Curriculum and Requirements

Counseling Psychology (MS, M.F.T.)The Department of Counseling Psychology at Dominican offers professional training leading to the degree of Master of Science (M.S.) in Counseling Psychology. Those wishing to apply for licensure as Marriage and Family Therapists are required to take the specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy.

Student Learning Outcomes

The student will demonstrate:

1. An ability to effectively apply theory and techniques of counseling, consultation and psychotherapy as assessed by performance in counseling and consultation techniques courses, completing the General Master's Proficiency Project (GMPP) or the Comprehensive Clinical Proficiency Review (CCPR), and passing the exams for licensure at a significantly higher rate than the state average.
2. An understanding of career paths and opportunities in counseling and consultation as measured by alumni responses to the alumni survey and the On-Site Supervisor's Field Placement Evaluation Form.
   
3. Technological literacy by the use of computers in helping to select field placements, in gathering information for writing their assignments and in learning of possible applications of technology to the field of counseling, as measured by performance in individual courses and the Comprehensive Clinical Proficiency Review (CCPR) case study or the General Master's Proficiency Project (GMPP).
   
4. Effectiveness and clarity in both written and verbal communication as measured by classroom performance, the CCPR Reviewer's Rating Scale and the students' On-Site Supervisor's Field Placement Evaluation Form or the General Master's Proficiency Project (GMPP).
   
5. An understanding of human diversity issues in counseling and being able to apply congruent interventions with their clients as measured by performance in the course CP 5219: Human Diversity, the CCPR Reviewer's Rating Scale, and the On-Site Supervisor's Field Placement Evaluation Form or the General Master's Proficiency Project (GMPP).
   
6. An understanding and ability to apply current law and professional ethics and values to specific client situations as measured by performance in the courses CP 5294: Fieldwork in Counseling Seminar, and CP 5217: Professional Ethics and Law, the CCPR Reviewer's Rating Scale, and the On-Site Supervisor's Field Placement Evaluation Form.

Curriculum

The Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology may require up to 60 semester units, depending upon a student's current level of professional and academic competence and chosen specialization. Six of these units may be transferred from another institution with the approval of the Chair of the Department of Counseling Psychology. All classes are limited to a maximum of 20 students, depending upon course content. Fieldwork seminars are limited to a maximum of eight students. Students who have not already taken an undergraduate course in Theories of Personality must take this course prior to the completion of their first year in the program before advancing to candidacy. Phases of Human Development (CP 5231) is a prerequisite for Advanced Counseling Techniques: Psychodynamic (CP 5207). It is recommended that students take these prerequisites early in the program. The core courses offered by the Department of Counseling Psychology at Dominican and the additional courses for the area of specialization are as follows:

Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology Requirements

CP 5200 Introduction to Counseling: Client-Centered and Crisis Intervention Techniques  - 3

CP 5203 Advanced Counseling Techniques: Behavioral and Cognitive Behavioral - 3

CP 5204 Advanced Counseling Techniques: Groups - 3

CP 5205 Advanced Counseling Techniques: Assessment and Treatment of Children - 3

CP 5207* Advanced Counseling Techniques: Psychodynamic - 3

CP 5208 Advanced Counseling Techniques: Brief and Strategic Therapies  - 3

CP 5214 Domestic Violence  - 1

CP 5215 Child Abuse: Assessment, Reporting, and Treatment - 1

CP 5216 Alcohol and Substance Abuse  - 2

CP 5217 Professional Ethics and Law - 2

CP 5219 Human Diversity  - 2

CP 5221 Psychological Assessment  - 3

CP 5222 Research in Human Systems and Treatment Outcome - 2

CP 5225 Alternative and Innovative Psychotherapies - 2

CP 5231 Phases of Human Development  - 3

CP 5237 Psychopathology and Treatment Planning  - 3

CP 5294 Fieldwork in Counseling (2 semesters)  - 6

Total for Master of Science: 45 units

*Prerequisite: Phases of Human Development, or consent of instructor

Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology with a Specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy

Courses listed previously for Master of Science Degree 45

CP 5224 Psychopharmacology - 3

CP 5244 Advanced Counseling Techniques: Couple and Family Therapy  - 3

CP 5245 Advanced Counseling Techniques: Clinical Aspects of Human Sexuality  - 3

CP 5294 Fieldwork in Counseling (2 semesters in addition to 6 for the Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology)

