Argosy University
COURSE SYLLABUS
PC6010 Professionalization Group I
Fall 2009; 12-1 pm
Fridays; 9/11, 9/18, 10/9, 10/30, 11/6, 12/4
I.
Faculty:
Email:
Phone:
Campus:
Office Hours:
Faculty Information
Diedra L. Clay, Psy.D.
dclay@argosy.edu
206-393-3542
Seattle
By arrangement, Tuesday – Friday
Short Faculty Bio:
Dr. Clay is an Associate Professor and the Chair of the Counseling
Psychology Department at Argosy University, Seattle. She was awarded the 1st Licentiate in
Philosophy from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, and received both her MA and
PsyD in Clinical Psychology.
She is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, National Board
Certified Counselor, Licensed Chemical Dependency Professional, & Board Certified Chemical
Dependency Counselor II. She is a member of the American Psychological Association,
American Counseling Association, Washington State Psychological Association, and the
Washington State Counseling Association. Since 1989, she has worked in addictions;
community mental health; as a consultant; in vocational rehabilitation; in state prisons; in
private practice, and as a faculty member at private and state institutions of higher education.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
II. Course Description
These groups, required of all entering students, are led by a faculty member and meet regularly,
depending on the program, throughout the first academic year. Students discuss topics
important to professional counseling/marriage and family therapy and to the development of a
professional identity. In the process, discussion topics may include ethical and legal issues;
diversity in culture, ethnicity, and gender; careers in counseling; preparation for clinical
training; professional education trends and issues; and special interests of students and the
group leader. In addition, the faculty member leading the group assists students with academic
and field training planning, general consultation on problems or difficulties in the program, and
questions emerging during the student’s academic experience. At some campuses, the
PortfolioProcess is introduced to the students in Professionalization Groups.
III. Basic Information
A. Course Pre-requisites: None
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B. Required Texts
Kottler, J. (2003). On being a therapist. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Nichols, M. (1995). The lost art of listening. New York: Guilford Press.
American Psychological Association (2001). Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington DC: American Psychological
Association.
Recommended:
Goldfried, M. R. (Ed., 2000). How therapists change: Personal and professional reflections.
Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
C. Course Length: 15 weeks
D. Contact Hours: 6 hours
E. Credit Value: 1.0
IV. Learning Objectives
1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of professional development as it relates to
graduate study in this program, including the historical context of concepts and systems of
theory and psychotherapy. Evaluated on a) class participation and b) final semester paper.
2. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the role of professional counselors in the health
care community in general, in their individual indigenous communities, and in the Puget
Sound community. Evaluated on a) class participation and b) final semester paper.
3. Acquire basic understanding of APA format, literature reviews, and professional writing
style. Evaluated on final semester paper.
4. Students will demonstrate an awareness and sensitivity to issues of difference, biases, and
power in the therapeutic process. Evaluated on a) class participation, b) student journal,
and c) final semester paper.
5. Students will actively examine the role of values and morality in psychology and will
demonstrate an increase in individual awareness of one’s own value system and how this
can impact clinical work. Evaluated on a) class participation, b) student journal, and c) final
semester paper.
6. Students will actively reflect on one's own values, professional ethics, self-growth, healing
and challenges as one creates a professional path as a counselor. Evaluated on a) class
participation and b) student journal.
7. Students are expected to exemplify professional behaviors in their acquisition of the course
content and demonstration of learning. Such behaviors include: the ability to receive and
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integrate feedback, the ability to maintain appropriate boundaries, the ability to modulate
affect (appropriate to the activities of the course), openness to different perspectives, and
demonstration of collegial and respectful relationships with faculty and peers. When group
work is required, students are expected to work collaboratively, contributing effectively to
the group and actively learning from others. Evaluated on class participation.
V. Mission Statement
The Counseling Psychology program embraces a range of relevant theory and techniques
applicable in the three major areas of counseling psychology: a) the remedial (assisting in
remedying problems in living), b) the preventive (anticipating, circumventing, and forestalling
difficulties that may arise in the future), and c) the educative and developmental (discovering
and developing potentialities). Counseling Psychology focuses on a) a wide range of client
issues, and developmental life stage challenges, b) assets, strengths, and positive mental health,
c) relatively brief interventions, and d) context, sociocultural and political influences, diversity,
and person-environment interactions, rather than exclusive emphasis on the individual.
