Courses
Mental Health Counseling
- PSY-G 502 Professional Orientation and Ethics (3 cr.) P: Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program.
This course is a survey of psychological and educational foundations for counseling and guidance, including counseling theories, practices, and organization.
- PSY-G 505 Individual Appraisal: Principles and Procedures (3 cr.) P: Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program.
This course is an analysis of statistical, psychometric, sociometric, and clinical principles crucial to professional interpretation of standardized and informal data regarding individual clients. Current issues/controversies about ethnic, gender, cultural, and individual differences will be examined. Note: Lab fees apply.
- PSY-G 510 Alcohol and Drug Counseling (3 cr.) P: Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program or Permission of Instructor
This course is an introduction to the major theories of addiction and compulsive behaviors. Topics include the history of clinical addiction counseling and the physiological, psychological, environmental, social, familial, spiritual, and behavioral theories/domains concerning the etiology and maintenance of addictions and compulsive behaviors contained in the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The study and application of research-based theories of addiction counseling is emphasized. Recent developments and issues in the field are discussed. Students are expected to engage in active learning projects.
- PSY-G 512 Counseling Approaches With Addictions (3 cr.) P: Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program or Permission of Instructor This course evaluates treatment modalities of substance-related and addictive disorders contained in the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Special attention is given to treatment readiness, assessment, treatment planning, counseling modalities, psychopharmacology, client education, case management, crisis intervention, referral, consultation, community resources, and reports and record keeping. Recent issues in addiction and recovery, evidence-based practices, and co-occurring disorders are discussed. Students are expected to engage in active learning projects.
- PSY-G 513 Psychopharmacology & Counseling (3 cr.) P: Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program.
This course is an introduction to psychopharmacology, the study of drugs that affect mood, sensation, thinking, and behavior, with an emphasis on substance-related disorders of the DSM and prescribed psychopharmacological medications. Special emphasis is placed on appropriate uses of medications, identification of effects and side effects, as well as acute and chronic observable signs and symptoms of substances. Attention will also be given to diagnosis, treatment, recovery, and prevention. Recent trends in psychoactive substance use, and the wide-ranging research addressing substance-related and addictive disorders is included.
- PSY-G 514 Lifespan Development (3 cr.) P: Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program.
This course is a survey of human development from infancy through old age, emphasizing the life span perspective of development.
- PSY-G 520 Research in Counseling (3 cr.) P: Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program.
This course explores how research is planned and conducted in mental health counseling. Thus, the instructor will cover research methodology, design, and statistical procedures. Students will critique various peer-reviewed journal articles on design, statistical procedures, data analysis, and conclusions. Students will also acquire the necessary skills to integrate contemporary mental health counseling research into their clinical decision-making process.
- PSY-G 522 Counseling Theories (3 cr.) P: Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program. P or C: PSY G502 with a minimum grade of B- if taken as a prerequisite.
This course analyzes and evaluates mental health counseling theories while focusing on social/environmental impacts, research, human diversity, and gender issues. This course facilitates the student’s ability to create necessary and sufficient conditions for therapeutic change.
- PSY-G 523 Laboratory in Counseling (3 cr.) P: Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program. P or C: PSY-G 502 with a minimum grade of B- if taken as a prerequisite. This course provides closely supervised counseling experiences, i.e., analysis of interviews and role-playing, in a laboratory setting.
- PSY-G 524 Practicum in Counseling (3 cr.) P: PSY G522, PSY G523 and PSY G575 (all with a minimum grade of B-) and Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program. This course offers experiential training in providing counseling services to clients. It includes intensive supervision and instruction to help students develop basic clinical competencies in preparation for their internship experiences. The goal is to help students develop professionalism and proficiency at conceptualizing cases and counseling techniques. Note: Lab fees apply.
- PSY-G 532 Introduction to Group Counseling (3 cr.) P: Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program. This course introduces students to group counseling. Students will be exposed to a combination of didactic information about groups along with clinical training/skills building that will prepare future group leaders.
- PSY-G 550 Internship in Counseling (3 cr.) P: PSY G505, PSY G524 (all with a minimum grade of B-), and Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program. This course expands the experiential training students received in practicum. The course provides a continuing opportunity to apply theory to practice in mental health counseling under direct clinical supervision. Students will engage in a variety of professional activities performed by regularly employed counseling professionals in the setting. Note: Lab fees apply.
