COUN 6000 Foundations for Graduate Study in Mental Health Counseling (6 cr.)
This course introduces students to Walden University and to the requirements for successful participation in an online curriculum. It provides a foundation for academic and professional success as a scholar-practitioner and social change agent. Course assignments focus on practical application of writing and critical-thinking skills and promote professional and academic excellence as they relate to practice in psychology and counseling.

 

COUN 6100 Introduction to Mental Health Counseling (5 cr.)
This course introduces students to the mental health counseling profession. The history, philosophy, and theoretical foundations of the profession; orientation of the profession; scope of practice; credentialing; and other professional issues are explored. Focusing on student as a future mental health counselor, the course provides and overview of the mental health counseling program and the competencies of the profession.

 

COUN 6205 History and Systems of Counseling and Psychology (5 cr.)
This course focuses on the historical and philosophical roots of psychology and counseling. Topics include structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism, psychoanalysis, gestalt, and existentialism, as well as contemporary perspectives including evolutionary psychology, positive psychology, postmodernism, and feminist psychology. Themes of diversity and multiculturalism in psychology and counseling are highlighted within each of the perspectives.

 

COUN 6215 Lifespan Development (5 cr.)
This course provides students with an overview of development through the lifespan, including childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and aging experiences. Physical, social, emotional, and cognitive issues are covered, as well as the expected developmental milestones during each of these phases of development. The latest research in attachment theory, brain research, and aging is included, and themes of diversity issues related to developmental research are highlighted throughout the course.

 

COUN 6220 Psychology of Personality (5 cr.)
This course introduces students to the major theories of personality and personality assessment approaches. Research that supports various theories is presented. Basic concepts and principles of the various schools of thought are discussed. Major topics include psychoanalytic, biological, behaviorist, learning, social-cognitive, trait and skill, humanistic, and existential aspects of personality, as well as individual, cultural, and gender differences in personality. Themes of diversity are highlighted throughout the course.

 

COUN 6250 Group Process and Dynamics (5 cr.)
This course prepares students to work with groups in various settings. It examines group theory, process, and dynamics. Using relevant literature, multimedia resources, and scholar-practitioner model, students develop an understanding of culturally and contextually relevant group practice, group leaders’ roles and responsibilities, the relevance and purpose of group work, and strategies for using groups to foster social change.

 

COUN 6305 Statistics 1 (5 cr.)
This course provides students with a thorough analysis of basic descriptive and inferential statistical methods commonly used in the social sciences and the skills with which to write, analyze, and critique social science research. Methods include computation and analysis of frequency distributions, measures of central tendency, and statistical hypothesis testing. Statistical tests (and underlying assumptions) include z-score, single-sample, independent-samples and related-samples t tests, analysis of variance, correlation, regression, and chi-square tests. This course includes an introduction to and use of the software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).

 

COUN 6310 Research Design (5 cr.)
This course provides students with a foundation in the design of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method approaches to psychological research. Students learn the strengths and limitations of each method and under what circumstances each approach would be the most appropriate research design. Students learn how to identify a topic for research, how to conduct a literature search, and the importance of scholarly writing. Students learn to write a research proposal, addressing the following key elements: researching, writing an introduction, stating a purpose for the study, identifying research questions and hypotheses, using theory, defining the significance of the study, and collecting and analyzing data. Students are exposed to legal and ethical issues associated with human subjects’ protection. (Prerequisite: COUN 6305.)

 

COUN 6314 Program Evaluation (5 cr.)
This course introduces students to evaluation research. Topics include the history and theory underlying program evaluation, approaches to evaluation, procedures and techniques for entering a group for which one would provide evaluation services, selecting appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative models and techniques used to perform the evaluation, strategies for getting gatekeepers to be invested in the development of the research and in the outcomes, demonstration of program effectives, and dissemination of results to stakeholders. (Prerequisites: COUN 6305, 6310.)

