APD1203Y
This course is intended to provide students with basic skills in clinical assessment and counselling interventions. Among others, issues related to the assessment of risk, history taking, clinical formulation, and the relationship between assessment and intervention will be addressed. Basic counselling interventions such as empathic responding, exploration of client's affect and cognitions, and problem solving will be explored. The course emphasizes the therapeutic relationship as well as the importance of ethical and legal issues in the provision of therapy. While the course presents didactic material, students have extensive opportunity to role play, and self-knowledge as well as issues related to boundary maintenance, power relationships in the provision of therapy and future self-development are also examined. This course involves sequenced skill training, with extensive counselling simulation and supervision of practice in a field setting. In addition to regular class meetings and time spent in group supervision with the instructor, M.Ed. students in Counselling are required to be in attendance one full day per week at their practicum settings. Some students may spend two full days in their practicum setting. MA students are required to be in attendance at least 2 full days per week at their practicum settings. All full- and part-time students must arrange their practica in consultation with the department's Coordinator of Internship and Counselling Services. Continuing students should plan to contact the Coordinator by March 15, and new students by May 15, in order to arrange the best match between student needs and field placement availability. The Counselling committee reserves the right to make any final decisions when questions arise concerning the placement of a student in a setting.