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COGNITION AND LEARNING
3 credits

This course details the empirical and theoretical foundations of the present understanding of cognitive psychology and learning psychology and their integration in contemporary social learning theory. Special attention is paid to the application of the theories and research in counseling and psychotherapy.

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INFERENTIAL STATISTICS AND RESEARCH DESIGN
3 credits

Analysis of research designs and the inferential statistics appropriate to reaching conclusions when using ordinal or interval data within these designs. Problems set in non-experimental research and the newer statistical procedures developed in reporting such findings. A brief treatment of program evaluation procedures. Training in accessing programs on computers.
Prerequisite: PSY 506

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RELIGION, PSYCHOLOGY, AND CULTURE
3 credits

This course examines the historical roots of Western psychology theory in the rise of liberalism and capitalism, the myth of progress, and the individualism of John Locke. The struggle to secure a place for psychology as a science is explored with a study of the biographies of the founders of schools of psychology, European and American. The reasons for animosity to religion or for its radical reinterpretation are studied. The impact upon psychology, often not acknowledged, of Jewish and Christian mysticism is a point of departure for a post-modern critique of a discipline that was and is an offspring of modernity. Oriental as well as Semitic religious experience is surveyed in the human quest for the therapeutic.

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ADDICTIONS COUNSELING
3 credits

Focuses mainly on chemical substance abuse, but considers the etiology and manifestations of other addictions as well. Attention is given to the occurrence of addiction in the family with particular reference to the physical, behavioral, and attitudinal manifestations of addictive behavior and identification and diagnosis of addiction, as well as the selection of appropriate processes of intervention.

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PERSONALITY THEORIES
3 credits

Present understanding of the development of human personality and social behavior from the perspective of contemporary social psychology. Attention to application of theories and research in counseling and psychotherapy.

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HISTORY AND SYSTEMS IN PSYCHOLOGY
3 credits

This course undertakes an examination of the roots of psychology in ancient and modern philosophy, its beginnings in 19th-century science, and its development from early schools and national identities to its contemporary characteristics.

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BUSINESS BASICS FOR INDUSTRIAL/ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
3 credits

Promotes an understanding of the fundamentals of the structure and processes of business organizations. Examines the basic business concepts encountered in the development of behavioral interventions. Provides an overview of the challenges facing staff contributors in designing behavioral interventions in a bottom-line-oriented business environment.

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BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR
3 credits

An examination of the biological substrates of behavior from the cellular to the systemic to the behavioral level. Demonstrations and laboratory exercises will be included.

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COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL APPROACHES IN COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY
3 credits

A clinical skills course with focus on the initial problems addressed in the process of therapeutic intervention, namely the self-regulation of thoughts, feelings, and actions. Training is in a broadly conceived cognitive behavior therapy that includes a variety of specific intervention strategies designed to address problems of self-regulation.
Prerequisites: PSY 500 and PSY 502

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CAREER COUNSELING
3 credits

Offers an opportunity to help adapt your clinical skills to the critical area of career development. Relates career success and satisfaction to mental health and life fulfillment. Considers theories of career development and the process of career counseling. Utilizes career assessment, career resource information, and job placement requirements. Includes career counseling with special populations.
Prerequisite: PSY 500

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PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT
3 credits

Provides students with basic information about the selection, administration, scoring, and interpretation of selected personality assessment procedures used in differential diagnosis. Addresses theoretical, research, psychometric, and ethical issues in clinical assessment. Emphasizes the major objective personality inventories, behavioral assessment measures, structured clinical interviews, and projective techniques used in clinical assessment. Class sessions incorporate seminar and didactic methods.
Prerequisite: PSY 509

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ORGANIZATIONAL INTERVENTIONS
3 credits

This course is designed to assist individuals interested in a career in industrial/organizational psychology in learning about the issues involved in implementing organizational change and development programs. These issues include engaging employees in the change process, diagnosing organizational problems, effective methods for implementing change programs, and the techniques needed to evaluate the entire process.

