Counseling Practicum II

COUN 516
Spring 2017
Syllabus

Course and Instructor

Instructor: Raissa Miller, Ph.D., LPC

raissamiller@boisestate.edu
208.426-1307
Office Hours: Mon and Tues 12:30-3:00

Course Number: COUN 516

Course Title: COUNSELING PRACTICUM II

Course Day/Time: Tuesday 3-6pm

Course Location: ILC 205

Semester: Spring 2017

Credits: 2 credits

Course Objectives, Accreditation, and Technology

CACREP Standards Addressed in the Course

½ of 100 hours (20 hours direct)
½ of 15 hours of individual supervision
½ of 36 hours of group supervision
(SEE STUDENT HANDBOOK, SECTION III)

Course Description:

Students participate in closely supervised counseling experiences through modeling, peer

counseling, live observation, and electronic recording of sessions.

Methods of Instruction:

Instructional methods will include lecture, supervision of clinical practice (e.g., individual and
group), group discussion, written and oral feedback on learning exercises, and multi-media
presentations (e.g., power-point, videos, etc.).

Successful implementation of these instructional methods relies on active student engagement

inside and outside the classroom. Methods and evidence of active engagement include:
  Reading and reflecting on assigned articles and counseling sessions prior to class –
including taking notes while reading.
 Formulating questions or requests for feedback prior to class.
 Completing learning exercise on time.
 Maintaining an open attitude towards feedback.
 Attending additional supervision office hours as needed.
 Engaging in self-directed learning (e.g., reading optional articles, exploring on-line
resources, etc.)

Course Objectives

The two-credit counseling practicum is designed to facilitate refinement of counseling and

interviewing skills and the development of new skills. Through closely supervised one-to-one
and group counseling experiences the student can expand his/her repertoire of counseling
techniques and interpersonal relationship skills with opportunities to experience direct and
specific feedback from a clinical supervisor through video and/or audio recording and direct
observation supervision. Practicum students will be expected to demonstrate a commitment to
implementing and expanding the following skills:
 Establishing and maintaining a helpful and supportive counseling relationship;
 Development and application of appropriate counseling techniques;
 Maintaining client records and scheduling client appointments;
 Continued awareness of ethical standards of practice;
 Working efficiently with supervisors and colleagues, including appropriate analysis and
presentation of counseling sessions and case studies;
 Continued development of professional behavior;
 Learning about and using community resources when appropriate, including referrals;
 Appropriate adoption of techniques for clients with diverse needs and backgrounds;
 A continued willingness to learn, including acceptance of feedback;
 Enthusiasm for and a commitment to the counseling profession; and
 Continued development of personal traits which are conducive to effective learning,
counseling, and professional development.

Technology Skills Addressed in the Course

  Instructor Student
Application Application
Utilize Blackboard technology
Word process, including APA formatting X X
Use a spreadsheet and a statistical package X
Acquire graphics from the web, digital camera, scanner, or
Microsoft media and insert them into a poster or
presentation
Create and deliver a power point presentation
Find material on the Web and review Web sites X
Be able to use e-mail, including document attachments X X
Be able to sign in and participate in listservs
Be familiar with computerized testing
Be able to use digital recording equipment X X

Text and Required Reading

McGonigal, K. (2015). The upside of stress: Why stress is good for you, and how to get good at
it. New York, NY: Penguin

**Additional readings may be assigned throughout the semester.

Methods of Assessing Learning Progress

Group Supervision
Group supervision = class meetings (COUN 516). Attendance is required and any missed
supervision time must be made up by attending another section of COUN 516.

Complete readings prior to date listed on course schedule. After reading, engage in meaningful
reflection of text in preparation for in class discussions. Some general reflection questions to
consider:

1. What were the key points of the reading?

2. What aspects of the reading particularly resonated with you?
3. What aspects of the reading did not resonate with you?
4. What questions arose while you were reading?
5. How did you integrate (or anticipate integrating in the future) what you read into your
personal life and/or clinical work?

Case Presentations
Students will present 2 video-recordings with case write-ups and objectives for peer and
instructor feedback. The written portion of the case presentation should be approximately two
pages and include the following:

Counselor's Name_______________________________ Date:__________________

1. Demographic information: Age, gender, race/ethnicity, marital/family status, school

and/or job status, living situation, etc.