VI. Program Outcomes
Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology
Program Outcome One: Professional Practice
Competency 1 Assessment and Skills.
Formulate assessments of psychological functioning and apply therapeutic
intervention strategies when working with individuals, couples, families, and
groups, toward the development of optimal mental health.
Competency 2 Theory.
Interpret and apply psychological and developmental theories to therapeutic
intervention strategies.
Competency 3 Writing.
Employ media and technology when presenting counseling information orally
and in writing, so that the presentation is concise, organized, well supported,
professional, and appropriate to the audience.
Program Outcome Two: Research
Competency 1. Analyze research, and translate research findings for
improvement of counseling services using statistics and program evaluation
methods.
Program Outcome Three: Interpersonal Effectiveness and Professional Development
Competency 1: Students will develop positive relationship skills that promote
personal and professional development via effective communication,
encouragement, empathy, respect for others, self-awareness, and other-
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awareness. These skills will be evidenced by students’ ability to:
a. Apply active listening communication skills in interpersonal
scenarios to establish empathetic relationships.
b. Analyze the importance of effective nonverbal communication skills
in interpersonal relationships.
c. Solicit and utilize feedback to build and maintain interpersonal
relationships.
d. Utilize effective communication and relationships skills in order to
promote the growth of others and effect change.
Program Outcome Four: Ethics
Competency 1. Using the American Counseling Association’s Standards of
Practice or the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Code, as well as
local state law as it applies to the behavior of mental health professionals,
identify ethical dilemmas and apply ethical decision-making strategies while
engaging in professional activities.
Program Outcome Five: Diversity
Competency 1 Multicultural Skills.
Provide assessment, counseling, and consultation services for clients by
applying psychological and multicultural theories and research to diverse
populations, and modifying interventions as needed to work effectively with
diverse clients.
Competency 2 Multicultural Awareness.
Examine personal values and biases, reflect on personal beliefs, and
understand how they impact work with clients and other interpersonal
relationships (e.g., other students and faculty).
Competency 3 Multicultural Knowledge.
Identify and assess the complexity and multidimensionality of
cultural/diversity theories and issues in the field of counseling psychology
while working with clients and developing interpersonal relationships with
other students and faculty.
VII. Counseling Psychology Department information
Counseling psychology students should be aware that since the program is clinically oriented
faculty will create assignments that ask students to reflect upon aspects of their emotional
reactions to clinical material, address aspects of their history or current life relationships, or to
discuss personal reactions to a class. We believe such assignments are an essential component of
professional development as a clinician. Such self observations are central in helping students
gain a deeper appreciation of clinical theory and phenomena, and to develop empathy towards
others.
Diedra L. Clay, Psy.D.
PC6010 Professionalization Group I
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At times students will find that such assignments create considerable personal discomfort. For
this reason, we encourage students to monitor their reaction to such assignments and seek
additional assistance when warranted.
We encourage ongoing interpersonal reflection of how students respond to the world around
them. It is expected that students will develop social and therapeutic support networking that
allows for personal growth.
VIII. Course Policies
Expectations:
Students are expected to attend all class meetings. Only prior approved absences based on
personal or family emergencies will be accepted, and more than two absences will result in a
“Fail” grade for the course. Late arrivals are disruptive to all members, and compromise the
late students’ full participation in the class discussions and activities. Students who come to
class late will lose 1 point from the attendance grade, and those who are more than 30 minutes
late will be counted as absent.
All assignments are due at the beginning of the class. These are no make-ups or extended time
for assignments or presentations. No late assignments will be accepted. Written
communication that does not follow APA style will be returned for no credit.
Communication Standard:
All members of the class are expected to follow rules of common courtesy in all email
communication and in-class discussions. That is, we at all times respect others’ opinions.
When you email me or the class, please include a subject in the subject line of your email, and
always include your name in your email. I generally will try to return your email within 48
hours, and I would like for you to do the same.