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ISSUES IN ORGANIZATIONAL TRAINING
3 credits

This course reviews the issues that need to be addressed when designing and implementing training programs in organizational settings. Special emphasis is given to issues of needs analysis, design of programs, technologies that enhance training, the evaluation of training results, and the transfer of training to the work setting. The course includes review of these issues, as well as hands-on experience in designing and delivering training topics.

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ASSESSMENT IN ORGANIZATIONAL SETTINGS
3 credits

This course presents methods for assessing skills, emotional problems, and personality in an organizational setting. It will provide a) information regarding the review and interpretation of assessment tools as well as the appropriate usage of test results and b) practical experience in using these tools. Instruments are selected from more commonly used tests of skills, emotions, and personality. Training will be provided in the use of computer-assisted testing and with standardized interview instruments.
Prerequisite: PSY 509 or equivalent

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PRACTICUM
2 credits

A practicum at an approved field placement site for a minimum of 100 clocked hours observing and/or practicing clinical skills with individuals, couples, families, and/or groups under the direction of an approved supervisor. Must be taken in conjunction with the on-campus seminar in professional ethics (PSY 661). Prerequisite: Successful completion of written comprehensive examination and completion of 18 credit hours including PSY/PCMF 502 and one additional skills course.

Corequisite: PSY 661

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PROFESSIONAL/ETHICAL ISSUES IN COUNSELING
1 credit

An examination of professional and ethical issues, with particular reference to the everyday issues of practice. The student is encouraged to develop a “critically examined” personal style and stance with which to address these issues. The class focus will be on the development of an understanding and a working knowledge of the Codes of Ethical Conduct of the American Counseling Association, the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, the American Psychological Association, and relevant State of Pennsylvania Laws and Statutes.

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I/O-MHR PROGRAM INTERNSHIP
2 credits

A supervised internship experience in an approved human resource (or closely related) department of a non-profit or for-profit agency for a minimum of 200 hours per term. (Continued with 686.) Each semester is two credits Prerequisites: Completion of 24 credit hours including necessary I/O and MBA courses and successful completion of written comprehensive examination. PSY 685 taken with PSY 695, PSY 686 taken with PSY 696.

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I/O-MHR PROGRAM PROFESSIONAL SEMINAR
1 credit

The personal, practical, and ethical issues involved in the field of industrial/organizational psychology and human resource management. Examination of professional development, professional associations, continuing education, credentialing, legal responsibilities and liabilities, confidentiality, agency practice, independent practice, consulting, and inter-professional cooperation. (1 credit each semester)
Corequisite: PSY 695 taken with PSY 685; PSY 696 taken with PSY 686
Prerequisite: Same as PSY 685

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COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY: THEORIES AND INTERVENTIONS
3 credits

Major theories of counseling and psychotherapy and the interventions based on those theories. Emphasis on knowledge, skills, and ethical standards needed to provide direct counseling and psychotherapeutic interventions for individuals, families, and groups.

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COUNSELING LABORATORY I
3 credits

A laboratory course designed to develop the basic counseling skills that will enable students to understand the client, to develop a trusting relationship with the client, and to facilitate the client’s self-exploration.

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PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
3 credits

This course discusses the major categories of psychological disorders, as well as theory and research regarding etiology, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Introduction to the use of the DSM.

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HUMAN BEHAVIOR: A DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVE
3 credits

Principles of human development and family processes form the context for the study of human behavior. Special emphasis will be given to grand theories that have made important contributions, both historically and currently, to the study of human development, as well as recent discoveries in developmental science. Issues of separation, individuation, and integration in life patterns will be studied within the context of these major theories.

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SYSTEMS AND SYSTEMS THINKING
3 credits

In this course, the student is given an overview of family functioning. Family structure, family development, family health, family dysfunction, and family treatment are considered. Particular emphasis is placed on acquiring a systems perspective and applying that perspective to an understanding of family functioning.