 

COUN 6315 Tests and Measurement (5 cr.)
This course provides students with an overview of the different types of tests used in clinical, educational, and organizational settings. It includes a comprehensive examination of psychometric properties used to develop and evaluate these instruments. Topics include normative sampling and standardization, reliability and validity, test score interpretation, and test development. The course also addresses ethical, legal, and sociocultural issues including cultural bias and fairness. Professional standards for testing provide a foundation for the course. (Prerequisite: COUN 6305.)

 

COUN 6331 Interviewing and Observational Strategies (5 cr.)
This course focuses on principles and skills related to interviewing and observation, as well as related legal, ethical, and cultural issues. Students gain practice in conducting interviews, making behavioral observations, collecting and interpreting data during an interview, and developing written reports of findings. Note: In addition to the course materials listed by the university bookstore, this course also requires that students have access to a video recording device, a tripod, and an audio recording device, which they will begin using the first week of class.

 

COUN 6390 Thesis (12 cr. minimum — 6 cr. per term for 2 terms)
This course provides students with the support and resources needed to integrate their Program of Study logically and comprehensively into an in-depth exploration of a topic of research interest. The thesis, either a critical literature review with a proposed research design or an empirical study, is the final outcome of the course. Students complete the thesis independently under the mentorship of a thesis chair. Students are registered for COUN 6390 until successful completion of the thesis. (Prerequisites: PSYC 6305, 6310, 6315, and an additional three courses.)

 

COUN 6671 Counseling Practicum (3 cr.)
The focus of this course is on the practicum, which is an essential component of applied professional training. Students complete supervised practicum experiences that total a minimum of 100 hours, allowing them to develop their counseling skills while under supervision. Students communicate with the class and the practicum instructor at least twice a week during the quarter to discuss cases and present videos of student-client sessions. (Prerequisite: Approval of the coordinator of field training.)

 

COUN 6682 Counseling Internship (6 cr. — 3 cr. per term for 2 terms)
The internship provides mental health counseling students with an upper-level, supervised “capstone” clinical experience designed to refine and enhance their basic counseling skills, integrate their professional knowledge and skills, and continue their development in specialization areas. (Prerequisite: COUN 6671 and approval of the coordinator of field training.)

 

COUN 6700 Psychology and Social Change (5 cr.)
This course focuses on the theories of social and personal change. Topics include power and social inequalities, ethnic inequalities, global environment and social change, issues related to gender and sexism, and homophobia. In addition, students are presented with impact of social change theories on children, families, and societies. The concepts of change agent and change advocate are explored as well as the role of the psychologist as change agent.

 

COUN 6705 Professional Identity and Ethics in Counseling (5 cr.)
This course provides students with an introduction to the field of professional counseling and the foundations of mental health counseling. The course addresses the following topics: history, philosophy, client and counselor advocacy with an emphasis on the counselor’s role as social change agent, cultural dynamics, consultation, and trends in professional and mental health counseling. The counseling profession’s ethical standards are also addressed with an emphasis on the ACA code of ethics and counselor ethical decision-making processes.

 

COUN 6712 Clinical Child Neuropsychology (5 cr.)
This course introduces students to clinical child neuropsychology. Topics include the scientific, theoretical, and applied foundations of brain-behavior relations in children with neurological, learning, and/or behavioral disorders. The focus of the course is on a multidimensional, ecological, and sociopsychological perspective relative to prevention, diversity, identification, and intervention with children.

 

COUN 6720 Diagnosis and Assessment (5 cr.)
This course is an overview of what is commonly referred to as abnormal psychology; however, what constitutes normalcy is considered from multiple perspectives. Students explore the application of diagnostic criteria in various mental health work settings, such as schools, rehabilitation facilities, community agencies, and private practices. Environmental and biological factors contributing to behavioral disorders are considered using the scholar-practitioner model. Techniques are reviewed for the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive, emotional, and developmental disorders, as well as for psychophysiological and psychosocial problems. Multicultural factors that complicate diagnosis are reviewed.

 

COUN 6722 Counseling and Psychotherapy Theories (5 cr.)
This course summarizes the history and explores the primary concepts of the major approaches to counseling and psychotherapy in current use. The empirical foundations of each theory are examined, and examples are supplied showing how each method is applied to clients. Limitations of each approach are also explored.

