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Canyon College

COURSE SYLLABUS: THEORIES OF COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY I

Course Title:	Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy I
Department:	Social and Behavioral Sciences
Instructor:	Matthew D. Geyer, Psy.D. E-Mail -- Vita

REQUIRED TEXT: - Online Bookstore

Nystul, Michael (2003). Introduction to counseling: An art and science perspective. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. ISBN: 0205350941

Poorman, Paula B. (2003). Microskills and theoretical foundations for professional helpers. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. ISBN: 0205328156

Ethical Code for Psychologists. Available at www.apa.org

GOAL OF THIS CLASS:

Upon completion of this course, the student will have a basic understanding of the various major theories of counseling and psychotherapy practice. This goal will be demonstrated by successful completion of the mid-term and final examinations.

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION:

This course will use a variety of instructional techniques employed in a distance learning format. These will include, but are not limited to the following methods:

1. Prepared lectures by the instructor on topics related to the subject area.
2. Required text readings.
3. Use of message boards maintained by Canyon College.
4. Use of chat rooms maintained by Canyon College when scheduled.
5. Use of e-chalkboards maintained by Canyon College when scheduled.
6. Use of e-mail messages from students to the instructor and from the instructor to the student.

Instructional Format:

The student is required to read the lecture material and the required text readings before the mid-term and final examinations. Any questions that remain upon completing these tasks will be first addressed via e-mail by the instructor. If the student wishes to further discuss the matter, she/he will schedule a meeting time to meet the instructor in one of the virtual classrooms.

GRADES:

The student will be graded on the basis of their performance on the mid-term and final examinations. The examinations may be comprised of true-false questions, multiple choice questions, and short answer questions. Each examination will consist of 100 points thereby producing a possible 200 points for the class. The final examination will be comprehensive.

Based on this point system, the following grading scale will be utilized in order to assign a letter grade for the student’s performance at the conclusion of the class.

180 - 200 = A
160 - 179 = B
140 - 159 = C
120 - 139 = D
Below 119 = F

Due to this being a graduate course, no opportunities for extra credit exist. There will be no exceptions made to this rule.

Class Schedule:

Note that readings will be designated with a (P) for the Poorman text or (N) for the Nystul text.

Week One	Required Readings: Chapters 1 - 4 (P); Chapters 1-3 (N). Lecture One: Getting Started
Week Two	Required Readings: Chapters 5 - 6; 16 (P); Chapters 4-5 (N). Lecture Two: A Whole Bunch Of Stuff!
Week Three	Required Readings: Chapters 8, 9, 10, 11, 13 (P); Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9. Lecture Three/Four: Psychotheory
Week Four	Upon completion of lectures and readings up through and including week four, the student is to take the mid-term examination. Please contact the instructor via e-mail for permission.
Week Five	Required Readings: Chapters 12 (P); Chapters 10 and 11 (N). Lecture Five: Family Therapy and Therapy with Children
Week Six	Required Readings: Chapters 15 (P); Chapters 12 and 15 (N). Lecture Six: Group Therapy and Working in the Community
Week Seven	Required Readings: Chapter 13 and 6(N). Lecture Seven: Multicultural Issues
Week Eight	Required Reading: Chapter 14 (N). Lecture Eight: School Counseling Upon completion of lectures and readings up through and including week eight, the student is to take the final examination. Please contact the instructor via e-mail for permission.

How To Prepare for the Mid-Term and Final Examinations:

The mid-term and final examinations are not designed to be “tricky” or “difficult” for the student who has read the required text material and the lecture notes. Instead, these examinations are opportunities to demonstrate your knowledge. In the ideal world, you would be seated in a proctored examination room. However, you will be taking these examinations from your home. Due to the setting, you will be able to utilize your text and notes. I would expect that you do not let another person assist you with the examinations. I am presuming that you have the integrity not to allow another person to take, or assist with taking, your examinations. If you do allow another person to facilitate your performance on these examinations, I would suggest finding another profession.

Please note that not all of your required readings will have corresponding lectures. You are still required to read these chapters and the content of these chapters is testable.

If you have any questions about this syllabus, please contact me via e-mail.

Although many texts and resources were consulted for the creation of this class, the following texts were relied upon heavily:

Basco, M.R., and Rush, A.J. (1996). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Bipolar Disorder. The Guilford Press: New York.

Beck, A.T., Freeman, A., and Associates (1990). Cognitive Therapy of Personality Disorders. The Guilford Press: New York.

Brammer, L.M., Shostrom, E.L, and Abrego, P. J. (1989). Therapeutic Psychology: Fundamentals of Counseling and Psychotherapy (5th Edition). Prentice Hall: Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

Capuzzi, D. and Gross, D. R. (Eds) (1999). Counseling and Psychotherapy: Theories and Interventions (2nd Edition). Merrill-Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
ISBN: 013569955

Hoyt, M.F. (Editor) (1996). Constructive Therapies 2. The Guilford Press: New York.

Pollack, M.H., Otto, M.W., and Rosenbaum, J.F. (Editors) (1996). Challenges in Clinical Practice: Pharmacologic and Psychosocial Strategies. The Guilford Press: New York.

Although not feasible for this class, the student is encouraged to read or consult with these texts for a greater appreciation of the course material.

The instructor reserves the privilege to make any changes in this syllabus. If changes are made, the student will be notified at least 30 days in advance and will not be penalized for the changes.