1. assessment and goal-setting
ASSIGNMENT DETAILS:Self Evaluation Paper (125 points)Students will submit a 5 to 7-
page paper (NOT APA) aIDressing the following topics:1. Reflections on the counselor-
client relationship (e.g., what have you learned about the counselor-client relationship;
what role did the relationship play inthe counseling process; upon reflection how would
you have wanted the relationship to be different – if at all); I have learned that the
relationship has to be sincereand as a counselor, empathy and compassion are the most
important aspects for me to portray to clients.2. Reflections on technical ability (e.g., what
do you perceive to be your most developed skills – contrast these with your least developed
skills; from yourperspective, which skills are easiest/most difficult for you, and what might
be the reasons). Be sure to discuss all of your core counseling skills; My perceivedskills that
I am comfortable with are paraphrasing and reframing. I need to keep working on asking
open ended questions versus closed questions.3. Reflections on assessment and goal-
setting (e.g., what did you learn about the importance of assessment and goal-setting; upon
reflection what might you havedone differently – or more/less of); The most important
part of the therapy sessions is to set reasonable goals for the client to focus on. This will
hopefully bringcomfort to them. Reflections help the client to understand their feelings. I
might have worked more on the goal setting early on in the sessions to give the clientmore
to work on immediately instead of just reflections. It is positive for the client to focus on
goals and positive resolution for them.4. Reflections on the working stage (defining
strategies and selecting interventions) and preparations for termination. What role did
interventions, other thanhelping skills, play in this process? Be sure to discuss each
intervention (affective, cognitive, behavioral, systemic); aID your own professional thoughts
please5. Reflections on your knowledge of psychopharmacology and how this will help
you in your work as a counselor; aID your own professional thoughts please. Justknow as a
mental health counselor, I cannot prescribe meds but can suggest them in conjunction with
therapy.6. Reflections on what you have learned about yourself through your experiences
in this course (e.g., what have you learned about yourself as a person; how doesthis relate to
you in your role as a counselor); and I have learned that my style seems to be person-
centered therapy in that I am very empathetic to the clients andtheir stories. I will have to
learn to control my emotions thought. I found myself feeling overly sensitive when
watching all of the counseling session videos inclass.7. What’ s next (e.g., based on what
you have learned – what are your next steps in your development as a counselor). My next
steps are to continue the next yearworking diligently on my graduate degree. I hope to gain

2. a lot of experience with the upcoming internship in the spring. I hope to develop and
maintain microskillsthat will be second nature for me as a therapist. I hope to learn how to
use many different approaches and theories that will be incorporated in my practice as
atherapist.COURSE SYLLABUS:Mental Health CounselingCatalog Description of Course:This
course will introduce you to basic skills that initiate counseling relationships and follow
with the four principal approaches to counseling: cognitive,affective, behavioral, and
family/systemic. These approaches will provide the context for assessment, goal setting,
and the integration of skills into interventions.In aIDition, this course also provides an
introduction to the understanding of the basic neurobiology of psychopathology and the
different types of psychotropicmedications to treat these conditions. As such, this aspect of
the course emphasizes the counselor’ s role as a member of a multidisciplinary treatment
team infacilitating treatment compliance,monitoring the efficacy as well as side effects of
the psychotropic medication prescribed, and the counselor’ s role in integrating
pharmacologic treatments with othernon-pharmacological modalities.B. Student Learning
Objectives:Upon successful completion of MHC 669, students will be able to:1. Demonstrate
satisfactory understanding of counseling attitudes, skills and techniques.2. Demonstrate
satisfactory performance of counseling attitudes, skills, and techniques necessary to
develop and maintain the therapeutic relationship.3. Demonstrate a working knowledge of,
and adhere to issues of confidentiality and professionalism with students, faculty, and staff
within and carried through toclinical placements.4. Demonstrate their ability to maintain
professionalism and composure in difficult situations.5. Begin to apply counseling theory to
counseling practice.6. Demonstrate insight and the ability to focus on the context as well as
the content of interpersonal interactions.7. Describe the basic mechanisms of the central
nervous system (CNS) and the impact of mental illness on its functioning.8. Describe how
different psychotropic medications affect the CNS and their impact on the course of mental
illness.9. Identify the appropriate pharmacological treatments for specific disorders.10.
