WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY

CNSL 5362 ADVANCED INTERNSHIP IN COUNSELING

Summer, 2009

INSTRUCTOR: Mee-Gaik Lim, Ph.D.

830-620-7142

mee-gaik.lim@wayland.wbu.edu

TEXT: There is no text for the class, but various books and materials will be required to master the elements of this class and to prepare for the comprehensive exams to follow.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Experience in performing the activities that a regularly employed community counselor/school counselor is expected to perform in a professional counseling setting under the direct supervision of the program faculty and the site supervisor. Weekly site supervision is provided for observed, recorded, and reported experiences from the field setting. Additional faculty supervision is provided during 4 weekends throughout the duration of this semester.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

The major function/role of counseling is to facilitate individual and interpersonal development throughout the life span. There are many approaches to promoting the individual’s development, no one of which may serve all. Counselors should mature with experience in their ability to critically evaluate counseling approaches to determine the appropriate ones to use with their clientele. All counselors, regardless of work setting, should be prepared in a common core of knowledge and basic skills. All counselors-in-preparation should engage in critical self-analysis regarding their suitability for becoming a counselor, their competencies, and weaknesses. All counselors should engage in continuous peer and self-evaluation regarding the quality of their counseling services. Through a critical exposure to a broad spectrum of literature and research, the reflective counselor becomes committed to increasing knowledge about human behavior and the conditions that influence it. Through reflection, counselors appreciate the importance of themselves, as persons, in the helping process and will strive to clarify how their personal characteristics influence the outcomes of the helping process. All counselors should understand, develop, and implement an ethical code of conduct and be aware of their state’s licensing board requirements. Therefore, by the conclusion of this course, successful students will be able to:

A. Accept and use supervisory feedback to improve counseling effectiveness.

B. Actively and constructively participate in peer group supervision.

C. Demonstrate appropriate use of core counseling skills (e.g., attending, empathy, respect, concreteness, genuineness, and confrontation.)

D. Use counseling skills and competencies

E. Conduct initial client assessments and make recommendations for counseling services.

F. Demonstrate ability to appropriately prepare clinical documentation.

G. Learn to integrate theory with practice.

H. Continue to develop a coherent personalized counseling approach that is adequately based on accepted counseling theory and research.

I. Critically evaluate their in-session counseling behaviors.

J. Accurately assess their own counseling strengths and weaknesses.

K. Engage in professional and ethical conduct at all times.

L. Demonstrate awareness, knowledge and skills in counseling clients who are culturally different, including racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation and socioeconomic differences.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

A) Two Case Presentations: (40 points).

You will be required to videotape an actual counseling session with a client. Over the course of

this semester, you will sign up and present two cases to the classroom for discussion and

constructive feedback. Your video is to be at least 35 minutes long. However, we may only

have time to review a portion of the video in class. The class will view this videotape (either

in VHS or DVD format) with you and will ask questions, offer feedback and provide

suggestions. The purpose of this assignment is to help you polish your counseling skills. If your

agency or school will not allow for videotaping or if you cannot find a client who will give

consent, then you should find someone (such as a friend, or relative, or neighbor, or another

classmate) who would be willing to participate. Be sure to get a consent form signed by the

client indicating that you are a graduate student who is serving as a counselor intern and that they

are aware that a graduate class and the professor will be reviewing this tape and information.

Also, please alter, mask, or blacken out any identifying information on all written documentation

to protect and maintain the confidentiality of the client. You will be graded on your

counseling skills, your ethics, your ability to discuss and conceptualize your case, and the quality

of your written documentation. Your file should include the following:

Signed consent form

Transcribe any 20 consecutive responses ONLY (not the entire session)

Ct: "I can’t seem to get along with my son these days. When I talk to him, we usually end up arguing and being mad at each other. This has been going on for six months now and I feel like I am loosing contact with him.

Co: Sounds like you are extremely frustrated and discouraged about the frequent arguments between you and your son.

Label: Reflection of feeling.

Better: It appears that you are highly discouraged about your ability to get along with your son and it is important to you to maintain a close connection with him.

B) Student Log Review, Accrual of minimum required internship hours, and turning in evaluation forms as scheduled: (30 points)

During each weekend that we meet, your professor will ask each student to turn in their log to sign off on their hours accrued. The site supervisor should sign off on the student’s hours on a weekly basis. Half of your grade in this class is determined by your ability to turn in the evaluation forms and log books as scheduled as well as complete the required 125 hours of supervised internship hours (including the minimum number of both direct and indirect client contact hours) as well as your ability to turn in your log book for review each Friday that we meet for class. Students must complete supervised internship experiences that total a minimum of 150 clock hours (these hours include 80 hours of direct client contact hours at a minimum). Your site supervisor’s comments will also be considered as well. You cannot take an “incomplete” for this course because this will prevent you from being able to sign up for the advanced internship course. Therefore, in some unforeseen instance that you will not be able to accrue the required minimum hours, please consult with your professor and/or division chair on how best to address your situation.

C) Book Review: (30 points).

You will read and review:

Kottler, J. A. (2003). On being a therapist. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Upon completion of reading the book, write 5-6 pages review of the book.

D) Comprehensive Exam:

You will take the comprehensive exam to be administered at some point in the semester by the

professor. This is a national exam, and instructions will be given in class for preparation.

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES:

Classes will meet the following weekends during the semester:

May 29-30

June 19-20

July 17-18

July 31-August 1

ATTENDANCE:

Attendance is critical to success in this class as well as mastery of the material and

subject. Regular attendance and participation will play a part in determining the

final grade. Only emergency situations will be considered as possible exceptions.

According to the student catalogue, “Any student who misses 25% or more of the

regularly scheduled class meetings will receive a grade of F in the course.”