IX. Weekly Schedule and Assignment Table:
Week
1
Topic
Readings Due
Assignment Due
Introduction to Pro Group
Review of Syllabus
Managing Graduate School Stress
Organizational Skills and Self-Care
Time Management
Kottler: Chap. 1
Nichols: Intro., Chap. 1
Journal Question
K: Kottler writes that
“therapy is an exercise
in risk taking”. What are
your thoughts about his
assertion?
N: Listening has two
purposes according to
Nichols, what are these
and why are these
important?
Diedra L. Clay, Psy.D.
PC6010 Professionalization Group I
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2
Overview of the MACP Program
The Core Curriculum
Academic & Faculty Advisors
K: Chap. 2
N: Chap. 2
3
Presentation of AUS Librarian
Library resources
UW Library Card
K: pp 43 – 56
N: Chap. 3
4
Professional Development
Argosy email
Communicating with faculty
Classroom demeanor
Interacting with peers
ACA Ethics Code
Overview of professional conduct
K: pp. 57 – 73
N: Chap. 4
5
APA Writing
Review of Handbook
Tips for tabbing
Learning to analyze and critique
K: pp. 75 – 97
N: Chap. 5
6
Personal and Professional Development
Personal counseling
Commitment to growth
K: pp. 98 – 117
N: Chap. 6
APA Handbook
Journal Question
K: Discuss Kottler’s
ideas on the use of
modeling in
psychotherapy. How
might you implement
this?
N: What does listening
do for us?
Journal Question
K: What are some of the
risks of intimacy as
described by Kottler?
How will you deal with
these risks?
N: Which of the reasons
listed by Nichols have
you experienced in
communication
breakdown?
Due: Journal #1 –
weeks 1-3
Journal Question
K: What plans do you
have to take your own
advice as a therapist?
N: Nichols talks about
“the burden of
listening” what does he
mean by that?
Journal Question
K: Which of the special
problems of beginners
to you identify with?
N: What are some of
your hidden
assumptions that keep
you from listening?
Journal Question
K: What will you do to
address some of the
hazards Kottler
identifies?
N: Discuss the impact of
emotionality on
listening. What will you
do to manage your
Diedra L. Clay, Psy.D.
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emotionality in the
future? Due: Journal #2–
weeks 4-6
Due: Final Paper
X. Grading and Evaluation Criteria:
Students are graded on projects that offer opportunities to demonstrate their meeting of
course objectives, ability to work together with each other as professionals, oral and written
success, and reflection on and awareness of the personal impact of being a supervisor. Grading
rubrics outlining specific outcomes expectations will be provided for each assignment.
General Guidelines for Evaluation of Written Assignments:
1. Organization: The issues surrounding ethical dilemmas and ethical decision-making
are complex. Rarely is there one “right answer.” However, two things are critical in
ethical decision-making and will be crucial as you write analytic case evaluations.
You will need to use a clear reasoning process to solve dilemmas. You will also need
to document your thinking process as you reason through a dilemma.
2. Conciseness: You must show evidence of a logical and meaningful consistency in the
structure of your responses to assignments, having a clear flow from beginning to
middle to end.
3. Content: Evidence of having developed the response from significant concepts and
insights gained from the readings, drawing upon theories and standards of practice.
4. Relevance: Maintenance of pointed and clear relationships in response to the
assignment, staying focused on the point of the assignment, and avoiding
educational jargon and/or unnecessary wordage.
5. Clarity: Depth and breadth of argument – using reasoning, insight, and overall
understanding of underlying concepts and principles.
6. APA format: Read and study the APA Manual, 5th Edition. Pay particular attention
to the sections that deal with constructing references, headings, how to write and
phrase ideas, making tables, etc. This manual is the guide to the creation of all
documents at Argosy University and although the university may modify some of
the rules to fit local needs or wishes, you must become very familiar with its usage.
Remember the APA Manual is also a guide that addresses style issues and goes
beyond structure and format.
a. The following outlines specifics for the papers: one inch margins around; a
cover sheet in APA form and style, and a page of references.
b. Page numbers should start on the second page; the first page numbering
(e.g., the cover sheet) should be suppressed. The page numbers should
appear on the top right margin without regard to the 1-inch margin rule.
c. Be sure to adhere to the paper length requirement and due dates stated in
each learning activity.