 

COUN 6723 Multicultural Counseling (5 cr.)
This course is designed to increase students’ awareness and knowledge of, and skills related to, multicultural counseling and the delivery of psychological services. Students explore diversity and identity issues and discuss their impact on the therapeutic relationship. The application of traditional theoretical orientations and current multicultural theories to culturally diverse groups is addressed. Topics include race and ethnicity, sex and gender, sexual orientation, social class, and age and ability. (Prerequisite: Mental Health Counseling Residency I.)

 

COUN 6724 Child Psychotherapy (5 cr.)
This course explores the psychological treatment of children from an array of theories and techniques, including play therapy. Issues of playroom organization, intake interviews, psychological assessment, and intervention are addressed. Typical play behaviors of children at various levels of development, cross-cultural aspects of play, and their meanings are explored. Treatment, evaluation, cultural sensitivity, and ethical practice with children are also presented.

 

COUN 6726 Couples and Family Therapy (5 cr.)
This course introduces students to theoretical perspectives and techniques, classical schools of thought, and recent developments in couples and family therapy. Culture, gender, and ethnicity factors in family development are explored. Theoretical frameworks in couples and family therapy, including psychosocial, psychodynamic, transgenerational, strategic, cognitive-behavioral, and social constructionist models, are reviewed and compared. The roles of culture, spirituality, and values in understanding families are explored.

 

COUN 6727 Religion and Spirituality in Counseling and Therapy (5 cr.)
This course provides an introduction to significant religious and spiritual movements, the interactions and divergences between religion and spirituality, and how these issues can emerge in counseling or therapy. Topics explored include values, assessment of religious manifestations, relations with clergy/spiritual leaders, use of bibliographic materials, ways to deal with religious/spiritual materials and themes presented by clients, cultural considerations that may intersect with religion and spirituality especially in relation to race, ethnicity, and nationality; sex and gender roles; sexual orientation; and treatment techniques.

 

COUN 6728 Substance Abuse Therapies (5 cr.)
This course examines psychological aspects of addictions involving alcohol, prescription medications, and illegal substances. Current research in the field of dependency and addiction is explored. Topics include diagnosis, models of treatment, treatment planning, use of group and family treatment plans, and efficacy of treatment. Strategies to promote change, including the transtheoretical model of behavior change, are discussed.

 

COUN 6745 Health Psychology (5 cr.)
This course reviews the field of health psychology with a focus on the biopsychosocial model; behavioral and biomedical theories are also discussed. Topics include the effect of psychological (personality), behavioral (health behaviors and coping), and social factors (stress and physician-patient relationships) on physical health and wellness. The course specifically addresses cardiovascular and immune health with a discussion of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and HIV/AIDS. 

 

COUN 6753 Vocational Psychology and Counseling (5 cr.)
This course examines major career development theories, assumptions, and implications for practice. Career information programs and systems in terms of their application to personnel assessment, counseling, development, and placement are reviewed. Focus is placed on the implications of individual differences in cultural, gender, and age-related issues. Students obtain a theoretical and practical basis for supporting individuals in vocation selection and career development.

 

COUN 6784 Psychological Consultation (5 cr.)
This course examines the history, theory, process, and methods in the field of psychological consultation. It reviews the qualifications and techniques required by the psychologist to consult in a variety of settings, including the courtroom, business and industry, and educational, mental health, and medical settings.

 

COUN 6785 Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation (5 cr.)
This course is designed to prepare students for their roles as counselors in prevention, intervention, and consultation endeavors with specific populations in specific settings. Using an action research model, students will prepare a blueprint for a prevention, intervention, or consultation project for a community, agency, or organization.

 

COUN 6800 Capstone (5 cr.)
The course is the culminating experience for the Mental Health Counseling program. Students are given the opportunity to reflect on the program and their individual progress. The focus of the capstone proposal, which allows students the opportunity to contextualize their learning to a clinical area of interest, is a practical prevention, intervention, or consultation project grounded in scholarship and social change. Capstone proposals evaluate ethical and multicultural issues. Students present their capstone proposal to a group of peers and write a professional report summarizing the proposal. 

