PSYC 689 Counseling Skills/Techniques

This course provides students with an understanding, and use of, the fundamental techniques of the helping process. The course emphasizes the development of effective relationship building skills as well as the practice of action-oriented approaches that facilitate client growth and change. Counselor and client characteristics, relationship variables, and external factors (e.g., societal and environmental) that influence the helping process will be addressed. Topics include legal and ethical issues; working with culturally diverse clients; basic helping skills’ establishing a therapeutic alliance, and problematic clinical situations.