COUN 5360

Intermediate Methods in Marriage and Family Therapy

Fall 2006

Instructor: Shawn Patrick, EdD, NCC, LPC                       Classroom: AVRY 111

Phone: 512-245-8130                                                             Meets: Tuesday 6:30p-9:30p

Email: sp27@txstate.edu                                                      Office: ED 4017

Hours: T prior to class (RR) or by     

appointment (SM)

Course Description:

Included in this course is the diagnosis and assessment of family functioning and the practice of techniques used by systems theorists in marriage and family therapy. Graded on a credit (CR), no credit (F) basis.
Prerequisites: COUN 5367 and COUN 5354.   

• This course requires faculty complete a Professional Counseling Performance Evaluation for each student.
• This class has a limited enrollment of 12 students

• Students are required to see an adult client for a minimum of 6 hours – preferably with the same client to experience the complete intake, assessment, working, termination process, from a marriage and family perspective
  • Students with insufficient client hours (4 or less) will be given a PR (progress) and retake the course; unless their skills earned them a F

Course Objectives:

1) To acquire a working understanding of systems theory (CACREP IIK: 5d; MFT: C1).

2) To put into practice the terminology of marriage and family therapy (CACREP MFT: C1).

3) To assess and diagnose basic communication patterns of healthy and dysfunctional families (CACREP IIK: 5b; MFT: C2).

4) To practice recognized intervention and prevention strategies of typical client issues often presented to the family therapist (CACREP IIK: 5b; MFT: C2, C3).

5) To practice the evaluation of family function and family progress in therapy (CACREP MFT: C2).

6) To understand and demonstrate ethical procedures in the practice of marriage and family therapy (CACREP IIK: 1a, 5g; MFT: A3).

Methods of Instruction:

Methods of instruction will include lecture, role-play, group discussion, simulation, supervision, and student products.

Please note : You must provide proof of professional liability insurance prior to seeing client(s). Professional Liability Insurance can be obtained through Texas Counseling Association ( http://txca.org) or American Counseling Association ( http://www.counseling.org).

Required Text:

Worden, M. (2003).   Family Therapy Basics (3rd ed.).   Pacific Grove, CA:   Brooks/Cole.

Other readings as assigned.

Course Requirements:

• Attendance/participation: Attendance, punctuality, and participation are important components of the evaluative process. You will be asked to engage in thoughtful discussion in class, provide feedback within your observation teams, and apply a conceptual analysis of the readings. It is expected that students will attend all classes and arrive on time.   Excessive absence or tardiness could result in not passing the class. Be advised that one of the greatest consequences of missing class would be an inability to meet client contact requirements and lack of consistency for client sessions.   This could result in clients dropping out of counseling.   It is the student’s responsibility to contact clients and reschedule if the student cannot attend class.

• Observation:   Students will observe other students in the class and complete feedback forms.   Oral and written feedback will be given to those being observed. This observation is an integral part of your training; active participation is required. This process will provide an opportunity to give other students feedback on their counseling skills, enhance your understanding of relationship and family principles, and demonstrate an understanding and integration of the readings.  

• Proof of liability insurance must be provided to the supervising instructor before any client may be attended. Submit one copy of the face sheet of the policy listing your name, policy number, and effective dates of the policy.

• Individual, couples, or family counseling:   You will complete six 45-50 minute practice counseling sessions.   All counseling sessions are to be videotaped or audiotaped. Audiotaping may require the student to provide your own recording equipment.   Students should obtain 6 video or audiocassettes.   Some tapes may be turned into the instructor for viewing.   Students are expected to watch all sessions and be prepared to discuss these sessions during class/supervision.   Students are also expected to complete any transcriptions or other requested homework as assigned.   When not conducting sessions, students are expected to either be engaged in supervision/class participation or observing other sessions.   The student is responsible for making sure video equipment is set up properly and all tapes are in working order.   Tapes are to be destroyed at the end of the semester.   Students with insufficient hours (4 or less) will be given a PR and retake the course; unless their skills earned them a F.

• Client recruitment:   Students are responsible for recruiting clients.   Clients will be screened prior to intake session.   Students may recruit family and friends for other students in the class but may not themselves conduct counseling with these clients. (See addendum)

• Clinic Maintenance:   Keeping in mind that the Clinic is a professional environment, students will be expected to participate in clinic maintenance.   This includes keeping clinic rooms in order, turning off equipment at the end of the night, recruiting clients, and other miscellaneous duties.   Students are also expected to have a professional appearance when meeting with clients.   Students who decline to participate in maintenance could be required to repeat the course.

