transitioning in and out of complex family environments. Family systems and attachment theory will be utilized. Students will be encouraged to integrate family therapy strategies with research-based understanding of bi-nuclear families

This course provides an introduction to research from a consumer's point of view. Includes research literature; design considerations including sampling, surveys, and statistical tests. Students must prepare a research proposal as part of the course requirements. An introductory level course in statistics, designed to develop a basic understanding of descriptive and inferential statistical tools. The focus of the course is application of statistics for understanding research articles and the selection of appropriate statistical tools for field research and program evaluation.

This course guides students through the process of assessing the need for family education programs and evaluating family programs that will assist the student in supporting families throughout their life-cycle stages.

In this introductory course, students will learn the why and what of Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) and be introduced to the Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model as a fully integrated approach to IBH. This course on PCBH will take students into a deeper understanding of the role and practice of the Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) as a part of the health care team. Students will explore BHC work across the lifespan from pediatrics to gerontology. In this course, we will also explore issues of compliance and ethics, documentation in the primary care setting, critical elements of work as a Behavioral Health Consultant, administrative and organizational issues and review pediatric behavioral health. Fee: Additional fee required.

This course provides a foundational base for understanding Viktor Frankl's Logotherapy, an existential approach to clinical practice. History of Frankl's theory is addressed as well as themes of dignity and uniqueness of the human being, unavoidable suffering, and motivation, values, and attitudinal change. Fee: Additional fee required.

Meaning-Centered Interventions involves a study of the affirmative, future oriented, holistic approach of Logotherapy that seeks to reverse the trend of meaninglessness, depersonalization, and nihilism. The course focuses on helping to facilitate an awareness of dignity and uniqueness within the individual as a source of strength and well-being for making choices and taking responsibility for one's actions. Fees: Additional fee required. 

This course includes a study of Viktor Frankl's theories of neuroses and psychoses and offers in-depth illustrations of methods and techniques used in Logotherapy. Fee: Additional fee required.

This course studies the challenges, resources, and experiences of exceptional children and their families in identifying and receiving comprehensive and collaborative mental health services and other supports at school, at home, and in their communities. The course emphasizes the role of the school counselor as a consultant through ethical standards and appropriate responsibilities. Students will examine multi-tiered systems of support, which require collaborative consultation to be successful.

A detailed study identifying the history, classification, physiological, and psychological effects associated with psychoactive substances. Additionally, assessment, diagnosis, treatment modalities, availability of resources, and obstacles of recovery will be discussed. Fee: Additional fee required.

A detailed study of evidence-based clinical techniques promoting increased retention and therapeutic outcomes for individuals and families afflicted by substance use disorders and addictive behaviors. Fee: Additional fee required.

A detailed study of advanced interviewing techniques and utilization of assessment instruments associated with the identification and diagnosis of substance use disorders. Defense mechanisms, co-occurring disorders, and comprehensive individualized treatment plan development will also be addressed. Fee: Additional fee required.

This is an experiential course that will prepare students to provide effective and brief interventions to clients/patients with a variety of presenting complaints using evidence based and empirically supported interventions and relational skills. This knowledge and skill will prepare students for work in Primary Care and other clinical settings that utilize brief and ultra-brief interventions or time restrictions. The training offered is derived from the PCBH model, Motivational Interviewing, Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Ultra-Brief Cognitive and Behavioral Interventions. In addition, we will explore the efficacy and utility of single-session therapy. Fee: Additional fee required.

This course will provide students with the knowledge and skills to assess and manage a variety of crisis presentations in primary care settings. Intervention training will draw from psychological first aid, critical incident stress literature, the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) model, and the PROSPER Model. Students will also consider compassion fatigue assessment and management in their role on a primary care team. Fee: Additional fee required.

This course provides students an opportunity to explore population health/mental health and social determinants of health from a primary care perspective. Students will also explore methods of identifying health trends in a population and how to develop pathways of care for the identified needs. Pathways are care delivery plans which assist with communication and efficiency of service delivery for a target population or sub-population. Pathways will often include the offering of group counseling or group psychoeducation options. Students will learn both the importance and challenge of pathway services in primary care settings. Fee: Additional fee required.

This course encompasses the types, uses, and basic psychometrics involved in educational and personality testing and assessment.  Validity, reliability, and program evaluation concepts are covered, and students are introduced to elementary statistical concepts important to test interpretation and understanding test reviews. Fee: Additional fee required. 

This course will address the different levels of clinical skill acquisition. Students will be expected to carry 5-6 client contact hours per week concurrent with 10 hours of clinical supervision per semester. Videotaping of student therapy session will be used in the supervisory process. (NOTE: If clinical criteria are not met by the conclusion of the internship segment, fees for additional clinical supervision will be charged to the individual student on a per hour basis over and above tuition).

Practicum combines supervision, class work, and the practical utilization and critique of individual and group counseling techniques learned in COUN6541. These will be demonstrated through field work, case conferences, and student videos. Course is taught on a group supervision model. Earning a grade of B or better in this course is necessary in order for the student to enter Internship. Students are expected to take COUN6541 just prior to COUN7561. If more than one year has elapsed between taking Pre-Practicum and Practicum, a demonstration of counseling skills may be required of the student or the student may need to repeat Pre-Practicum at the discretion of faculty. May be repeated for credit.  It is also highly recommended that students take COUN6533 prior to or concurrent with Practicum. Fee:  Additional fee required.

This course is designed to enhance students' diagnostic and treatment planning skills. The class includes a focus on crisis assessment and management, telehealth, preventative strategies, and best-practice research in clinical treatment. 