2. Presenting problem: In addition to extra credit, what concerns does the client present to
work on in counseling? As much as possible, be specific about symptoms and
impairment. How does the issue manifest behaviorally, cognitively, emotionally,
interpersonally, physiologically, and/or interpersonally? How does it impact his or her
life -- missed classes, troubled relationships, unhealthy eating or sleeping habits, etc.
Also remember FIDO (frequency, intensity, duration, onset). How often do the symptoms
manifest? How intense are they? How long do they last? When did the symptoms/issue
start?
 3. Medical and psychological/psychiatric history: Any significant past or current
biomedical concerns (e.g., chronic illness, traumatic brain injury, etc.)? Any history of
counseling? Any current medications?

4. Behavioral health factors: History and current use of alcohol or other drugs, including
frequency, amount, and specific type. History and current engagement in addictive
behaviors (e.g., gambling, gaming, internet, shopping, pornography, etc.). Typical sleep
hygiene, including hours of sleep per night, general sense of restfulness, any trouble
falling or staying asleep, and behaviors engaged in prior to sleep. Typical eating
patterns, including frequency of meals, size of meals, and general nutritional content of
meals – note if there is any intentional restriction of eating, patterns of unhealthy dieting,
instances and guilt of overeating, compensatory behaviors (excessive exercise, vomiting),
and preoccupation with body shape and appearance. Amount and type of physical
activity on average per day, including aerobic and strength conditioning activities.
Amount and type of internal reflective practice (e.g., various types of mindfulness,
meditation, etc.).

5. Developmental history: Relevant family-of-origin information (composition and nature of

relationships), experiences of grief and/or loss (e.g., relocations during childhood, death
of a family member or friend), experiences of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse,
romantic relationship experiences, school/employment experiences, social/peer
friendships, spiritual and/or religious experiences, sexual identity, etc.

6. Cultural considerations: How does the counselor’s cultural lens impact on her/his view of
the client or of the client’s presenting issue? What cultural factors are most significant
in understanding the client and the world in which the client lives?

7. Strengths: What positive characteristics or attributes does the client exhibit? Does the
client have social supports? Has the client demonstrated resilience in overcoming
obstacles in the past?

8. Counseling approach: How can you conceptualize the client from a theoretical
perspective? What specific counseling techniques/strategies/interventions have you used
or plan to use with the client – include rationale specific to the client.

9. What are you hoping to get out of group supervision as we discuss this case?

Statistical Analysis of Client Ratings

Students will compile their own anonymous client ratings at the end of the semester and run
descriptive statistics using SPSS. The means of each item will be analyzed to determine client
perceptions of counselor strengths and areas of needed growth. Students are required to bring the
descriptive statistics to their final supervisor meeting to review with their primary (i.e.,
individual) supervisor.

Clinical Experience + Individual and Triadic Supervision

Students are required to complete a minimum of 20 direct client contact hours (e.g., individual,
group, or psychoeducation) and 30 indirect hours (e.g., supervision, research, note writing, etc.).
Additional details regarding requirements can be found in the student handbook.

Students are required to attend 6 group supervision sessions (i.e., class meetings). Students will
also participate in 7 individual and/or triadic supervision sessions (average once every other
week; 50 minutes each).

Primary/individual supervisors (Dr. Miller, Dr. Gallo, Dr. Moro, Jamie Jensen): 5 sessions
Live supervisor (Angie, Christa, Mitch, and Alana): 2 sessions

Potential primary supervision dates and times. Highlighted dates reflect individual meeting dates
for mid-term and final evaluations (i.e., no triadic).

Monday Tuesday Thursday

(12:30-3:00) (12:30-3:00) (12:00-3:00)
2/6 2/7 2/9
2/21 2/23
3/6 3/7 3/9
4/10 4/11 4/13
4/24 4/25 4/27

GRADING

The following can also be reviewed in the student handbook (Section III, Description of
Counseling Program Practicum).

