Master of Science in Education — Counseling Marriage and Family Therapy Track Online

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be prepared to:

• Gain understanding of the various counseling theories, the conceptualization of the therapeutic process, and the importance of a theoretical basis
• Demonstrate perception of the material through participation in activities, class discussions, role plays, written assignments and self-awareness exercises
• Practice applying aspects of each theory to counseling situations through case studies and peer-counseling exercises
• Discover personal values, beliefs and attitudes and determine how they relate to the various theories of counseling
• Develop a personal theory of counseling through the integration of beliefs, knowledge of theories, and current research that can be used in future professional practice

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, learners will:

• Possess knowledge related to different counseling techniques and their basis
• Acquire the ability to utilize different counseling techniques with their clients in a rationale manner
• Possess an understanding of counselor and client dynamics
• Possess practical and personal experience of being a counselor, client and observer
• Have developed a more familiar application of one theory, and the techniques commonly associated with that theory will be demonstrated by the student
• Demonstrate awareness of cultural diversity and ability to modify counseling strategies as appropriate with culturally diverse populations through role-playing and class discussions
• Possess knowledge related to the benefits, risks and ethical concerns associated with use of specific techniques

Learning Outcomes

Skill Development

• Students will develop the ability for reflective thought and use this ability for reflective decision making for conceptualizing couples and families.
• Student will demonstrate multicultural/diversity sensitivity.
• Students will demonstrate competence in basic couples and family counseling skills.
• Students will utilize (identify) the basic intervention techniques in couples and family counseling.

Knowledge Development

• Students will acquire knowledge of the history of family therapy.
• Students will examine and demonstrate understanding of several theoretical positions in family counseling
• Make reflective decisions concerning family theory, taking into consideration the diverse nature of families (e.g., single-parent families, remarried families, culturally diverse families, etc.).
• Become knowledgeable about the ethical, legal, and professional issues, research, and trends in family therapy.
• Students will demonstrate successful understanding of the paradigm shift from linear to circular thinking.
• Students will demonstrate understanding of individual and family life cycles and implications for family counseling.
• Students will gain knowledge of theories of healthy and dysfunctional characteristics of families.
• Students will develop an individualized approach to counseling couples and families that incorporates the strengths and belief systems of the counselor in training.
• Students will develop competencies for working with the diversity of families and their ethnic, racial, gender, language, and socioeconomic values, rules, boundaries, and patterns.
• Students will become familiar with current research in professional couple and family counseling journals.

Professional Development

• Students will demonstrate multicultural sensitivity, knowledge, and competencies.
• Students will develop ethical principles necessary couples and family therapy with regards to responsibilities, structure, and activities associated with family therapy.
• Students will research current trends and issues in couples and family therapy.
• Students will acquire insight, understanding, and ability to use critical thinking regarding self and family of origin.
• Students will develop an individualized approach to counseling which incorporates their strengths and belief systems.
• Students will apply family techniques (e.g., family genogram, etc.) and theoretical constructs to one's own family to foster intellectual, social, and personal development with increased insight, understanding, and facility to use critical thinking regarding self and self-reflection in the process of counseling.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course learners will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the following areas:

• Career developmental theories and decision-making models
• Career, vocational, educational, occupational, and labor market information resources, visual and print media, computer-based career information systems, and other electronic career information systems
• Career development program planning, organization, implementation, administration, and evaluation
• Interrelationships among and between work, family, and other life roles and factors including the role of diversity and gender in career development
• Career and educational program planning, organization, implementation, administration and evaluation
• Assessment instruments and techniques that is relevant to career planning and decision-making
• Technology-based career development applications and strategies, including computer-assisted career guidance and information systems and appropriate internet sites
• Career counseling processes, techniques, and resources, including those applicable to specific populations
• Ethical and legal considerations specific to the practice of career counseling

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, learners will:

• Be introduced to the concept of multicultural counseling and its history, evolution and the current discussion regarding its role in the counseling profession
• Acquire a deeper appreciation for issues of social justice including how clients might be impacted
• Be exposed to classic literary works, cinema, professional texts, peer-reviewed journals and current articles in the popular media, all dealing with issues of culture, ethnicity and diversity
• Have opportunities for self-reflection regarding their own unique cultural and ethnic heritage and journey
• Have opportunities for critical thought and discourse regarding different perspectives and differences of opinion about the multicultural counseling movement within the professional community
• Be challenged to examine their own biases, prejudices and presumptions and gain an appreciation for how these might impact the therapeutic relationships

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, learners will:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the language of ethics
• Consistently use American Counseling Association 2014 professional ethics codes and legal statutes as the foundation for professional endeavors
• Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose and use of related ethical codes and laws
• Gain deeper understanding of personal values and beliefs and assess if they are supported by the law, ethical codes, and current professional entities
• Effectively use a decision-making model to analyze situations and make sound decisions
• Understand the responsibility and procedures for reporting legal and ethical violations
• Develop the ability to assess clinical situations involving limits to confidentiality and implement professional procedures in such cases
• Develop self-care strategies and the ability to recognize and address issues of counselor impairment and burnout

Learning Outcomes

The goal of the class is for you to achieve an effective working understanding of group dynamics and processes that is integrated and that allows you to apply and to practice skills, knowledge, theory, and interpersonal and leadership abilities with relative success and, in the process, for you to grow professionally. The class follows the ethical guidelines for best practices from the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGA, ACA).

