WELCOME TO A WONDERFUL CLASS! WE ARE FINALLY LEARNING THEORIES AND METHODS OF THERAPY, AND I LOVE TEACHING THIS COURSE!
Please NOTE: Dr. Bernous will be covering 8/13 and 8/15 while I am in Toronto Presenting on Gestalt Therapy at the Association for Advancement to Gestalt Therapy Biennial Conference.
Looking far far ahead :
The QUIZ:
Quiz will cover Chapters in text with topics of Psychoanalytic and Humanisitc/Person-centered. Chapters 2 and 5 as well as Chapter 7 (Interpersonal Therapy)
Links to Powerpoints for Chapters 2, 5 and 7 below.
Use the article "Developing your Own Integrative Approach...by Corey for REACTION PAPER #2, and describe what approach you might take and why. Also include what your experience was like in Peer Supervised Roleplays and how this might have shaped your ideas. (Link below).
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Welcome to PSY 611A Counseling Paradigms!
This is an exciting course as we begin to study the variety skills and listening and attending approaches used in the therapy encounter as well as overview of therapeutic modalities from Psychoanalytic to Post Modern Approaches and Resiliency Models This course explores the theories, techniques and issues in counseling and psychotherapy, and students will gain skills and competencies as they explore personal areas of growth necessary in the development of an ethical and competent therapeutic self.
I encourage you to challenge yourself to think outside of comfort zones, and explore the variety of ways of being in the therapeutic encounter. Each of you will develop a personal way of doing therapy that reflects your own unique talents and traits.
This is a particularly rigorous course, and an essential tool in your development of therapeutic knowledge and skills. Prepare for a great deal of learning in a very short period of time. Plan your study time and work on assignments accordingly. Much of what you will learn in this course will be utilized both on your licensing exam and in your future work as a therapist. Take your learning seriously, and seriously enjoy what you are learning and who you are becoming.
In preparation for your role-play demonstrations: How to Find streaming videos on our NU Website:
There is nice selection of videos on various forms of therapy available on via our Library website. Some are wonderful, some are so so, and some are not very good at all. However, there are some good ones which will acquaint you with some of the basic theories and models of therapy. Some are conducted by the masters, such as Rogers, Bugenthal, Haley, Ellis, Polster, Satir, Menuichin, etc.
Here are the steps:
Go to www.nu.edu
Click “Library”
On the left click “streaming videos”
Here you have three main areas devoted to Psychology and Counseling.
“Alexander Street Videos Volume 1”
“Alexander Street Videos Volume 2”
“PsycTHERAPY” (This is in the box below the others)
To access videos:
Enter your NU ID# and password is mmddyy of your birthday
Role Play Experience:
These role plays do not require advance preparation on your part. You will be working on basic skills and issues encountered in the counseling process
Like learning how to drive, developing therapy skills is a process of gradual improvement, and may feel very awkward at first as you try to remember so many things needed to be an effective listener. LISTENING is your most important skill, not techniques, and this is supported by the research. Please make this the major focus of your learning experience, and you will see the benefits to your work.
The noise inside of you will be the most difficult to learn to shift away from and focus on the client. It is a gradual process you will begin to improve on. Novice therapists are self critical, sometimes unforgiving of their early mistakes, and worried worried worried that they won't know what to do. When ever this happens, return to listening. Use questions to better understand the client not "figure the client out." Facilitate their ease in speaking with you and most of the work will be done.
If you practice meditation or mindfulness activities you will see a similarity. If meditation is difficult for you, most likely attending to the client fully will be difficult as well. It is a practice, and like any new skill it does take time.
You are highly encouraged to spend time partnering with other students roleplaying basic skills outside of coursetime. I am happy to review brief videos of this if you would like to receive helpful feedback on your process, and I make an effort to be available certain days 30 minutes prior to class to meet to practice as well. If you would like to schedule this, please feel free to email me ahead of time to arrange for this.