MS Dual Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling

Students in this course are provided with an introduction to the field of professional counseling and the foundations of counseling. Students explore the history, philosophy, cultural dynamics, and trends in professional counseling. They examine consultation as well as client and counselor advocacy, focusing on the counselor's role as social change agent. Students also examine and apply ethical standards of the counseling profession, including the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics and counselor ethical decision-making processes. Through a final reflective project designed to influence their future ethical framework, students define their ethical perspectives, including influences, values, and goals.

Prerequisites

• COUN 6722

Students in this course have the opportunity to increase their awareness, knowledge, skills, and advocacy related to working with clients from a multicultural perspective. Students foster self-understanding of their own cultural-identity development, biases, stereotypes, values, and strengths while gaining self-awareness of the effects of power, privilege, and marginalization within the counseling relationship. Further, students can gain knowledge of various issues within diversity. Students explore various theories of multicultural counseling and the role of social justice and advocacy in counseling.

Prerequisites

MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

• COUN 6722

MS Dual Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling

• COUN 6316

Students in this course explore the role of leader and consultant in a school setting. The development of a data-driven comprehensive school counseling program is emphasized in this course along with specific strategies for communicating with key stakeholders, working to close the achievement gap, and working within the mission of schools to advocate for student needs.

Prerequisites

MS in School Counseling

• COUN 6302

MS Dual Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling

• COUN 6316
• COUN 6306

Assessments are important tools that counselors use to gain information about clients and to aid practice. Therefore, counselors must know what assessment tools are available; have the ability to read, interpret, and analyze results of tests; and keep abreast of changing trends in working with assessments as well as new assessment tools and changes in technology. Students in this course are provided with an overview of assessments used in counseling and education as well as the responsibilities of counselors using assessments. Students learn about the different types of tests used in clinical, educational, and organizational settings, and they examine the psychometric properties used to develop and evaluate these instruments. They also explore normative sampling and standardization, reliability and validity, test score interpretation, and test development. Additionally, students assess and discuss ethical, legal, and sociocultural issues, including cultural bias and fairness. A foundation for the course is professional standards for testing.

Prerequisites

MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

• COUN 6316
• COUN 6306

MS Dual Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling

• COUN 6316
• COUN 6306
• COUN 6723

By participating in a Walden Pre-Practicum, students gain skills in their development as scholar-practitioners. Through Pre-Practicum experiences, students expand their network of peers and faculty members while they develop their professional skills and identity. In Pre-Practicum 1, students begin to apply the core skills and techniques introduced in the Techniques course. Students also continue to develop the multicultural competencies needed for counseling. Per program requirements, there is a synchronous experience. Students will receive specific information about their upcoming field experience and credentialing.

Prerequisites

• COUN 6316

In this course, students are provided with an overview of development through the lifespan, including childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and aging experiences. Physical, social, emotional, and cognitive issues are covered, as well as the expected developmental milestones during each of these phases of development. The latest research in attachment theory, brain research, and aging is included, and themes of diversity issues related to developmental research are highlighted throughout the course.

Prerequisites

MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

• COUN 6316
• COUN 6306
• COUN 6723

MS Dual Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling

• COUN 6311
• COUN 6360

Students are provided with an overview of what is commonly referred to as abnormal psychology; however, students also consider factors constituting normalcy from multiple perspectives. Students explore the application of diagnostic criteria in various mental health work settings, such as schools, rehabilitation facilities, community agencies, and private practices. Using the scholar-practitioner model, students consider environmental and biological factors contributing to behavioral disorders. Students also examine techniques commonly used for the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive, emotional, and developmental disorders as well as for psychophysiological and psychosocial problems. Though coursework and discussions, students consider multicultural factors that complicate diagnosis as well as current trends and contemporary issues in clinical assessment and diagnosis.