• Client Files: Along with sessions, students will be required to maintain basic files that will be kept in the counseling clinic.   NO FILES under any circumstances are to be taken home.   Files must include at the minimum:

• Informed consent form
• Progress note (SOAP format)
• Termination form

• Supervision: Students will be expected to participate in regular group and/or individual supervision.   Group supervision will be provided during class time; individual supervision could occur outside of class time.   Students meeting for individual supervision are expected to attend all requested meetings.

Grading:

The class assumes the student to be proficient in basic skills. This class will emphasize building of skills in the areas of:

• Case Conceptualization (including diagnostics)
• Empathy
• Timing
• Intentionality
• Self-Disclosure     

Each student is evaluated on an individual basis.   Areas to be assessed include progress with skills, integration of feedback, contribution to class, and awareness of growth and limitations.   In other words, progress is viewed as a developmental process for each student and encompasses more than just completion of a set number of sessions.

This course is evaluated on a “credit” (CR), “no credit” (F) basis. Under certain circumstances a student may have demonstrated considerable progress over the course of the semester, yet remain lacking with regard to minimal competence. In this case a “progress” (P) grade is assigned and the student repeats the course.   All students must also receive a satisfactory evaluation (no "0's") for all areas of the Professional Counseling Performance Evaluation in order to pass the course.

Session/Tape Expectations

Format Guidline (keep in mind that this is just a guideline!):

* Can be found on blackboard site for class.

Other forms that may be of interest to students and available for use in session will be located on the course Blackboard site.

Addendum for Fall 2006:

This fall, our class will have an opportunity to participate in a unique training experience.   Apart from weekly sessions with couples or families, this class will conduct an onsite workshop for couples in the Austin area.   The workshop will be lead by the instructor and students will have the opportunity to provide counseling to workshop participants before, during, and after the workshop.   In addition, research on intimacy and conflict resolution will be conducted during the workshop.

The workshop will provide students with a format for working with couples and also involve the student in different modes and levels of counseling.   We will offer one pre-workshop session where students will meet with a couple for one hour.   The workshop will then occur over two Saturday sessions, each session lasting approximately 6 hours (including lunch and breaks).   Last, students will meet with each couple for a follow-up session after the workshop concludes.   Couples will also be given the option of continuing to meet with their student counselor for the remainder of the semester.

We are in the process of actively recruiting for this workshop which is being provided at minimal cost to the participants.   The advantage to students is a ready-made structure for learning how to work with couples.   The disadvantage is that due to the schedule needed for the workshop, students are being asked to attend class at times other than what is listed in the master schedule.   Three alternate attendance dates are necessary for students to learn and participate in this workshop:   Sep. 15, Oct 7, and Oct 15.   Regularly scheduled class meetings for these weeks (Sep. 12, Oct. 3, and Oct 10) will be cancelled.   Students will need to be available for all alternate dates in order to participate.   Students who are ultimately unable to participate in any of the alternate dates must make other arrangements for gaining practice sessions and cannot participate in the workshop.   Please inform the instructor at the earliest point in the semester so other arrangements can be accommodated.

Proposed Schedule:

Please note: For assistance with research being conducted, students are asked to label each audio/video tape with the couple’s initials and session number.   All tapes will be turned into instructor at completion of class, to later be destroyed upon completion of research.

Passing a comprehensive examination is a requirement for graduation (see the current Graduate Catalogue, page 48). The Professional Counseling program uses the The Center for Credentialing and Education' s Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE). The examination was selected, in part, because it evaluates the eight core CACREP course areas and is a national standardized examination. (May 1, 2006)

Effective for Spring 2007, the CPCE examination (comprehensive examination) must be passed, or the score must be within 2 points (the typical the standard error of measurement) for the student to proceed to COUN 5689, Clinical Practicum. A passing score must be obtained to proceed from COUN 5689 to COUN 5389, Site Internship. The Professional Counseling Program established the passing rate a cumulative score of 92. Additionally, any student, who fails after a second attemp t will meet with a Faculty Review Committee. Upon the third failed attempt, a student may no longer register for courses.

Texas State University seeks to provide reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with disabilities. This university will adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to afford equal opportunity. It is the student’s responsibility to register with Disability Support Services and to contact the faculty member in a timely manner to arrange for appropriate accommodations.