Total for Masters of Science with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy
60 units
 

Declaration of Specialization and Advancement to Candidacy

After proof of completion of the undergraduate Theories of Personality requirement and during the semester in which students will complete 24 units, nine units of which must be either in counseling techniques courses CP 5200, 5203, 5204, 5205, 5207, or 5208, two of which must be in CP 5217 Ethics & Law, and at least three units must be in CP 5294: Fieldwork in Counseling Seminar, students are eligible to become candidates and may submit an Application for Candidacy and Specialization Form in either the General Master's or MFT Specialization.

The progress of all students in the Department of Counseling Psychology is continually evaluated by department faculty in terms of students' demonstrated academic ability and potential for clinical competency and ability to provide counseling services for others.

Fieldwork Experience

General Masters' students work in a variety of approved fieldwork settings.  Both the fieldwork site and the fieldwork supervisor must be approved by the Director of Fieldwork Placement before a site is eligible for approval. 

A minimum of 500 hours of fieldwork is an integral part of the Counseling Psychology program. Students work in governmental agencies, schools, colleges or universities, non-profit and charitable corporations, or licensed health facilities. 

Licensed professionals closely supervise all students during their fieldwork placements. In addition, faculty members serve as fieldwork consultants teaching Fieldwork in Counseling Seminars, which are limited to a maximum of eight students.

Counseling Psychology Course Descriptions:

CP 5200 Introduction to Counseling: Client-Centered and Crisis Intervention Techniques (3 units) Study of client-centered and crisis intervention theory; skill practice in client-centered and crisis counseling techniques applied to children, adolescents, adults, seniors, couples and families; the study of styles of verbal and nonverbal human communication, information processing theory, and an introduction to the field of counseling and selected counseling approaches.

5203 Advanced Counseling Techniques: Behavioral and Cognitive Behavioral (3 units) Theory and skill practice in brief and long-term respondent, operant, modeling and cognitive behavioral counseling and consultation techniques with children, adolescents, adults, seniors, couples and families. Students study theory and develop a case study including assessment, and "problem" identification, behavioral analysis, treatment goals, application of behavioral counseling techniques, and identification of professional and ethical issues related to the utilization of such techniques.

5204 Advanced Counseling Techniques: Groups (3 units) Theoretical and practical approaches to working with groups. Topics include: setting goals and objectives, group observation and assessment skills, leadership styles, process techniques, developmental stages, and termination.

5205 Advanced Counseling Techniques: Assessment and Treatment of Children (3 units) Evaluation of children using play therapy, art therapy and sand play modalities, including children's drawings and sandtray. Attention to referral questions and working with parents and schools. Theoretical orientations, including brief and long-term, psychodynamic, Jungian, Gestalt, phenomenological and behavioral.

5207 Advanced Counseling Techniques: Psychodynamic (3 units) Recent developments in psychodynamic theory and technique, including object relations, self-psychology, control-mastery, intersubjective and Masterson theories. Students develop the ability to think psychodynamically, work with transference and to utilize relevant, supportive, shorter and long-term techniques with adolescents, adults and seniors by integrating theory, self-understanding and case examples from clinical practice.

5208 Advanced Counseling Techniques: Brief and Strategic Therapies (3 units) Presentation and practice of Brief and Strategic Psychotherapy models for use within a managed care organization, community, or clinical settings, applied to individuals, couples, families, groups, and Managed Care Organizations.

5215 Child Abuse: Assessment Reporting and Treatment (1 unit) Identification, assessment, reporting and initial treatment of physical, emotional, sexual abuse and neglect. Course also includes an interview role-play and speakers from Parents United. Course meets requirement for Child Abuse Assessment and Reporting #AB 141.

5216 Alcohol and Substance Abuse (2 units) Theoretical and practical approaches to the treatment of drug and alcohol problems including: detection and diagnosis, coordinating treatment with health and social services, early intervention with the client and family, residential and outpatient programs, motivational interviewing, A.A., and family issues.