Prerequisites

MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

• COUN 6723
• COUN 6360
• CPLB 601L

MS Dual Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling

• COUN 6311
• COUN 6360

Group work is an effective counseling method that allows group members to share perspectives and provide useful feedback and information in a structured setting. Using relevant literature, multimedia resources, and a scholar-practitioner model, students examine stages of group process; group dynamics; and ethical, legal, and training standards. Students examine the types of counseling groups as well as the unique leadership skills required for each type of group. Students are provided with a comprehensive review of theoretical approaches applicable to group counseling. Students engage in a variety of practical application assignments and discussions, focusing on the efficacy of using group counseling with multicultural and diverse populations. Students will develop an evidence-based mental health group proposal appropriate for potential implementation in field experience. Students engage in a process of self-reflection to increase self-awareness for enhanced group leadership knowledge and skills.Group lab is a separate 0-credit, required course that occurs simultaneously with the Group Process and Dynamics course. Students need to ensure that they are enrolled and participating in both courses.

Prerequisites

• COUN 6215
• CPLB 601L

This is an experiential lab in which students learn by doing (i.e., participate in a small group activity). This lab is provided to students as part of their program requirements set forth by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). To maintain CACREP accreditation, all students must participate in a minimum of 10 hours of small group activity over the course of one academic term (CACREP, 2016, 2.F.6.h.).

In Pre-Practicum 2, students continue to develop core skills from Pre-Practicum 1 and integrate advanced skills in their development as scholar-practitioners. Through their Pre-Practicum experiences, students expand their network of peers and faculty members while they continue to develop professional skills and identity. In Pre-Practicum 2, students begin to develop group leadership skills, integrate counseling theory, and continue to demonstrate cultural competency skills. Students will engage in developing their upcoming field experience plan and continue credentialing skills activities.

Prerequisites

• COUN 6250

Students in this course are introduced to evaluating professional counseling research and provided with a foundation in program evaluation. Analysis of counseling literature is used to demonstrate the importance of research in advancing the counseling profession, including how to critique research to inform counseling practice. Students learn to distinguish between quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods designs, the strengths and limitations of each method, and under what circumstances each design would be most appropriate. Additionally, students consider the ethical and cultural issues associated with research involving human subjects. Through evaluating professional literature, students will gain an understanding of designs used in research and program evaluation and the use of data in counseling. Additionally, students explore the ethical underpinnings of program evaluation, approaches to evaluation, and techniques used to perform the assessment of program effectiveness. Students examine the procedures involved in evaluating the needs of a specific group or organization and gain hands-on experience conducting a search for professional counseling literature, developing an annotated bibliography, and identification of evidence-based counseling practices.

Prerequisites

• COUN 6215
• COUN 6720
• CPLB 601L

An important skill for clinicians to have is a fundamental understanding of the dynamics and functioning of couples and families. Students in this course are introduced to concepts and applications in theoretical perspectives and techniques, classical schools of thought, and recent developments in couples and family therapy. Students explore culture, gender, and ethnicity factors in family development. They also review and compare theoretical frameworks in couples and family therapy, including psychosocial, psychodynamic, transgenerational, strategic, cognitive-behavioral, and social constructionist models. Additionally, students assess the roles of culture, spirituality, and values in understanding families.

Prerequisites

MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

• COUN 6215
• COUN 6720
• CPLB 601L

MS in School Counseling

• COUN 6322
• COUN 6320

MS Dual Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling

• COUN 6215
• COUN 6720
• CPLB 601L

Students in this course are provided with an overview of empirically supported theories and techniques for working with children and adolescents in the counseling process. The course is designed to enhance students' theoretical and practical understanding of the systemic interplay among children, adolescents, families, and the stakeholders in their lives. Emphasis is given to a family-systems view of intervention, with specific attention to developmental, cognitive, behavioral, educational, multicultural, and environmental issues. Students will be exposed to a distinct group of empirically supported interventions aimed at improving individual and family functioning. Legal and ethical issues related to counseling children and adolescents will be explored.

Prerequisites

MS in School Counseling

• COUN 6311
• SPLB 671L

MS Dual Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling

• COUN 6626
• CPLB 601L

Students in this course are provided with the opportunity to develop practical skills in career and vocational assessment as well as functional knowledge of how career assessment can assist in the exploration and understanding of the interrelationship among work, family, and life roles. They examine major sources of career and work information available on the Internet as well as through printed material and computer-based guidance systems. Gaining practical career counseling experience, students administer, score, and interpret printed and computer-based assessments of career interests, beliefs, and values. Students learn how to integrate career development theory and assessment results with career clinical interventions. They also examine clinical and assessment issues, devoting attention to computer-based applications and multicultural implications.