• The student will apply and demonstrate counseling skills to the practice of group counseling, as evidenced through practice in class, facilitation outside of class, as well as through discussion of readings, assignments, and quizzes.
• The student will integrate different theories, techniques, and research with foundational counseling skills and apply these to group counseling, as evidenced through practice in class, facilitation outside of class, as well as through discussion of readings, assignments and quizzes.
• The student will explore a personal counseling style as a group counselor that demonstrates genuineness and respect for all group members in a professional and ethical manner, as evidenced through practice in class, facilitation outside of class, as well as through discussion of readings, assignments and quizzes.
• The student will critically evaluate, compare and experience a variety of group counseling theories and techniques, as evidenced through practice in class, facilitation outside of class, as well as through discussion of readings, assignments and quizzes.
• The student will review and apply research findings on group theory and practice to their own academic and clinical work, as evidenced through practice in class, facilitation outside of class, as well as through discussion of readings, assignments and quizzes.
• The student will know professional, ethical, and clinical issues involved in the formation and leading of groups, as evidenced through practice in class, facilitation outside of class, as well as through discussion of readings, assignments and quizzes.
• The student will identify, describe, and experience the developmental stages of group process, as assessed through class discussion, readings and quizzes.
• The student will identify and practice various group leadership skills and techniques by taking turns as the group facilitator in class, through facilitation outside of class and by reflecting on leadership in written assignments.
• The student will explore their own personal feelings and issues that could potentially interfere with their effectiveness as group leaders and identify ways of containing and processing such issues as needed, as evidenced through journal entries, class discussions, supervision with the instructor as well as through participating in their own personal counseling, when warranted.
• The student will explore the influence of their own gender, sexuality, culture, ethnicity, class, and religious backgrounds and how their beliefs and attitudes might affect their functioning as group leaders through journals, class discussions, assignments and supervision with the instructor.
• The student will know group dynamics and methods that facilitate inter-group relations and mediate conflict in both agency/business and school/college sites through reading the assignments and engaging in class discussions and journal writings.
• The student will know how to use communication skills to help clients develop positive,
• supportive relationships with teachers/instructors, peers, families and coworkers, as practiced through class experiences, discussions, group leadership, and assignments.
• The student will display a basic ability to access relevant research studies, using current
• electronic search technologies, and to critique current counseling literature and research. This will be assessed through class discussion of course readings and written assignments.
• The student will utilize graduate-level writing skills, following the guidelines recognized as standard in the counseling profession, established by the American Psychological Association. This will be assessed through written assignments.

Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate knowledge of the historical and foundational issues of assessment.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the basic concepts of psychological testing, descriptive statistics, test validity / reliability, and the relationship of these to the assessment process.
• Demonstrate the ability to use assessments to inform decision making and to assist in developing effective treatment interventions and goal setting.
• Demonstrate the ability to engage in professionally responsible practices.
• Demonstrate understanding of various psychological constructs such as intelligence, aptitude, and personality, including strengths and limitations of various assessment instruments.
• Demonstrate knowledge of assessment issues related to diverse populations.
• Demonstrate the ability to effectively administer, score, interpret, and communicate assessment results.
• Demonstrate skill in conducting an intake interview, mental status exam, biopsychological history, mental health history, and psychological assessment, and use information in treatment planning.
• Demonstrate skill in composing detailed and professionally written reports.
• Demonstrate an awareness of ethical and legal concerns as well as requirements of the assessment process in accordance with the Codes of Ethics and Standards of Practice.

Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate knowledge of the areas to be addressed during active research and the legal and ethical issues involved.
• Demonstrate how to pose a relevant and realistic research question and a related hypothesis for one’s own research proposal and its defense.
  • Present the important and relevant limitation, delimitations, and assumptions of the proposed research and how these influence the utility of the proposed research finding.
• Demonstrate the ability to present one’s first three chapters in a clearly articulated manner that builds a logical argument for the proposed research based on the published and peer reviewed research.
  • Demonstrating how a rational argument is developed across all 3 chapters.
• Demonstrate mastery of APA Style in their final draft of the first 3 chapters, the reference list, and the appendices.
• Demonstrate ability to review and explain research articles, including identifying those that are opinion pieces, advocacy position papers, and non-research supported articles versus those that present their own or others’ sound research to support their findings and ideas.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of different types of research designs.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of data collection methods in published articles that show validity, reliability, accountability.
  • Demonstrate ability to present analysis and findings of others’ research in an unbiased, non-plagiarized fashion using one’s own words.
  • While at the same time omitting personal experiences and interpretations that go beyond the points of the articles.
• Demonstrate strategies for accomplishing data collection in one’s own study that are valid, reliable, ethical, and relevant to the study proposed.
• Demonstrate awareness of Research Ethics in one’s work as to the role of an IRB and why it is needed to carry out human research how participants are protected necessary parts and meaning of an informed consent.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, learners will:

• Understand the historical, philosophical, societal, cultural, economic, and political dimensions of clinical mental health counseling
• Comprehend the professional roles and functions of clinical mental health counselors in various practice settings and the relationships between clinical counselors and other therapeutic professionals
• Understand how administration of the professional field is handled including managed care, budgets, third party payer system, insurance, administration
• Identify the professional organizations of the clinical mental health counseling profession
• Describe the professional credentialing process and the effects of public policy on these issues
• Understand the typical characteristics of individuals and communities served by a variety of institutions and agencies that offer community and school counseling services
• Understand the role of diversity and equity issues in clinical and school counseling
• Develop their professional identity as clinical mental health professional counselors
• Understand the role of advocacy, prevention consultation and social change within the context of clinical mental heat counseling and school counseling.
• Demonstrate technological competence, computer literacy, and the use the editorial style (APA) accepted by the social and behavioral sciences to present written material in the field.