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online Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy I course at Canyon College
COURSE SYLLABUS: Counseling and Psychotherapy Theory I
2006 Course Edition


Course Title: CS530 - Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy I
Department: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Instructor: Dr. Matthew D. Geyer E-Mail -- Vita

Course Objectives:

In this course, the learner will be exposed to eight major schools of personality theory which serve as the basis for understanding the counseling or psychotherapeutic relationship. Focus will be on the contributions of each theory to the understanding of the change process. The learner will be expected to complete CS530 with an understanding of the theories of personality and the basic change process. This course is designed to be part one of two. The second course, CS532, will further present information on the professional relationship.

Required Texts:

Friedman, H.S. & Schustack, M.W. (2006). Personality: Classic theories and modern research (3rd Ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. ISBN-13: 9780205439652   ISBN: 0205439659

American Psychological Association (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th Ed.). Washington, D.C.: Author. ISBN-13: 9781557987914   ISBN: 1557987912

American Psychological Association (2002). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct (10th Ed.). Available: http://www.apa.org/ethics/

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, student learners will be able to accomplish the following objectives: Assessment of Student Progress:

Each week, students will complete an online, objective examination of the course material. These examinations will consist of 20 multiple choice questions and will require the student to answer the questions at one time (the exam can not be taken during different times). These examinations will focus on application of the material and will require the student to have a basic working knowledge of the information. Students will receive feedback with the correct answers provided upon being reviewed by the professor. This process will result in the student receiving 20 points per module (week) for a total of 160 possible points in this course.

Midterm Grading Scale:

Upon completion of the week four examination or upon completion of week five of enrollment, students will have a mid-term grade submitted to the institution. The mid-term grades will be based on the following scale:

A = 80 – 72
B = 71 – 63
C = 62 – 54
D = 45 – 53

The purpose of the mid-term grade is to offer students an opportunity to evaluate their progress in the class. The mid-term grade does not in any way, shape, or form signal the student will receive any final grade.

Final Grading Scale:

Final Grades will be issued upon completion of all quizzes or after a 12 week period (unless other arrangements have been made in advance). The grades will be based on the following scale:

A = 160 – 144
B = 143 – 127
C = 110 – 126
D = 93 – 109
F = Less than 93 points

Final grades will be reported and entered into the grade book.

Extra Credit Points:

This is a graduate level course. No opportunities for extra credit will exist. Please do not ask.

Weekly Examinations:

Each week, student learners will complete an objective assessment of their learning. This objective assessment will be scheduled with the instructor in advance of taking the examination. Typically, students will be granted permission to take Four Exams during a given period. For instance, when a student requests access to the Week One Examination, she will be afforded access to weeks one through four. This way, the student learner has the opportunity to progress at their own pace through the mid-term point. The same process will be used for the final four weeks so the student will be able to progress to the final at her own pace.

When the student learner is ready to take the examination, he should send an e-mail requesting access to the instructor at least 72 hours before he is ready to take the examination. Upon receipt by the instructor, exam access will be requested from the school and the student will receive a confirmation he is able to access the specified examination.

When requesting exam access, the student learner will include the following information in the e-mail request:

Full Name of Student
Course Number and Name (e.g. CS530 – Counseling and Psychotherapy I)
Student Identification Number (e.g. "stu3200")

If this information is not submitted, the student may not have the request processed due to lack of sufficient information.

Once completed, a copy of the examination will be sent to the instructor as well as the student with the correct answers indicated. If a student wishes to question an answer provided, he must do so within 72 hours of receiving the feedback on the examination. Please note to content an answer the student will be required to submit documentation from the text indicating precisely where the new information was found. It is not incumbent on the instructor to “prove” an answer; rather, it is required the student learner prove the answer.

E-Mail Communications

The instructor will reply to any e-mails received and use the e-mail which is indicated in the “from” line of the e-mail. Please note the student learner is required to include their name and course in all of their correspondence with the instructor since names typically are not included in e-mail addresses. If the student learner uses an e-mail which is not their assigned Canyon e-mail, the instructor can not release the grades. The instructor will only release grades to the designated Canyon e-mail to ensure confidentiality.

In the rare instance the student learner is unable to access their Canyon College account, the school must be notified. The school may then re-assign the student learner’s e-mail to another account. This will be the rare exception.

Please note the instructor will occasionally send out e-mail messages to all students in a given class. This e-mail will be sent out to the official Canyon College e-mail address which is on file for the student learner. Due to high volume of students, the instructor can not ensure all personal e-mail address preferences are maintained (e.g. a student learner wants e-mail sent to her yahoo account).

Please note the instructor will respond to all e-mails within a 72 hour period. If the student learner does not hear from the instructor within 72 hours, please re-submit the e-mail to the instructor. Sometimes, e-mail is lost.

Course Schedule:

This course is intended to be completed in eight (8) to ten (10) weeks. The following guide is useful in determining what the student-learner should be accomplishing at each week after registration and book receipt. If the student-learner experiences difficulties in maintaining this schedule, the student-learner should contact the instructor via e-mail as soon as possible to discuss options.

Week One: Welcome to the Class, Ethics Overview & Writing Like a Professional

Text Reading: Friedman and Schustack – None; APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct – Entire Document; APA Publication Manual – XIX – XXVIII, Chapter 1 & 2; Turnitin.com Website Review for Plagiarism

Assessment: You are to complete Quiz One over your readings and the first lecture.