Prerequisites

MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

• COUN 6250
• COUN 6626
• CPLB 601L

MS Dual Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling

• COUN 6626
• CPLB 601L
• COUN 6726

In this course, students prepare for their roles as counselors and agents of social change in the areas of prevention, consultation, and community advocacy with diverse populations in different settings in order to bring about positive social change. At Walden University, positive social change is "a deliberate process of creating and applying ideas, strategies, and actions to promote the worth, dignity, and development of individuals, communities, organizations, institutions, cultures, and societies. Positive social change results in the improvement of human and social conditions" (Walden University, 2018). Prevention, consultation, and advocacy are tools and methods to help bring about positive social change in local communities and globally. Students examine relationships between prevention, consultation, and advocacy giving consideration to theoretical underpinnings, diversity, and ethics. Students also identify a mental health or public health need in their community, develop a prevention plan to address that need, engage in consultation with fellow students about the prevention plan, and explore advocacy related to the community need. Applying prevention, consultation, and advocacy in this course is all oriented toward promoting positive social change and becoming more effective agents of change.

Prerequisites

MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

• COUN 6250
• COUN 6626
• CPLB 601L
• COUN 6726

MS Dual Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling

• CPLB 601L
• COUN 6726
• COUN 6317

Students are provided with a foundation for counseling clients who have both substance-related and behavioral addictions. In this course, students examine historical perspectives and current trends in addiction treatment, as well as the biological and environmental influences on the etiology of addiction. Techniques and processes for assessment and diagnosis are examined in the context of individual, group, and systemic perspectives, with attention given to developmental and multicultural influences on addiction. Influences of public policy and advocacy on addiction and treatment are also examined.

Prerequisites

MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

• COUN 6753
• CPBL 602L

MS in School Counseling

• COUN 6322
• COUN 6320

MS Dual Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling

• CPLB 601L
• COUN 6317
• COUN 6753

As client advocates, counselors rely on knowledge of psychotropic medications to inform treatment. This course introduces a spectrum of psychotropic medications used in the management of mental, behavioral, and addictive disorders. Students explore medication classification, drug interaction, and side effects. In addition, students distinguish between medical and psychopathological conditions that present in similar ways to addictive disorders. As part of a professional learning community, students collaborate with peers in written scholarly dialogue to explore psychopharmacological intervention in the treatment of addiction and other psychopathologies that may coexist. Students analyze factors that increase the likelihood for a person, community, or group to be at risk for disorders and examine the cultural and contextual factors considered in the ethical treatment of clients. Across counseling specializations, this course builds foundational clinical knowledge of the intersection of counseling and psychotropic medical treatment.

Prerequisites

• COUN 6753
• COUN 6785
• CPBL 602L

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the personal and systemic impact of crises, disasters, and other trauma-causing events on individuals, couples, families, and communities. Students examine theories and response models as they relate to sexual trauma, crisis in individuals and families, crisis in the community, and crisis in the nation and in the world. They explore and discuss topics related to counselor competencies, vicarious trauma and counter transference, specific diagnoses, and advocacy. Students also engage in assignments designed to provide practical application of crisis assessment. Through contemporary articles and case studies, they consider and discuss cultural, legal, and ethical issues related to crisis, trauma, and disaster events and response.

Prerequisites

• COUN 6785
• COUN 6730
• CPBL 602L

The Counseling Practicum is an introduction to the capstone experience. During the practicum course, students begin to synthesize and apply the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions learned throughout their program of study. Students must secure a field experience site, apply with the Office of Field Experience within the published application window, and earn approval before being eligible for practicum enrollment. Once enrolled, students will spend a minimum average of 8–10 hours per week at the site that they have secured. They will complete direct counseling hours, weekly individual or triadic supervision with their site supervisor, administrative duties, and other activities as assigned by the site. Concurrently, students will participate in weekly case conceptualization activities, 2 hours of group supervision per week with their faculty supervisor, and other clinically relevant assignments directly related to the work at the site. There are multiple synchronous components in this course. Students must be prepared to be flexible in meeting the demands of this course.

