CNSL -

This exam provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their ability to integrate and apply the theory and skills acquired in their course work. It is given during the student’s last semester of enrollment prior to graduation. The exam is a standardized written exam. Questions cover the area of specialization as indicated on the student’s degree plan and in this catalog. The policies and procedures for the administration and scoring of the comprehensive examination for each specialization are available through the Director of the Graduate Counseling Program. The comprehensive exam may only be retaken once.

This course provides an in-depth study of the theory and practice of brief counseling with individuals, couples, and families. Students will learn to integrate brief and solution-focused theory and apply these skills with individuals and families.

This course provides students with an understanding of the various systemic approaches and presenting issues in marital and couples therapy and unique ethical dilemmas faced in working with couples. The experiential component of the course gives students the opportunity to practice marital counseling strategies using a variety of approaches.

This course serves as an introduction to play therapy and provides an overview of counseling interventions with children and adolescents in agency, school, and community-based settings. Group, individual, and family systems techniques will be covered. Emphasis will be on understanding the interactions between the developmental needs of children and adolescents and finding counseling techniques appropriate for these age groups. Childhood disorders and developmental diagnoses will also be discussed as well as techniques for consulting with parents.

This course, offered in a lecture and seminar format, provides students with the opportunity to study ethical standards as they apply to counselors and mental health providers. The course examines various codes of ethics, professional organizations, licensure and other credentialing processes, advocacy and public policy, professional identity, and current issues within the counseling profession. This course must be taken the first or second semester of the student’s graduate course of study and prior to enrolling in clinical instruction courses. Students must pass this course with a grad of "B" or higher before they can be admitted to candidacy. This course may be retaken only once.

This core course includes the study of group development and group counseling theories. Further considerations include group leadership styles, methods and skills, and ethical considerations in group work. Group dynamics will be studied through participation in an experiential growth group. Lab fee required.

This course provides an in-depth study of the symptomatology and etiology of behavioral, emotional, and mental disorders, including the models used in the study and treatment of psychopathology. This course also introduces the student to assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders classification system. This course is a prerequisite for CNSL 6326, Psychological Assessment. Students must pass this course with a grade of "B" or higher before they can be admitted to candidacy. This course may be retaken only once.

This course introduces students to the theories used in the counseling profession and to the historical, current, and future trends in the practice of counseling. The counselor as a person and professional is explored. Students will engage in an in-depth study of the major concepts and practices of the contemporary therapeutic systems. Students must pass this course with a grade of "B" or higher before they can be admitted to candidacy. This course may be retaken only once. Lab fee.

The theory, ethical considerations, and practice of general diagnostic procedures are discussed. Students will learn the concepts of quantified assessment including statistical methods used in test development. In addition to learning to use the clinical interview, mental status exam, and biopsychosocial history as means of client assessment, students will also learn to use assessment instruments for appraisal of intelligence, achievement, personality, and addictions. Students will administer, score, and interpret a psychological battery of tests and complete a comprehensive assessment report. Prerequisites: CNSL 6308, CNSL 6315, CNSL 6320. Lab fee.

This course will integrate the student’s professional knowledge and skills basic to clinical mental health counseling and practice. Students will explore a wide variety of topics within the field to include: the role, functions, and settings of clinical mental health counselors; administration and management of mental health programs and services; strategies for supporting client education and advocacy; and knowledge of public mental health and government policies. Prerequisites: CNSL 6308, CNSL 6315, CNSL 6316, and CNSL6320.

This course is designed to be an in-depth study of specific theoretical interventions, to introduce the student to appropriate professional behavior in the clinical setting and to provide practice experience in skills needed in the clinical counseling environment, such as assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and record-keeping.

This course is the first of three clinical instruction courses offering supervised clinical practice in counseling skills, behaviors, professional orientation/disposition, and assessment. Primary emphasis is on performing counseling and related activities in a specified agency, church, or community clinical mental health setting. Practicum students are required to work as counseling interns at the UMHB Community Life Center, the counselor training facility for the Graduate Counseling Program (and/or at a faculty –approved off campus site). A total of 100 clock hours are required. Of these 100 hours, 40 must be direct counseling experience with the remaining 60 hours in assessment, report writing, case consultation, peer-supervision, client staffing and educational enhancement activities such as session tape reviews and book reviews related to specific disorders, theories, and/or issues. Prerequisites: CNSL 6308, CNSL 6312, CNSL 6315, CNSL 6320, CNSL 6326, CNSL 6351, CNSL 6370, and CNSL 6394. Lab fee is required.

This course is the first half of the two-semester clinical internship course which offers supervised clinical practice in counseling skills, behaviors, professional orientation/dispositions, and assessment. Internship provides the graduate student with practical experiences that are an integral part of the helping profession. Students will work as interns at the UMHB Community Life Center and at a faculty-approved off-campus site of their choice. Interns will complete 300 clock hours of supervised internship, 120 of which are direct service (counseling) and 180 of which are indirect service. They will receive a minimum of one hour per week of individual or triadic supervision by the off-site supervisor, a minimum of one hour per week of individual or triadic supervision by the faculty supervisor, and will attend one and a half hours per week of group supervision provided by the faculty supervisor. Students who do not completed at least 80% or 240 hours of the clinical hours required in this course by the published deadline for this course must enroll in CNSL 6399 concurrently with CNSL 6398 to complete these hours. Approval is needed the semester prior to registering for this course. Prerequisite: CNSL 6395. Lab fee is required.

This course is the second half of the two-semester clinical internship course which offers supervised clinical practice in counseling skills, behaviors, professional orientation/dispositions, and assessment. Internship provides the graduate student with practical experiences that are an integral part of the helping profession. Students will work as interns at the UMHB Community Life Center and at a faculty approved off-campus site of their choice. Interns will complete 300 clock hours of supervised internship, 120 of which are direct service (counseling) and 180 of which are indirect service. They will receive a minimum of one hour per week of individual or triadic supervision by the off-site supervisor, a minimum of one hour per week of individual or triadic supervision by the faculty supervisor, and will attend one and a half hours per week of group supervision provided by the faculty supervisor. Students who do not completed at least 80% or 240 hours of the clinical hours required in this course by the published deadline for this course must enroll in CNSL 6399 to complete these hours. Approval is needed the semester prior to registering for this course. Lab fee is required.