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Grading Requirements
Attendance & Class Participation
Journal Assignments
Final Paper
20 points
50 points
30 points
Total 100 points
Attendance & Class Participation (20 points) – Attendance is essential for students to fully
experience and assimilate the course material. Each student is expected to have completed and
thought critically about the assigned readings and assignments, so as to be able to fully
contribute to class discussions and experiential exercises. Students attend all classes, come
prepared, and participate fully in relevant and collaborative ways in class discussions and
activities will receive full points. Students lose 1 point for coming to class late, and lose 2 points
for missing a class, and those who are late for more than 30 minutes will be counted as absent.
You will automatically receive an “F” grade if you have more than 3 absences.
Weekly Journals (2 @ 25 points each) - Students will respond to questions each week based
on the topic and the readings for the week. Journals will be turned in two times and should be
double spaced, APA format.
Final Paper (30 points) - Prepare a 6-8 page paper addressing your awareness of areas
in which you have made significant learning, and areas of challenge that remain for
further growth. Questions to consider:
1. Describe what you have learned about the field and the role of a mental
health counselor, and your reactions to this learning.
2. Discuss your thoughts and feelings about becoming a practitioner-scholar in
the field of counseling psychology. Describe the “goodness of fit” between
this training model and your strengths, interests and experiences.
3. Describe the experience of becoming a graduate student in this program, and
what your personal goals are for how to make the most of the program (based
on self-knowledge of what you bring to this academic endeavor, and your
behavioral patterns in other settings). Describe areas where you want to
change the way(s) you approach the learning and clinical opportunities and
challenges that are ahead.
4. Describe what you learned about yourself, not just what you thought or felt
in class (or in readings) but also about how you learned this information
about yourself and what it is like for you to learn about yourself.
5. Describe what you learned about others, not just what you thought or felt in
reaction to others, but what it is like for you to learn about others.
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6. Describe how what you shared and how you shared (the content and process
of your participation in this class) with others during this class is likely to
impact their learning, growing and overall personal/professional
development. Describe how what you didn’t share might have been
impactful, as well.
7. Describe what you learned about ethical models of professional behavior and
how you have incorporated an ethical model as part of your professional
development.
Grading criteria: Degree of accurate self-awareness, openness to learning about self
and others, insightfulness, organization, grammar and spelling, accurate use of APA
format.
Grading Criteria
Grading Scale
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
100 – 93
92 – 90
89 – 88
87 – 83
82 – 80
79 – 78
77 - 73
72 – 70
69 – 68
67 – 63
62 – 60
59 and below
Rubric:
A: Exemplary: The student has demonstrated a quality of work and accomplishment far
beyond the formal requirements and shows originality of thought and mastery and
application of knowledge, skills, and attitudes presented in the course.
B: Proficient: The student’s achievement reflects expectable achievement by
demonstrating a proficient grasp and application of course concepts, skills, and attitudes
presented in the course.
C: Marginal: The student has only partially demonstrated an inconsistent and correct
grasp and application of the basic concepts, skills, and attitudes presented in the course.
F: Unacceptable: The student has failed to demonstrate grasp and application of course
concepts, skills, and attitudes either through insufficient and incomplete presentations,
or consistently incorrect and unprofessional presentations.
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PC6010 Professionalization Group I
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XI. Library Information
Library Support
Argosy University’s core online collection features nearly 21,000 full-text journals and
23,000 electronic books and other content covering all academic subject areas including Business
& Economics, Career & General Education, Computers, Engineering & Applied Science,
Humanities, Science, Medicine & Allied Health, and Social & Behavior Sciences. Many titles are
directly accessible through the Online Public Access Catalog at http://library.argosy.edu.
Detailed descriptions of online resources are located at
http://library.argosy.edu/misc/onlinedblist.html.
In addition to online resources, Argosy University’s onsite collections contain a wealth
of subject-specific research materials searchable in the Online Public Access Catalog. Catalog
searching is easily limited to individual campus collections. Alternatively, students can search
combined collections of all Argosy University Libraries. Students are encouraged to seek
research and reference assistance from campus librarians.