Identify and monitor the signs of effective psychopharmacological treatment.11. Identify
and monitor side effects of psychopharmacological treatment.12. Demonstrate an ability to
be a valuable member of a treatment team or case conference.13. Demonstrate effective
consultative skills regarding psychotropic medication.14. Demonstrate evidence of self-
awareness with regard to biases, fears, concerns, and personal circumstances and their
potential impact on counseling and thetherapeutic relationship.C. Outline of Course Content
CACREP Standard Course Calendar and Topics:Counseling Skills:• Ethics, Multi-Cultural
Competence, and Wellness• Attending and Observation Skills: Basic
Communication• Questions: Opening Communication• Encouraging, Paraphrasing &
Summarizing: Skills of Active Listening• Observing & Reflecting Feelings: A Foundation of
Client Experiencing• How to Conduct an Interview Using only Listening Skills• The Skill
of Confrontation: Supporting While Challenging• Focusing the Interview: Exploring the
Story from Multiple Perspectives• Reflection of Meaning and Interpretation/Reframing:
Helping Clients Restore Their Lives• Self-Disclosure and Feedback: Bringing Immediacy
into the Interview• Logical Consequences, Information/Psychoeducation, and Directives:
Helping Clients Move to Action• Decisional Counseling, Skill Integration, Treatment Plans,
and Case Management• Applications of Microskills: Cognitive-Behavioral Crisis

3. Counseling and Brief Interviewing and Counseling• Determining Personal Style: Self
Evaluation and the FutureClinical Psychopharmacology for Mental Health
Practitioners:• Integrated Models• Neurobiology• Pharmacology• Preliminary
Diagnostic Considerations• Depressive Disorders• Bipolar Disorders• Anxiety
Disorders• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder• Psychotic Disorders• Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder• Borderline Personality Disorder• Substance-Related
Disorders• Antidepressant Medications• Bipolar Medications• Antianxiety
Medications• Antipsychotic Medications• Child and Adolescent PsychopharmacologyD.
Means of Assessing Student Learning:Clinical Mental Health Counseling Standard Grading
Scale:A = 1000-930 points A – = 929-900 points B + = 899-870 points B = 869-830
pointsB – = 829-800 points C + = 799-770 points C = 769-700 points F = 699 points
or lessPoints of Assessment Date Due How much of total grade Which Learning
Objective will this assessment meet?Journals Weekly online 7% 6, 14Chapter
Quizzes Weekly online 18% 7-11Skills Demonstration Week 3 online 5% 2,
12Psychopharmacology Research Paper Week 4 online 10% 7-10Midterm Evaluation
of Counseling Skills Start of Residency 12.5% 2, 5Mock Counseling Dyad Week 6
online 5% 1-6, 12-14Self-Evaluation Paper End of Residency 12.5% 1, 5, 6, 13,
14Final Evaluation of Counseling Skills End of Residency 15% 2, 5Class
Participation Weekly 15% 4, 6, 12As per the 2013-2014 Mental Health Counseling
handbook, “ a student earning a C- or lower (i.e., an F) in any course is required to repeat
the course; a student maycarry a maximum of two C grades on their transcript during the
program EXCEPT in the following core courses, where a B- or better MUST be achieved in
MHC 650 MHC 631,MHC 600, MHC 620, MHC 605, MHC 669, MHC 670” .Course Format:The
class will utilize Blackboard to maximize the time and potential for learning. This course
combines classroom experiences as well as independent work (done beforethe residency
Nov 18-23). The clinical skills portion of theMidterm Evaluation of Counseling Skills (125
points); near start of ResidencyThis is an evaluation by the course instructor of a 20-minute
counseling practice session performed in class. Your grade will be based on the quality of
yourcounseling skills demonstrated in the class. Feedback will include an evaluation of your
progress on the Prepracticum Clinical Skills Evaluation Form. Guidelines and agrading
rubric will be provided.Mock Counseling Dyad (50 points); Due Week 6 online:Students will
participate in a Role-Play Practice Session with a volunteer “ mock client” of your choice.
