SAMPLE SYLLABUS PSYC 710. Counseling Strategies: Brief Counseling and Crisis Intervention

SAMPLE SYLLABUS PSYC 710. Counseling Strategies: Brief Counseling and Crisis Intervention Course Description This course is divided into two parts: Brief Counseling (first half) and Crisis Intervention (second half). This course is an introduction to the models and techniques of time-limited counseling and crisis intervention. Students learn the principles involved in helping clients toward resolution of their concerns, and practice the micro-skills involved in goal-oriented efficient brief counseling. Using these skills, they then develop resolution-focused, immediate crisis intervention strategies. Specific crisis intervention practices include suicide prevention, outreach approaches, and disaster intervention. Prerequisite: PSYC 660, PSYC 661 or permission of instructor. Required Texts: **Note: textbooks required by individual professors may differ from this list Presbury, J. H., Echterling, L. G., & McKee, J. E. (2008). Beyond brief counseling and therapy: An integrative approach (second edition) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice-Hall. Echterling, L. G., Presbury, J. H. & McKee, J. E. (2005). Crisis intervention: Promoting resilience and resolution in troubled times. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall. Introductory Statement: This course is designed to concentrate on brief approaches to counseling and crisis situations. While much of your training has been based on the assumption that you will be able to take all the time needed to establish a therapeutic relationship with clients, you will find that in actual practice clients typically do not wish to commit to extended-term counseling relationships: They often would prefer that their problems be solved as quickly as possible. Furthermore, some of your work will be with people in crisis rather than those who bring chronic and long-standing issues to counseling. People in crisis will need your best brief intervention and your creative ability to adapt to the situation at hand. This course has been developed to help you make the most of situations of shorter duration. As you begin your work in the field, you will find that for those clients who appear at your office, the median number of sessions will be 1 and the maximum number is often 6 to 8. Usually, this brief counseling will be the client s choice. In addition, many agencies and third party payers limit the number of sessions you will be able to have with clients. It is probable that in crisis situations, because of location and other circumstances, you will at most, be able to work with clients only once. If you are a school counselor, you may find your work with clients will be limited to a few minutes, or conversations on the run. Understanding the methods of brief counseling will help you get the most out of the time you have with clients. The assumption made by your instructors is that you have already learned how to establish a warm, trusting, working relationship [LUV] with clients, and that you have also begun to develop your own theory of helping. This course will go beyond relationship skills, but will utilize them as the foundation for the work we will be doing. The purpose of the second half of this course is to prepare you for dealing with the inevitable crisis situations you will encounter as a counselor. You begin this portion by reflecting on how

people deal with crises, exploring your own crisis experiences, and starting to develop your skills in crisis intervention. Along the way, you will put your experiences, attitudes, and skills into a theoretical context. You will also examine the relevant research on crises, resolution, resilience, and transcendence. But your major focus throughout the second half of the course will be on learning the practical skills of helping people in crisis. You will probably find this course to be emotionally challenging. You will have to think about painful experiences, face some difficult issues, examine your own strengths and vulnerabilities, and try out new ways of helping others. All of us have been through crises ourselves, but if you currently are in a crisis situation, you should carefully consider if you are able right now to handle the extra challenges of this course. As you monitor your own reactions, please feel free to use me as a resource. Course Objectives, Knowledge and Skills Outcomes: The objectives of this course are to help you: be acquainted with the basic theories, assumptions, and techniques of the brief resolution counseling method; put into practice some of the behaviors involved in this approach; conduct a prototype first and second session interview using this method; become comfortable using them in your counseling work; understand the concept of crisis, crisis intervention models, and the dynamics of the resolution process; recognize the resilience, strengths and resources of people in crisis; become skilled in performing crisis intervention; understand suicide prevention models and deal successfully with someone who is considering suicide; use the telephone effectively in crisis situations; become familiar with outreach approaches; work successfully with individuals, families, groups, and communities in crisis; use psychological first aid strategies; appreciate counselors roles and responsibilities as members of an interdisciplinary emergency management response team during a local, regional, or national crisis, disaster or other trauma-causing event; and consider the ethical and legal challenges of crisis intervention. Conduct of the Class: It is important that you attend class regularly. Absences will be assumed by the instructor to have been lost opportunities for your learning, and will be interpreted as less proficiency. Such a loss will, of course, affect your grade. The main activities in the Brief portion of the class will be: (a) discussion of the ideas and tools contained in the text, (b) demonstrations and in-class practice of techniques, and (c) group practice outside class, (d) video recorded sessions in which you will display your grasp of the skills involved in working briefly. You will be expected to take an active role in every class session in order to enhance your own skills and understandings, as well as those of your classmates. Discussions of theory and practice will follow the reading assignments for each week (see the calendar below). Course Requirements:

1. Attendance is required and necessary for the successful completion of this course. Obviously, any absence would represent a significant portion of the class meeting time, and create a major gap in your learning. 2. Participation is crucial to the learning of all class members. This means that you must actively engage in the discussions (read this as you must talk) and the practice activities in class. Come to class having read (and thought about) the reading material, so as to be fully prepared for the discussion. When practicing the tools of brief counseling in and out of class, be prepared to participate with your best effort. 3. Reading of both texts is required: (Read the entire book prior to coming to the first class, then subsequently review each chapter and write as indicated below.) You are expected to come to class prepared to discuss the reading for the week. After reviewing each chapter of the assigned text, you are to: Write three questions, comments, or arguments (for each chapter) that occur to you during your reading that you would like to have discussed in class. Bring a hard copy to class. This will prepare you for your class discussion. State which part of each chapter you liked best. Make your response detailed and give reasons for your evaluation. State which part of each chapter you liked least. Make your response detailed and give reasons for your evaluation. Your writing will be assessed according to the attached rubric. NOTE: These responses are to be typed and turned in to the instructor each week with your name included. 4. Collaborative Group Meetings: You are expected to meet with your collaborative group outside of class for no less than one hour and practice the tools in the assigned activities (see Calendar below). This activity is to be done prior to coming to class. This is a theory-topractice exercise that each member of the group should attempt. Your group members will be asked to attest to your attendance and participation at every meeting. If you have specific needs that are addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and will be requesting accommodations in this class, please make sure you are registered with Disability Services, Wilson Hall, Room 107, 568-6705. As soon as possible, please provide us with a copy of your Access Plan letter outlining your accommodations. We will be glad to meet with you privately during office hours to discuss accommodations. Of course, we expect you to abide by the JMU Honor Code, which is in the Catalog. Check with us if you have any questions regarding this matter. Calendar of First Half Brief Counseling Week 1 *Before coming to the first class meeting, read and respond to the Preface and Chapter 1 of Beyond Brief Counseling. Bring a hard copy of your reactions to the first class meeting.

Class Activities: Discussion of Preface and Chapter 1. Introduction to the class, video presentation of a first session in brief counseling. Practice Assignments: With your collaborative group, rotate roles and practice: Presumptive or neutral opening lines, the LUV Triangle, and get your client to a wellformed goal. (See the sections entitled Using this Tool for how to practice) Reading and Writing Assignments: Review Chapters 2, 3, & 4; and bring a hard copy of your reactions to this reading to the class meeting. (per the 4 items listed above under 3. Reading of the text is required. ). Week 2 Class Activities: Discussion of Chapters 2, 3, and 4. Discussion of the activities practiced by your collaborative group. Practice Assignments: With your collaborative group, rotate roles and practice: Ways to deconstruct client constructions, such as: reframe or re-label, externalization, or paradox. (See the sections entitled Using this Tool for how to practice) Reading and Writing Assignments: Review Chapters 5, 6, & 7; and bring a hard copy of your reactions to this reading to the class meeting. (per the items listed above under 3. Reading of the text is required. ). Week 3 Class Activities: Discussion of Chapters 5, 6, & 7. Discussion of the activities practiced by your collaborative group. Practice Assignments: With your collaborative group, rotate roles and practice: Asking your client possibility questions (exceptions to the problem and assuming the goal state), make sure your client is in the emotional zone, and see if you can get your client into the flow of a transderivational search. Have your observer(s) act as the reflecting team and follow the protocol on pages 250 and 251. (See the sections entitled Using this Tool for how to practice) Reading and Writing Assignments: Review Chapters 8, 9, & 11; and bring a hard copy of your reactions to this reading to the class meeting. (per the items listed above under 3. Reading of the text is required. ). Week 4 Class Activities: Discussion of Chapters 8, 9, & 11. [*PLEASE NOTE THAT WE ARE SKIPPING CHAPTER 10] Discussion of the activities practiced by your collaborative group. Practice Assignments: With your collaborative group, have one person serve as the client and one as counselor. Go through an entire first session, after which the reflecting team is to write a follow-up letter to the client according to the protocol on page 279.) Reading and Writing Assignments: Review Chapters 12, 13, & 14; and bring a hard copy of your reactions to this reading to the class meeting. (per the items listed above under 3. Reading of the text is required. ). Week 5 Class Activities: Discussion of Chapters 12, 13, & 14. Discussion of the activities practiced by your collaborative group. Practice Assignments: Meet with your collaborative group and produce video recordings of your counseling. Each person should arrive with a 15-minute video recording of your counseling which will include: 1. an opening line 2. your display of the LUV Triangle as your client speaks of his or her concern 3. your attempt to get a wellformed goal.