Information Literacy: Argosy University’s Information Literacy Tutorial was developed
to teach students fundamental and transferable research skills. The tutorial consists of five
modules where students learn to select sources appropriate for academic-level research, search
periodical indexes and search engines, and evaluate and cite information. In the tutorial,
students study concepts and practice them through interactions. At the conclusion of each
module, they can test their comprehension and receive immediate feedback. Each module takes
less than 20 minutes to complete. Please view the tutorial at http://library.argosy.edu/infolit/
Below are some examples:
1. EBSCO Database: http://search.epnet.com (The campus librarian will provide students with
links, user IDs, and passwords)
Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection
Over 500 full text titles (mostly peer-reviewed) covering psychiatry &
psychology, mental processes, anthropology, and observational and experimental
methods. To find out if a title is peer reviewed enter the website. Click on Title List.
Then click on the name of the publication you are interested in. Then click on
Publication Detail.
Academic Search Elite
This multi-disciplinary database offers full text for more than 1,850 scholarly
journals, including nearly 1,300 peer-reviewed titles. Covering virtually every area of
academic study, Academic Search Elite offers full text information dating as far back as
1985. This database is updated on a daily basis via EBSCOhost. To find out if a title is
peer reviewed, enter the website. Click on Title List. Then click on the name of the
publication you are interested in. Then click on Publication Detail.
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2. LIRN Databases: http://lirn.net/auth (The campus librarian will provide students with links, user
IDs, and passwords)
Gale’s Search bank
Expanded Academic Index ASAP 1980 to present. Scholarly journals with full
text articles for topics from the arts and humanities to science and technology.
PA General Research
1986 to present. 1800 full-text articles in arts, business, education and social
sciences.
ProQuest
Search the full collection of journals, magazines and newspapers for information
on a broad range of general reference subjects.
XII. Academic Policies
Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism:
In an effort to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity during the learning process, Argosy
University requires that the submission of all course assignments represent the original work
produced by that student. All sources must be documented through normal scholarly
references/citations and all work must be submitted using the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association, 5th Edition (2001). Washington DC: American Psychological Association
(APA) format. Please refer to Appendix A in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological
Association, 5th Edition for thesis and paper format. Students are required to purchase this
manual (required in most courses) and become familiar with its content as well as consult the
Argosy University catalog for further information regarding academic dishonesty and
plagiarism.
The University has a zero tolerance policy regarding academic dishonesty and
plagiarism. All work should be the student’s, unless otherwise cited. This includes citing from
the internet. Do not cut and paste from the internet and count it as your own. Any case of
academic dishonesty will be dealt with in accordance with university policies and procedures.
Scholarly writing:
The faculty at Argosy University is dedicated to providing a learning environment that
supports scholarly and ethical writing, free from academic dishonesty and plagiarism. This
includes the proper and appropriate referencing of all sources. You may be asked to submit
your course assignments through “Turnitin,” (www.turnitin.com), an online resource
established to help educators develop writing/research skills and detect potential cases of
academic dishonesty. Turnitin compares submitted papers to billions of pages of content and
provides a comparison report to your instructor. This comparison detects papers that share
common information and duplicative language.
Diedra L. Clay, Psy.D.
PC6010 Professionalization Group I
XIII.
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Americans with Disabilities Act Policy
It is the policy of Argosy University to make reasonable accommodations for qualified
students with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If a
student with disabilities needs accommodations, the student must notify the Director of Student
Services. Procedures for documenting student disability and the development of reasonable
accommodations will be provided to the student upon request.
Students will be notified by the Director of Student Services when each request for
accommodation is approved or denied in writing via a designated form. To receive
accommodation in class, it is the student’s responsibility to present the form (at his or her
discretion) to the instructor. In an effort to protect student privacy, the Department of Student
Services will not discuss the accommodation needs of any student with instructors. Faculty may
not make accommodations for individuals who have not been approved in this manner.
XIV. Argosy University Statement Regarding Diversity
Argosy University prepares students to serve populations with diverse social, ethnic,
economic, and educational experiences. Both the academic and training curricula are designed
to provide an environment in which students can develop the skills and attitudes essential to
working with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
Note: Instructors reserve the right to make syllabus and assignment adjustments which in
her/his judgment are appropriate and are supported in terms of learning objectives.
Diedra L. Clay, Psy.D.