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BASIC PRINCIPLES OF RESEARCH DESIGN, STATISTICS, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, AND EVALUATION
3 credits

A consumer-oriented course focusing on broad concerns common to all forms of social research. Criteria for evaluation and interpretation of various statistical techniques and research designs are covered.

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PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT I: ASSESSMENT IN CLINICAL AND CAREER COUNSELING
3 credits

Basic concepts in the construction, selection, administration, scoring, and interpretation of assessment procedures commonly used in psychology. Use of major reference works for selecting and evaluating assessment procedures. Supervised experience in selecting, administering, scoring, and interpreting assessment procedures and experience with computer-assisted testing.
Prerequisite: PSY 506

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STATISTICS AND RESEARCH METHODS
3 credits

This is a foundation course that satisfies the undergraduate prerequisites and does not count toward the 48 hours needed for the M.A. degree.

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INTRODUCTION TO GRADUATE RESEARCH AND WRITING
3 credits

A cross-disciplinary seminar that introduces students to the latest research technology and databases for advanced work in their major. Emphasis on research and communication skills, including oral presentations and written reports. (Credits in this course do not count toward the 48-hour program requirement.)

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CHANGE PROCESSES IN COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY
3 credits

A clinical skills course that introduces the student to the nature and impact of psychotherapy as a change agent. It will incorporate consideration of the process of spiritual change as an element of therapeutic change. The focus will be on client-therapist interaction and how change is experienced and promoted in that context.
Prerequisites: PSY 500, 502, 503

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ADVANCED COUNSELING LABORATORY
3 credits

This course builds on the basic skills practiced and developed in the first counseling laboratory—PSY 502. It provides the student with an intermediate experience and opportunity (prior to field placement) to develop a range of additional counseling skills and strategies, with particular attention given to distinguishing between the content and the process of therapy. While it emphasizes those skills and techniques common to many, if not most, approaches, it also highlights those emphasized and represented in the respective concentrations of the program. Students are assigned to sections of this course according to their concentration.
Prerequisite: PSY 502

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HUMAN SEXUALITY
3 credits

This course examines the variety of ways that human sexuality is expressed in attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors in the context of the interplay between social, physiological, and psychological factors. Methods of studying sexual behavior, concepts of variation and difference, psychosexual development in life stages, and sexual dysfunctions and treatment are addressed.

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GRADUATE RESEARCH
3 credits
Elective
Graduate Psychology Research is designed to provide an opportunity for students to engage in research. Students will be required to complete a literature review and design and complete a research project.
Prerequisite: PSY 506

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INSIGHT-ORIENTED APPROACHES IN COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY
3 credits

A clinical skills course with focus on the issues addressed in the process of psychological intervention, namely, the client’s personal quest for self-understanding, intimacy, maturity, and personal meaning. Training in cognitive approaches that emphasize enhanced maturity through insight.
Prerequisite: PSY 500

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GROUP PROCESSES IN COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY
3 credits

A course that combines experiential and didactic approaches. The student learns the major theoretical approaches to group counseling and psychotherapy and also participates in group counseling sessions on issues presented by the classroom group. This will illustrate the dynamics of groups and lead to the acquisition of skills needed to assist in the resolution of behavioral problems.
Prerequisites: PSY 500 and PSY 502

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WORKING WITH FAMILIES
3 credits

This course covers the basic principles, techniques, applications, uses, and contra indicators of the major family therapy systems models. Specifically, the intersystems interface among intrapsychic, interpersonal, and family systems dynamics are addressed. Assessment techniques and intervention rationales are covered along with the role of the therapist and the therapist as person. The concepts of family-of-origin, family functioning, structure, strength, and narratives will be studied through an experiential and didactic approach. Application of theory and research to practice is discussed.
Prerequisite: PSY 505

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CONTEXTUAL FAMILY THERAPY
3 credits

This course provides an exploration of the convictions, concepts, strategies, and techniques of Contextual Therapy, a resource-oriented, trust-based modality of healing interventions for individuals, couples, and families.