This course is an introduction to the major categories of clinical psychopharmacology that are encountered as mental health professionals work with clients.  Categories will include agents used for mood disorders, anxiety disorders, ADHD, sleep disorders, drug rehabilitation, and psychosis. The focus of the course will be the behavioral and mental health ramifications of drugs commonly encountered in detoxification programs and addiction treatment facilities.  This is a required course for Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Marriage, Couple, & Family Counseling majors.   

This course is the next step towards trauma competency focused on the treatment of PTSD and complex trauma. Students will learn a variety of leading-edge interventions with a special focus on IFS or Internal Family Systems and a strong introduction to Attachment-Focused EMDR. Fee: Additional fee required.

The intimate nature of grief counseling requires an authenticity that can only be gained through a strong emphasis on students' personal exploration of loss, grief, disenfranchised grief and bereavement. Moving beyond the limitations of a "stage model," students will understand that grief is a very unique and individual process that does not necessarily end but constantly changes. Fee: Additional fee required.

Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating, and non-DSM-5 Disordered Eating are frequently linked to underlying trauma. Students will understand these complex issues and learn effective interventions for treatment. Fee: Additional fee required.

Loss of Intimacy, Betrayal Trauma, Domestic Violence, Divorce, Emotional abuse, Narcissistic partners, Addictions, Grief, the list goes on. Understand the role of underlying trauma and the healing journey for traumatized couples. Fee: Additional fee required.

This course builds on the IFS skills introduced in COUN7583 including working with exiles and the unburdening process. An emphasis is also placed on the counselors growing ability to maintain Self Energy. Extensive practice opportunities will be included. Fee: Additional fee required.

Students typically register for 1-4 credits of Internship in a semester, and the actual class time is 90 minutes. Internship is a distinctly defined, post practicum, supervised curricular experience intended to enable students to refine and enhance basic counseling skills, develop more advanced counseling interventions, and integrate professional knowledge and skills appropriate to initial professional placement. May be repeated for credit. During Internship, you must complete at least 4 of your own personal individual or relational counseling sessions. Fee: Additional fee required.

The goal of this class is to understand the philosophy that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is built upon, basic and applied research that informs ACT, the processes that are targeted in ACT, and some basic skills needed to deliver ACT. We will also cover the empirical support that exists for ACT. Fee: Additional fee required.

In clinical settings, mindfulness is being used in the treatment of stress, anger, addiction, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, and psychosis. Mindfulness is a foundational component of many modern therapeutic approaches (i.e., ACT, DBT, MBCT, CFT, IFS, and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy) and is being integrated into traditional therapies (i.e., Gestalt, Person-Centered, and CBT). However, without training, counselors may inadvertently harm clients through the misuse of this valuable approach. Participants will emerge from the course with increased knowledge about the application of mindfulness in counseling, improved confidence in leading and teaching mindfulness to others, and the necessary component of personal practice. The course is designed around these three elements: theoretical understanding, embodied mindfulness, and clinical application. Fee: Additional fee required.

This course will provide students with an introduction to the history, development, and application of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). We will discuss the underlying paradigms of acceptance, change, and dialectics. Participants will also be exposed to DBT case conceptualization, behavior chain analysis, validation, dialectical strategies, commitment strategies, and skills training. Fee: Additional fee required.

This course provides students an opportunity to dive deeper into the understanding of Relational Frame Theory, which is the foundation of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Additionally, students will further strengthen their clinical conceptualization and intervention skills through case studies, role play, and consultation. Fee: Additional fee required.

This course will introduce students to the origins and clinical application of Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT). Topics addressed in this course include compassionate relating, compassionate understanding, compassionate awareness, and cultivating the compassionate self. Participants will be equipped to apply CFT and mindful self-compassion interventions in their clinical settings. Fee: Additional fee required.

Relational Frame Theory (RFT) is a behavioral theory of language and cognition that can be used to understand human suffering and flourishing. This course will teach participants about the role of language in counseling. Topics addressed will include using language to activate and shape behavior change, building a flexible sense of self through perspective-taking, fostering meaning and motivation, and building and delivering metaphors. This is an advanced course and should be taken after the introductory ACT course. Fee: Additional fee required.

In this course, students will be introduced to the application of acceptance, mindfulness, and related behavioral approaches to couples and relationship issues. We will explore the application of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Integrative Behavioral Couples Therapy, Relational Frame Theory, Schema Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Mindfulness to relationship issues. Participants will be able to identify relational patterns that lead to dissatisfaction or conflict and select interventions from a third-wave behavioral approach. Students will be prepared to assist their clients in engaging relationally with greater flexibility, less struggle, and an improved sense of satisfaction. Fee: Additional fee required.

In this course, students will be invited to explore the use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), as well as other related approaches, to treat common mental health issues experienced by children and adolescents. Students will learn various creative applications of the ACT model to this population, including DNA-V, Superhero Therapy, The Action Heroes Power Wheel, and mindfulness adaptations for students of all ages. Building on previous knowledge of the ACT model of psychological flexibility, students will be prepared to creatively adapt the model for students of all ages. Fee: Additional fee required.

In this course, students will be guided into an application of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for the treatment of trauma, crisis, and PTSD. As a result of crisis events, trauma, and PTSD, the client becomes stuck in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn behavioral patterns. While these responses are understandable during the time of crisis or trauma, they become problematic and unworkable outside of the traumatic context. ACT provides clients a way of relating to their traumatic experiences and behavioral patterns that can free them to move forward and create a life based on their values. Through this course, clinicians will be prepared to guide their clients through the psychological flexibility processes and be able to integrate a variety of evidence-based trauma-informed practices while conceptualizing through the ACT model. Fee: Additional fee required.

A seminar experience intended to enable post-graduates to integrate new clinical skills and develop more advanced counseling interventions. This course may be used to help practicing counselors gain supervised internship experience for licensure. Note: 60 hours of field work equals one credit hour. May be repeated for credit.