5217 Professional Ethics and Law (2 units) Review and analysis of statutory and regulatory law relating to the practice of psychotherapy. Includes the psychotherapist-patient privilege of confidentiality, the exceptions to confidentiality including the duty to report; family law, child therapy, and spousal/partner/elder abuse. Assessment, detection, and intervention. A variety of ethical issues and ethical dilemmas are examined by using hypothetical situations, the study of contemporary professional ethics and recent court cases.

5219 Human Diversity (2 units) Culturally sensitive inquiry into the relationship between culture, belief systems and behavior. Development of skills for delivery of culturally congruent counseling services to different ethnic groups and special populations including: African-American, Asian-American, Latin-American, Native-American, and special populations including the elderly, physically disadvantaged, and sexual minorities. Presentations by cross-cultural counselors regarding recent cultural shifts, research and developments in working with various cultures.

5221 Psychological Assessment (3 units) Study of psychometric concepts and theories of assessment, relationships of assessment, treatment planning, and outcome evaluation, professional and ethical standards and various projective and objective instruments. Included are the WISC-III, WAIS-R, the MMPI-II, MCMI-II, Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Bender Gestalt, Rorschach, TAT, and various other tests. Interviewing techniques will include: Mental Status Exam, child and family evaluation, and suicidal and homicidal evaluation. Spring Semester

5222 Research in Human Systems and Treatment Outcome (2 units) Understanding philosophical, epistemological as well as methodological components necessary to conduct research and study of treatment outcomes and process research such as ethical issues, subject selection, types of appropriate research design, and data analysis. Students evaluate research articles and formulate a research proposal in an area of their interest in counseling.

5224 Psychopharmacology (3 units) Study of the range of current psychopharmacological interventions in terms of mental disorder diagnostic categories, including anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, mood stabilizers and anti-psychotics. Neurobiological mechanisms of mental disorders are reviewed in terms of current research. An extensive explanation of the process of sleep and the sleep disorders is also covered. Interaction of psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions is discussed, including medication response and side effects.

5225 Alternative and Innovative Psychotherapies (2 units) Varieties of current alternative psychotherapies will be presented and experiential exercises will be offered where appropriate. The psychotherapies presented are drawn from Jungian, Somatic, Gestalt, Expressive Arts, Existential, and transpersonal theories. Through reading and discussion the class will seek to contextualize theory, therapy, and clinical practice within the historical movements of the psychology field by using a map of the Four Forces in Psychology. Additionally, two prominent transpersonal models of human development will guide an understanding of stages and states of consciousness. Cross-cultural, legal, and ethical issues will be discussed for all psychotherapies presented.

5231 Phases of Human Development (3 units) Overview of psychological, biological and social concepts of development as applied to the entire lifespan. Research findings related to the ages of human life; interpretation of such findings through the lenses of a number of developmental theorists; and relations of ideas of development to possible counseling strategies.

5237 Psychopathology and Treatment Planning (3 units) Study of diagnostic categories to prepare students to diagnose, communicate about, study and treat individuals with various mental disorders. The DSM-IV multi-axial system and treatment approaches empirically supported by outcome research provide the foundation for diagnosis and treatment planning. Specific cultural and general features, and patterns will be included.

5244 Advanced Counseling Techniques: Couple and Family Therapy (3 units) Presentations of various theories of brief and long-term couple and family therapy including the history and etiology of family systems therapy, general systems theory, and the developmental life cycle of the family. Students will apply theory to their own families of origin, formulate treatment plans in working with couples and families, and practice family and couple techniques during role plays.

5245 Clinical Aspects of Human Sexuality (3 units) Study of the physiology, psychology and social-cultural variables associated with human sexuality, including sexual identity, attitudes and behaviors. Counseling approaches to sexual concerns and the treatment of sexual dysfunction.

5294 Fieldwork in Counseling (3 units) Application, development and refinement of assessment, counseling and consultation skills in approved fieldwork sites. Supervision provided by approved on-site supervisor. Seminar provides group consultation and liaison between the university and on-site supervisor. Fall, Spring Semesters, and Summer Session.

5998 Directed Research (1-3 units) Open only to students who have been admitted to Candidacy for Master's degree.

5999 Independent Study (1-3 units) Directed reading and/or independent research on topic of special interest to student and faculty member. Only 6 units may be taken through independent study.