Students will expand their acquired theoretical foundation by exploring the influence of their family of origin and current family life. The student examines the theories of human sexuality including the physiological, psychological, and sociocultural variables associated with sexual identity, behavior, and disorders. The course emphasizes the stages of the helping relationship. Students practice basic attending and communications skills, including questioning, reflection of feeling and meaning, summarization, focusing, and self-disclosure. Students learn to help clients identify the problem that provides the focus for counseling.
Students practice skills in role-played situations staged in class.
The student examines the theory and methods of crisis intervention. Particular attention is given to the various contemporary techniques of intervention and resolution. Assessment techniques used in the intervention process are explored. This examination takes place in the wider context of deviance. This course focuses on the application of counseling theory to working with clients from special population groups, e.g., exceptional students, dropouts, minorities, women re-entering the labor force, and older persons.