Prerequisites

• All core courses in the program of study
• All residencies
• Approval by the Office of Field Experience

Counseling Internship I is the first course of a two-part capstone experience. By the end of the two courses, students will have conducted  600 hours of focused application of their counseling skills, with 240 of those hours being direct services to their identified population/setting. During the Internship I course, site and faculty supervisors guide and evaluate students on their ability to synthesize and apply the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions learned throughout their program of study. Students must secure a field experience site, apply with the Office of Field Experience within the published application window, and earn approval before being eligible for Internship I enrollment. Once enrolled, students complete  direct counseling hours, weekly individual or triadic supervision with their site supervisor, administrative duties, and other activities as assigned by the site. Concurrently, students participate in course activities each week designed to integrate their experiences at the site into their skills and professional identity as counselors-in-training, as well as participate in 2 hours of group supervision per week with their faculty supervisor and other clinically relevant assignments directly related to the work at the site. There are multiple synchronous components of this course. Students must be prepared to be flexible in meeting the demands of this course.

Prerequisites

• Successful completion of Counseling Practicum
• Approval by the Office of Field Experience

Counseling Internship II is the second course of a two-part capstone experience. By the end of the two courses, students will have conducted  600 hours of focused application of their counseling skills, with 240 of those hours being direct services to their identified population/setting. During the Internship I course, site and faculty supervisors guide and evaluate students on their ability to synthesize and apply the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions learned throughout their program of study. Students must secure a field experience site, apply with the Office of Field Experience within the published application window, and earn approval before being eligible for Internship II enrollment. Once enrolled, students complete  direct counseling hours, weekly individual or triadic supervision with their site supervisor, administrative duties, and other activities as assigned by the site. Concurrently, students participate in course activities each week designed to integrate their experiences at the site into their skills and professional identity as counselors-in-training, as well as participate in 2 hours of group supervision per week with their faculty supervisor and other clinically relevant assignments directly related to the work at the site. There are multiple synchronous components of this course. Students must be prepared to be flexible in meeting the demands of this course.

Prerequisites

• Successful completion of Counseling Internship I
• Approval by the Office of Field Experience

Counseling Internship I is the first of a two-part capstone experience. During the Internship I course, site and faculty supervisors guide and evaluate students on their ability to synthesize and apply the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions learned throughout their program of study. Students must secure a field experience site, apply with the Office of Field Experience within the published application window, and earn approval before being eligible for Internship I enrollment. Once enrolled, students will spend a minimum average of 25–35 hours per week at the site that they have secured. They will complete direct counseling hours, weekly individual or triadic supervision with their site supervisor, administrative duties, and other activities as assigned by the site. Concurrently, students will participate in weekly case conceptualization activities, 2 hours of group supervision per week with their faculty supervisor, and other clinically relevant assignments directly related to the work at the site. There are multiple synchronous components in this course. Students must be prepared to be flexible in meeting the demands of this course.

Prerequisites

• Office of Field Experience approval required

Counseling Internship II is second of a two-part capstone experience. During the Internship II course, site and faculty supervisors guide and evaluate students on their ability to synthesize and apply the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions learned throughout their program of study. Students must secure a field experience site, apply with the Office of Field Experience within the published application window, and earn approval before being eligible for Internship II enrollment. Once enrolled, students will spend a minimum average of 25–35 hours per week at the site that they have secured. They will complete direct counseling hours, weekly individual or triadic supervision with their site supervisor, administrative duties, and other activities as assigned by the site. Concurrently, students will participate in weekly case conceptualization activities, 2 hours of group supervision per week with their faculty supervisor, and other clinically relevant assignments directly related to the work at the site. There are multiple synchronous components in this course. Students must be prepared to be flexible in meeting the demands of this course.

Prerequisites

• Successful completion of Counseling Internship I
• Office of Field Experience approval required