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MULTICULTURAL COUNSELING AND THERAPY
3 credits

This course explores multicultural counseling theory as well as culture-specific counseling strategies for culturally diverse clients. It is designed to help students develop their multicultural counseling competence and increase their ability to work effectively and ethically in a complex and diverse social world.

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MARITAL THERAPY
3 credits

Role-playing is used to illustrate couples’ treatment dynamics and intervention strategies from initial contacts through the treatment process. Special issues in couples therapy, such as the relationship history, communication patterns, sexual intimacy, and the “couple” relationship vs. the “parenting” relationship, are addressed.
Prerequisite: PSY 505

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CHILD IN THE FAMILY CONTEXT
3 credits

This course considers the child in the context of the family. It builds on a knowledge base of individual and family development, and it reviews normative experiences and critical incidents that underscore clinical work with children. A range of problems is examined and the selection and appropriateness of methods of assessment and intervention are highlighted.
Prerequisite: PSY 500

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UNDERSTANDING RELATIONSHIPS
3 credits

This course is an examination of human relationships with particular reference to their various forms, functions, and patterns of development. The processes of attachment, separation, individuation, and differentiation are highlighted and are used in a contextual (systemic) framework to examine each relationship. Special emphasis is placed on the clinical applications of this knowledge to couples and families. The student is required to complete a study of one of his/her primary dyadic relationships.

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PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN ADDICTIONS COUNSELING
3 credits

Provides an in-depth review of the critical issues, pertinent information, and current trends related to addictions counseling. Examples of these issues include: ethics, e.g., confidentiality and code of ethical conduct; dual diagnosis; controversial issues regarding the nature of addictions; professional identity; DSM IV/ICD 10 diagnostic criteria; drug testing; referral strategies and responsibilities; abstinence model of treatment; “wellness” and “professional burnout”; current trends in addictions research; and certification, credentials, and licensing.
Prerequisite: PSY 512

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ADDICTIONS AND THE FAMILY
3 credits

This course focuses on an understanding of how addictive processes interact with social and family contexts. This allows more effective treatment interventions to be designed. The current research on family dynamics and treatment of codependence, adolescent substance abuse, and children of addicts will also be reviewed

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COUNSELING FAMILIES IN THE FACE OF LOSS
3 credits

This course addresses issues of loss and mourning experienced by families as a result of physical and mental disability, job loss, aging, illness, and death. It presents an understanding of the psychological and relational impact of loss with particular reference to those who minister to families in face of loss.

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INTERNSHIP
2 credits

An internship in supervised experience at an approved field placement site for approximately 200 hours per term. By the conclusion of Internship, students are required to accrue a minimum of 600 clock hours, half of which are client contact. PSY/PCMF 502 and 2 additional skills courses, completion of PSY 660 (for students required to take this course) and practice in clinical skills with individuals, couples, families, and/or groups. Includes on-campus case seminar. (Continued with PSY 681, 682. Each semester is two credits.)
Prerequisites: Completion of 24 credit hours, including successful completion of written comprehensive examination.

Corequisite: PSY/PCMF 680 taken with PSY/PCMF 690, PSY/PCMF 681 taken with PSY/PCMF 691, PSY/PCMF 682 taken with PSY/PCMF 692.

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PROFESSIONAL SEMINAR/CASE SEMINAR
1 credit

The personal, practical, and ethical issues involved in the practice of professional counseling and marriage and family therapy. Examination of professional development, professional associations, continuing education, credentialing, legal responsibilities and liabilities, confidentiality, agency practice, independent practice, consulting, and inter-professional cooperation. (PSY 691, 692—continuation of Professional Seminar—one credit each semester.)
Prerequisite: Same as PSY/PCMF 680 plus completion of PSY 661 (for students required to take this course).

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