Forensic Psychology (MA) Program

Course Descriptions

CS 520—Clinical Practicum Seminar- Helping Relationships I: Counseling Practice

Each semester, a clinical semester is offered to provide a setting to explore the relationship between experiences at the student’s clinical training site and the formal literature in counseling and mental health. Clinical Seminar I focuses on counseling skill development. There are a unique set of skills that characterize an effective counselor. These skills include the ability to create a trusting treatment alliance, solid listening skills, effective creation of appropriate boundaries and limits, awareness and competency in working with clients from diverse backgrounds, ability to create an empathic relationship, ability to clarify, reflect and interpret affective expression, cognitive schemas and behavioral and systemic patterns, and effective use of the many assessment and intervention tools available to the professional counselor. These skills must be grounded in a current knowledge of professional standards and ethics, knowledge of psychological theory, psychopathology, and effective intervention, the evidence based models, and models of change and growth. This course will be based in these knowledge foundations, but will be an applied course in which skill development, practice, rehearsal and growing competence will be fostered.

Updated 10/18/07