- PSY-G 552 Career Counseling and Development (2 cr.) P: Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program. This course covers theories, techniques, and information resources for enhancing vocational development across the lifespan; and facilitating client problem-solving and decision-making related to maintaining balance among work, family, and leisure roles. Students will develop a knowledge base concerning objective and projective methods for exploring and assessing career client interests, skills, and values that inform clients making reasoned career and lifestyle decisions. Current issues/controversies related to ethics, sociocultural factors, and individual differences in career counseling will be examined. Note: Lab fees apply.
- PSY-G 553 Career Counseling Lab (1 cr.) P: PSY-G 522, PSY-G 523, PSY-G 552 (all with a minimum grade of B-) and Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program. This course provides the practical application of career counseling theories, techniques, and information resources with clients seeking services from the university and greater community. Under close supervision by faculty and/or staff, students will use objective and projective methods to assess the interests, skills, and values of these clients. Students will relate codes of ethical practice, understanding of sociocultural factors, and knowledge of individual differences to individual career and lifestyle counseling cases.
- PSY-G 563 Foundations of Mental Health Counseling (3 cr.) P: Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program. This course explores the foundations and contextual dimensions of mental health counseling. Course material will include theoretical underpinnings of mental health counseling, the counselor’s role in diagnosis and intervention selection, and the contemporary trends in mental health counseling.
- PSY-G 567 Introduction to Marriage and Family Counseling (3 cr.) P: PSY-G 522, PSY-G 523 (all with a minimum grade of B-), and Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program. This course analyzes the historical context, theoretical formulations, counseling techniques/strategies, research findings, treatment issues, and ethical/social concerns in couple and family counseling. This course will focus on the foundational principles of couple and family therapy, its traditional theoretical models, and the more contemporary evidence-based approaches.
- PSY-G 575 Multicultural Counseling (3 cr.) P: Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program. This course evaluates the influence of cultural and diversity factors in counseling theory, research, and practice. The course challenges students to critically examine culture as a multifaceted concept that permeates all levels of human development and experiences. Students will develop skills to evaluate the ways in which their own identities shape their personal and professional lives.
- PSY-G 598 Seminar in Professional Issues (3 cr.) P: PSY-G 522, PSY-G 523, PSY-G 524, PSY-G 575 (all with a minimum grade of B-), and Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program. The course provides students with knowledge, skills and experience to thrive in their professional lives. The course will critically evaluate contemporary trends in the field of mental health counseling and analyze professional development from a historical perspective while focusing on social environmental impacts, research, human diversity, and gender issues.
- PSY-G 615 Psychopathology and Treatment (3 cr.) P: PSY-G 505, PSY-G 513 (all with a minimum grade of B-), or by permission of the instructor. This course evaluates the history, theory, contextual dimensions, and research important to prevention, etiology, assessment, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatment (including adjunctive use of psychopharmacology and its side-effects) of disorders contained in the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Recent controversies and trends and the wide-ranging research addressing psychpathology, psychodiagnostics, and treatment is included.
- PSY-G 622 Advanced Theories of Counseling (3 cr.) P: PSY-G 524, PSY-G 575 (all with a minimum grade of B-), and Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program. This course reviews the principles of evidence-based practices and the integration of science and practice in counseling. The course assists students in articulating the theoretical approach that directs their work with clients and integrates methods to determine or measure counseling effectiveness. The course reviews counseling practices for diverse populations and/or problems.
- PSY-G 645 Consultation and Organizational Development (3 cr.) P: PSY-G 524 with a minimum grade of B- and Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program. This course reviews theories, models, and processes of change in human systems and organizations. Special attention is directed to applying theory to practice and to differentiating between human and structural problems and interventions.
- PSY-G 647 Advanced Internship (3 cr.) P: Completion of 600 hours (6 credit hours) in PSY-G 550 and Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program. This course expands the training students received in internship (PSY-G 550) by providing students with supervised training that focuses and develops competencies in various areas of mental health counseling. This course satisfies the state licensure requirement for an advanced internship for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. Note: Lab fees apply.
- PSY-G 699 Independent Study in Mental Health Counseling (1-3 cr.) P: Admission into the Masters in Mental Health Counseling Program. By permission only. This course provides students with an in-depth independent study on a subject mutually agreed upon by the student and instructor. Learning objectives, course activities and assignments are determined by the instructor.