The session is expected to last 30 minutes and should focus onthe development and/or
enhancement of your microskills as discussed in the text. This session is practice for
upcoming clinical experience, and it is a way to show theinstructor that you are ready to go
into the field for your placements. Therefore, it is to be taken seriously. You will record the
session and select a 10-minutesegment to be uploaded to a private, class YouTube account
and linked to on Blackboard for review by your Instructor and peers. Students will be
assigned to PeerReview Groups and are expected to review each other’ s videos and
provide constructive feedback on Blackboard.Final Evaluation of Counseling Skills. (150
points) end of Residency:This is an evaluation by the course instructor of a 20-minute
counseling practice session performed in class. Your grade will be based on the quality of
yourcounseling skills demonstrated in the class. Feedback will include an evaluation of your

4. progress on the Prepracticum Clinical Skills Evaluation Form. Guidelines and agrading
rubric will be provided.Class Participation (150 points total)1. Students are expected to
come to class fully conversant with the content of the materials. You will have ample
opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of thematerial in class, including discussion of
the readings, role-plays, analysis of case studies, and various other activities.2. To help you
to get started, you are required to post at least ONE comment for each of the discussion
questions, as well as at least ONE response to aclassmate’ s comment posted on Blackboard.
Comments on the class discussion board are expected to be thoughtful and reflective.
Superficial comments and responses willresult in lower points being awarded.E. Course
Attendance Policy (Clinical) Mental Health Counseling Attendance PolicyIn your
development as a counselor it is essential that you understand the importance of
commitment to classmates, instructors, supervisors and most importantlyclients.
Participation is a critical and mandatory part of your education and clinical training. In the
event of a serious illness or family emergency that will resultin your inability to participate,
students must immediately contact their Professor to notify them of their situation. It is
expected that each member will not onlyattend consistently but will take an active part in
the experiential aspects of the course. Participation will affect the final grade for the course.
Students who donot participate as required may be at risk of (a) receiving a lower grade; or
(b) failing the course. Students who fail to participate as required and/or fail tocontact
their instructor in a timely manner, or who do not have an excused absence will be given an
F for the course.F. Textbooks:Title: Handbook of Clinical Psychopharmacology for
TherapistsAuthors: John D. Preston, John H. O’ Neal, & Mary C. TalagaYear: 2013Edition:
7thPublisher: New Harbinger PublicationsISBN: 9781572247031Title: Essentials of
Intentional Interviewing: Counseling in a Multicultural World.Author: Allen E. Ivey, Mary
Bradford Ivey, Carlos Zalaquett, & Kathryn QuirkYear: 2012Edition: 2ndPublisher:
Thomson/Brooks/ColeISBN: 0-8400-3456-3G. Suggested Reading List: (CACREP current (5
years) educational material)Antonuccio, D. (2008). Treating depressed children with
antidepressants: More harm thanbenefit? J Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 15(2),
92-97.Boyd-Franklin, N. (2010). Incorporating spirituality and religion into the treatment of
African American clients. The Counseling Psychologist, 38(7), 976-
1000.doi:10.1177/0011000010374881Hagan, B. Wong-Wylie, G., & Pijl-Zieber, E. (2010).
Tablets or talk: A critical review of the literature comparing antidepressants andcounseling
for treatment of depression. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 32, 102-124.Kaut, K. P.
(2011). Psychopharmacology and mental health practice: An important alliance. Journal of
Mental Health Counseling, 33(3), 196-222.Morris, J., & Stone, G. (2011). Children and
psychotropic medication: A cautionary note. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 37, 299-
306.Nyamathi, A., Shoptaw, S., Cohen, A., Greengold, B., Nyamathi, K., MarORDER TODAY
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