Capella PSYC2320 2022 November Discussions Latest (Full)

PSYC2320 Introduction to Counselling and Psychotherapy

Week 1 Discussion

Counselling Specializations

In this discussion, you will explore a counseling specialization that interests you. When most people hear the word "counseling," they think of a therapy session with a couch and a person in a tweed jacket helping someone through a mental health issue. In reality, counseling is abroad profession that encompasses many different specializations and serves many different populations. Through this conversation, you will learn more about the available options and how your skills and interests may align.

For this conversation, engage with your course community on a counseling specialization that you are considering or are interested in learning more about. You can choose from one of the specializations below or another specialization of your choice:

Addictions counseling

Career counseling

Mental health counseling

Marriage, couple, and family counseling

School counseling

College counseling or student affairs

Clinical psychology. Psychiatric nursing

Licensed clinical social work

Engage in a conversation with your course community on at least ONE of the following, based on your specialization selection:

Summarize the key aspects of the counseling specialization you have chosen. How is it different from other specializations?

Describe the job requirements, including the skills and credentials needed (for example, a master’s or doctoral degree). If licensure is required, provide a brief overview of your state’s requirements (such as clinical hours, licensure exam, or graduation from an accredited program).

Describe the settings in which the professional in this specialization might work, and the populations they might serve.

Describe how your personal as well as professional goals are aligned with this career choice. Be sure to provide examples.

Based on your interest, you may choose to use your Introduction to Counseling: Voices From the Field text to read one or more of the following in order to complete your discussion:

Chapter 10, "Family, Couples, and Sex Counseling," pages 271–300 (for those interested in Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling).

Chapter 11, "Career Counseling," pages 301–329 (for those interested in incorporating Career Counseling into a specialization of interest).

Chapter 12, "Neuroscience, Addictions, and Psychopharmacology," pages 330–367 (for those interested in Addictions Counseling).

The Occupational Outlook Handbook from the Bureau of Labor Statistics may also be helpful. Other resources may be found in the Capella University Library or on the Internet under organizations that support the specialization.

 

PSYC2320 Introduction to Counselling and Psychotherapy

Week 2 Discussion

The Therapeutic Relationship

The therapeutic relationship is an alliance between the counselor and the client that is part of all counseling professions. It is the foundation for the work that will take place between them.

With that in mind, begin a conversation where you perform the below tasks:

Explain what makes the therapeutic relationship unique compared to other relationships.

Describe some strategies and skills that counselors use to form a therapeutic relationship.

Use professional sources to guide your explanations of the relationships and strategies. As always, if you are relying on someone else’s ideas when presenting yours, you should reference their paper, article, or other related work. This includes sharing references to your fellow students’ ideas!

 

PSYC2320 Introduction to Counselling and Psychotherapy

Week 3 Discussion

Theory Base and Counseling Approaches

All counselors and therapists use theories as frameworks for understanding what they are hearing and observing. Theories provide an organized foundation to understand problems and formulate interventions. The counselor’s approach is then based in the theory or theories.

After reading about various counseling approaches in your studies this week (Chapters 5 and 6 in your textbook), engage in a conversation about ONE of the following:

Explain the counseling approach that most speaks to you and how it fits with your way of thinking.

Choose one counseling approach and search for a scholarly article from the Capella library that researches the approach with a specific population and share a brief summary in a way that gives us a good understanding of what the research was about. Who and what did the researchers study and how? What did they find?

 

PSYC2320 Introduction to Counselling and Psychotherapy

Week 4 Discussion

Cultural Competence and Social Justice

Please select one of the topics below and respond to the question(s) that follow(s):

Topic A: Building Cultural Competence

During the course readings and experiences, you have been learning more about cultural sensitivity and cultural competency.

Describe an area of cultural competency that you would like to strengthen.

Describe how you will go about doing so. Be specific about the ways you can build this skill in cultural competence.

Topic B: Advocating for Social Justice

Culturally competent counselors understand how social structures can marginalize specific groups of people, which can create differences in opportunities for those groups as compared to other groups.

One example is accessibility for people with disabilities. Changes continue to be made to physical buildings to provide accessibility for wheelchairs and service dogs where none used to exist. It took many people advocating for the changes in order to make them happen. This is just one example of many where psychology and counseling professionals advocate for change through community involvement, sharing research, et cetera.

In your readings this week, Kottler talks about the responsibility of counselors and therapist to contribute to addressing problems in social justice. Counselors and therapists may find different ways to address social justice depending on their role and their geographic location. For example, a marriage and family therapist may find different ways of addressing social disparities than a school counselor.

Share how you might see yourself contributing to advocacy for social justice in your counseling area of interest.

 

PSYC2320 Introduction to Counselling and Psychotherapy

Week 5 Discussion

Caring for Your Counselor Self

Taking care of oneself as a person and a professional counselor or therapist is a good way to not only continue doing the work you love to do, but to role model self-care to others, including clients. After reading the studies for this week, think about how you will take care of yourself as a future counselor or therapist. There are many ways to care for oneself that include activities that are personally enriching (that is, hobbies, vacations, meditation, exercise, etc.) and those that are professionally enriching (that is, socializing or peer supervision in reviewing cases with colleagues, attending conferences, etc.).

With that in mind, begin a conversation with your course community related to the following:

Describe a clear plan for your self-care. Include ideas that that you can reasonably follow through with.

Use professional literature (either from this week’s readings or other resources) to support your plan. As always, if you are relying on someone else’s ideas when presenting yours, you should reference their paper, article, or other related work. This includes sharing references to your fellow students’ ideas!