Week Two: An Introduction to Personality Theory and Assessment

Text Reading: Friedman and Schustack – Chapters 1 and 2

Companion Website: Review the Friedman and Schustack Companion Website for the chapters assigned this week. It is recommend the student learner specifically review the sample exam questions and practice using this system before attempting the weekly examination. While the questions will not be taken from this site, the questions will be similar in content and structure and should provide the student learner with a beneficial practice experience. The additional websites offered in the Companion website will deepen the overall understanding of the course material and will assist in preparing for the weekly examination. However, please note the weekly examination does not contain questions taken from the website. All questions on the examination are taken from the Friedman and Schustack text, unless otherwise noted in the weekly lecture.

Assessment: You are to complete Examination Two over your readings and the second lecture.

Week Three: Psychoanalytic Aspects of Personality & Neo-Analytic Theories

Text Reading: Friedman and Schustack – Chapters 3 and 4

Companion Website: Review the Friedman and Schustack Companion Website for the chapters assigned this week. It is recommend the student learner specifically review the sample exam questions and practice using this system before attempting the weekly examination. While the questions will not be taken from this site, the questions will be similar in content and structure and should provide the student learner with a beneficial practice experience. The additional websites offered in the Companion website will deepen the overall understanding of the course material and will assist in preparing for the weekly examination. However, please note the weekly examination does not contain questions taken from the website. All questions on the examination are taken from the Friedman and Schustack text, unless otherwise noted in the weekly lecture.

Assessment: You are to complete Examination Three over your readings and the third lecture.

Week Four: Biological, Trait, and Skill Aspects of Personality

Text Reading: Friedman and Schustack – Chapters 5 and 8

Companion Website: Review the Friedman and Schustack Companion Website for the chapters assigned this week. It is recommend the student learner specifically review the sample exam questions and practice using this system before attempting the weekly examination. While the questions will not be taken from this site, the questions will be similar in content and structure and should provide the student learner with a beneficial practice experience. The additional websites offered in the Companion website will deepen the overall understanding of the course material and will assist in preparing for the weekly examination. However, please note the weekly examination does not contain questions taken from the website. All questions on the examination are taken from the Friedman and Schustack text, unless otherwise noted in the weekly lecture.

Assessment: You are to complete Examination Four over your readings and the fourth lecture. Additionally, you should review your progress to this point and evaluate your mid-term achievement.

Week Five: Behaviorist, Learning Aspects, Cognitive, and Social-Cognitive Aspects of Personality

Text Reading: Friedman and Schustack – Chapters 6 and 7

Companion Website: Review the Friedman and Schustack Companion Website for the chapters assigned this week. It is recommend the student learner specifically review the sample exam questions and practice using this system before attempting the weekly examination. While the questions will not be taken from this site, the questions will be similar in content and structure and should provide the student learner with a beneficial practice experience. The additional websites offered in the Companion website will deepen the overall understanding of the course material and will assist in preparing for the weekly examination. However, please note the weekly examination does not contain questions taken from the website. All questions on the examination are taken from the Friedman and Schustack text, unless otherwise noted in the weekly lecture.

Assessment: You are to complete Examination Five over your readings and the fifth lecture.

Week Six: Humanistic, Existential, and Person-Situation Interactionist Aspects of Personality

Text Reading: Friedman and Schustack – Chapters 9 and 10

Companion Website: Review the Friedman and Schustack Companion Website for the chapters assigned this week. It is recommend the student learner specifically review the sample exam questions and practice using this system before attempting the weekly examination. While the questions will not be taken from this site, the questions will be similar in content and structure and should provide the student learner with a beneficial practice experience. The additional websites offered in the Companion website will deepen the overall understanding of the course material and will assist in preparing for the weekly examination. However, please note the weekly examination does not contain questions taken from the website. All questions on the examination are taken from the Friedman and Schustack text, unless otherwise noted in the weekly lecture.

Assessment: You are to complete Examination Six over your readings and the sixth lecture.

Week Seven: Male-Female Differences & Culture-Ethnicity

Text Reading: Friedman and Schustack – Chapters 11 and 13

Companion Website: Review the Friedman and Schustack Companion Website for the chapters assigned this week. It is recommend the student learner specifically review the sample exam questions and practice using this system before attempting the weekly examination. While the questions will not be taken from this site, the questions will be similar in content and structure and should provide the student learner with a beneficial practice experience. The additional websites offered in the Companion website will deepen the overall understanding of the course material and will assist in preparing for the weekly examination. However, please note the weekly examination does not contain questions taken from the website. All questions on the examination are taken from the Friedman and Schustack text, unless otherwise noted in the weekly lecture.

Assessment: You are to complete Examination Seven over your readings and the seventh lecture.

Week Eight: Stress, Adjustment, and Health Differences; Love and Hate

Text Reading: Friedman and Schustack – Chapters 12 and 14

Companion Website: Review the Friedman and Schustack Companion Website for the chapters assigned this week. It is recommend the student learner specifically review the sample exam questions and practice using this system before attempting the weekly examination. While the questions will not be taken from this site, the questions will be similar in content and structure and should provide the student learner with a beneficial practice experience. The additional websites offered in the Companion website will deepen the overall understanding of the course material and will assist in preparing for the weekly examination. However, please note the weekly examination does not contain questions taken from the website. All questions on the examination are taken from the Friedman and Schustack text, unless otherwise noted in the weekly lecture.

Assessment: You are to complete Examination Eight over your readings and the eighth lecture.

Policy On Extensions:

If it becomes necessary to request a time extension to complete this course, the student-learner will be required to submit a request to the instructor indicating the nature of the problems which are preventing the course from being completed in a timely manner. In order to request an extension, the student must have competed the first four weeks within a four to six week period. Furthermore, the student will be expected to offer a schedule which will demonstrate their ability to complete this course within a specified period of time. Please note extensions will not be provided unless extenuating circumstances are preventing the timely completion. Grades of “I” or “Incomplete” will not be offered in this course.

Syllabus Copy: August 2006