Letter grades for Counseling Practicum will be based on the following criteria:

 Attendance
 Evidence of professional enthusiasm, demeanor, and dispositions
 Completion of required number of clock hours
 Achievement of identified knowledge and competency based skills
 Completion of client file paperwork in a timely, neat, and thorough manner
 Performance of the role and behaviors of the counseling pre-professional (including
effective response to feedback) as documented with informal evaluations throughout the
Practicum and with formal evaluations at midterm and at the end of the semester.
 Completion of assignments in group supervision class
 Statistical analyses of client ratings.

A letter grade of “A/A-” indicates that in addition to completing all course requirements,
including record keeping, in a timely and professional manner, the student demonstrates strong
counseling skills, high standards of professional and personal behavior, a continued willingness
to learn through reflective practice and utilize feedback effectively, and a commitment to the
counseling profession.
A letter grade of “B+/B/B-” indicates that in addition to completing all course requirements,
including records keeping, in a timely and professional manner, the student demonstrates
adequate counseling skills, above average standards of professional and personal behavior, a
continued willingness to learn and utilize feedback effectively, and a commitment to the
counseling profession.

A letter grade of “C+/C/C-” indicates that the student did not complete all course requirements,
including records keeping, in a timely and professional manner, needs to significantly improve
counseling skills, may need to examine personal and professional standards of behavior, and/or
appears to be unwilling to learn or lacking in commitment to the counseling profession. A letter
grade of “C+/C/C-” will lead to a re-evaluation of the student’s continuing participation in the
Counseling Program by his/her Program Advisor and Faculty.

In cases where the student has failed to meet the required number of clock hours, a grade of
“incomplete” may be given until the student meets the requirement. Failure to meet requirements
within one semester will result in re-evaluation of the student’s continuing candidacy in the
Counseling Program by his/her Program Advisor and Supervisory Committee. The student must
fulfill the “incomplete” tasks prior to accumulating any hours towards the subsequent clinical
field experiences.

Grades will be assigned based on the following:

A = 95-100; A- = 90-94
B+ = 87-89; B = 83-86; B- = 80-82
C+ = 77-79; C = 73-76; C- = 70-72

Disability and Academic Integrity Statements

Disability Statement:

Students with disabilities needing accommodations to fully participate in this class should
contact the Educational Access Center (EAC). All accommodations must be approved through
the EAC prior to being implemented.  To learn more about the accommodation process, visit the
EAC’s website at https://eac.boisestate.edu/new-eac-students/.

Academic Integrity Statement:

Academic misconduct or dishonesty such as cheating and plagiarism is unacceptable and
appropriate penalties will be imposed. This includes referencing material that has not been read
by you, such as secondary references.

Practicum Lab
PLEASE NOTE that a completed “Statement of Liability Insurance” form must be filed with
your Supervisor prior to beginning working with Practicum clients (see “Student Handbook” for
sample).
Approximate Operating Dates:

Opening – January 23rd

Closing – April 20th

Operating Hours:

Students can only see clients when live supervisors are available. The following schedule details
operating hours and corresponding live supervisors on duty.

DAY HOURS SUPERVISOR

Monday 2:00-6:00 Angie Hernandez

Tuesday 12:00-4:00 Alana Bruner

6:00-9:00 Christa Stallworth

Wednesday 1:00-5:00 Mitch Smith

Course Calendar

Date Topic /Readings Due Case Presentation Schedule

1/31 Group Supervision (3 hrs.) Case Presentations

 Introductory activity 1. ____DePrise___________
2. ____Caleb______________

2/14 Group Supervision (3 hrs.) Case Presentations

 McGonigal Ch. 1-3 1. ________________________
discussion 2. ________________________

2/28 Group Supervision (3 hrs.) Case Presentations

 McGonigal Ch. 4-5 1. ________________________
discussion 2. ________________________

3/14 Group Supervision (3 hrs.) Case Presentations

 McGonigal 6-7 1. _________________________
discussion 2. _________________________
4/4 Group Supervision (3 hrs.) Case Presentations
 Reading and 1. __________________________
discussion TBA 2. __________________________

4/18 Group Supervision (3 hrs.) Case Presentations

 Closing activity/ 1. ___________________________
reflection on 2. ___________________________
experience in
practicum