 

COUN 6815 Contemporary Gerontology/Geriatric Psychology (5 cr.)
This course provides a multidisciplinary approach to the study of aging in contemporary societies. Biological, psychological, social, and societal contexts of aging are examined. Topics include historical and cross-cultural perspectives on aging, social theories of aging, managing chronic diseases, cognitive changes associated with aging, mental health issues, sexuality, and social interactions.

 

COUN 6820 Successful Practice Management (5 cr.)
This course examines management principles and practices for applied and consulting psychologists. Topics include client goal setting; systematic intake procedures; developing treatment/intervention plans; treatment coordination and progress assessment; scheduling and billing; practice demographics; risk management; staying current with research, legal, and ethical issues; and staff supervision.

 

COUN 6830 Psychology of Sexuality (5 cr.)
This course provides an exploration of sexuality from a variety of perspectives, including historical, psychological, sociological, anthropological, biological, public health, and media and cultural studies. Traditional understandings of sexuality (including male and female sexual anatomy, physiology, and response; variations across the life span; sexual communication; love and interpersonal attraction; and sexual “disorders”) are examined using a variety of theoretical perspectives, including essentialist and constructivist notions of sex, sexuality, and sexual identity.

 

COUN 8720 Diagnosis and Assessment (5 cr.)
This course is an overview of what is commonly referred to as abnormal psychology; however, what constitutes normalcy is considered from multiple perspectives. Students explore the application of diagnostic criteria in various mental health work settings, such as schools, rehabilitation facilities, community agencies, and private practices. Environmental and biological factors contributing to behavioral disorders are considered using the scholar-practitioner model. Techniques are reviewed for the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive, emotional, and developmental disorders, as well as for psychophysiological and psychosocial problems. Multicultural factors that complicate diagnosis are reviewed.

 

COUN 8722 Counseling and Psychotherapy Theories (5 cr.)
This course summarizes the history and explores the primary concepts of the major approaches to counseling and psychotherapy in current use. The empirical foundations of each theory are examined, and examples are supplied showing how each method is applied to clients. Limitations of each approach are also explored.

 

COUN 8723 Multicultural Counseling (5 cr.)
This course is designed to increase students’ awareness and knowledge of, and skills related to, multicultural counseling and the delivery of psychological services. Students explore diversity and identity issues and discuss their impact on the therapeutic relationship. The application of traditional theoretical orientations and current multicultural theories to culturally diverse groups is addressed. Topics include race and ethnicity, sex and gender, sexual orientation, social class, and age and ability. (Prerequisite: Mental Health Counseling Residency I.)

 

COUN 8726 Couples and Family Therapy (5 cr.)
This course introduces students to theoretical perspectives and techniques, classical schools of thought, and recent developments in couples and family therapy. Culture, gender, and ethnicity factors in family development are explored. Theoretical frameworks in couples and family therapy, including psychosocial, psychodynamic, transgenerational, strategic, cognitive-behavioral, and social constructionist models, are reviewed and compared. The roles of culture, spirituality, and values in understanding families are explored.

 

COUN 8728 Substance Abuse Therapies (5 cr.)
This course examines psychological aspects of addictions involving alcohol, prescription medications, and illegal substances. Current research in the field of dependency and addiction is explored. Topics include diagnosis, models of treatment, treatment planning, use of group and family treatment plans, and efficacy of treatment. Strategies to promote change, including the transtheoretical model of behavior change, are discussed.

 

COUN 8753 Vocational Psychology and Counseling (5 cr.)
This course examines major career development theories, assumptions, and implications for practice. Career information programs and systems in terms of their application to personnel assessment, counseling, development, and placement are reviewed. Focus is placed on the implications of individual differences in cultural, gender, and age-related issues. Students obtain a theoretical and practical basis for supporting individuals in vocation selection and career development.

 

COUN 8785 Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation (5 cr.)
This course is designed to prepare students for their roles as counselors in prevention, intervention, and consultation endeavors with specific populations in specific settings. Using an action research model, students will prepare a blueprint for a prevention, intervention, or consultation project for a community, agency, or organization.