Week 6 Class Activities: Working the video recordings that have been produced during the interim between classes. Practice Assignments: Meet with your collaborative group and produce video recordings of your counseling. Each person should arrive with a 15 minute video recording of your counseling which will include: 1. An opening line 2. Your display of the LUV Triangle as your client speaks of his or her concern 3. Your attempt to get a well-formed goal, and 4. Use one or two of the more advanced brief interventions. Week 7 Class Activities: Working the video recordings that have been produced during the interim between classes. Week 8 Class Activities: Working the video recordings that have been produced during the interim between classes. Week 9 Class Activities: Working the video recordings that have been produced during the interim between classes. Calendar of Second Half Crisis Intervention The class format for the second half of the semester continues as a seminar and it is based on the assumption that you are coming fully prepared to make the most of our limited time together. In other words, for every class, you will arrive having read the material, completed any other assignments, and prepared to contribute. Each class will include a variety of opportunities for you to practice crisis intervention skills. You will be sharing your experiences, discussing the readings, dealing with case studies, observing videotapes, role-playing crisis situations, and offering one another feedback. We invite you to participate fully and contribute generously to our endeavors. Week 10 *Before coming to the first class meeting of this second half of the semester, read and respond to the Preface, Chapter 1, and Chapter 2 of Crisis Intervention. Type a page of at least three questions, reflections or reactions to the readings. Bring a hard copy of your comments to class. Class Activities: Discussion of Chapters 1 and 2. Introduction and overview of crisis, trauma, resilience, and crisis intervention. LUVing and finding the survivor. Practice Assignments: In your collaborative group, participate in three video recorded interactions lasting from 10 to 15 minutes. Take turns in performing three roles: person in crisis, intervener, and recorder. As the person in crisis, you can draw upon your previous experiences in resolving crises. As the intervener, you can practice your skills. As the recorder, you can observe the interaction and lead the feedback discussion. Select a segment of your video recorded practice intervention for possible presentation in the following class. Your first session will include the practice of offering LUV and finding the survivor, as described on pages 20 and 24 of the text. Reading and Writing Assignments: Review Chapters 3 and 4. Bring a hard copy of

Week 11 your comments to the next class meeting. Class Activities: Discussion of Chapters 3 and 4. Making contact, using the telephone, offering an encouragement interlude, making meaning, entering the crisis story, reframing, and family crisis crest. Practice Assignments: With your collaborative group, rotate roles and practice crisis intervention by telephone, as described in Using This Tool on page 58. Reading and Writing Assignments: Review Chapter 5. Bring a hard copy of your comments to the next class meeting. Week 12 Class Activities: Discussion of Chapter 5. Taking heart, lowering feelings of distress, and enhancing emotions of resolve. Practice Assignments: With your collaborative group, practice lowering distress and enhancing resolve, as described in Using This Tool on pages 111 and 116. Reading and Writing Assignments: Review Chapter 6. Bring a hard copy of your comments to the next class meeting. Week 13 Class Activities: Discussion of Chapter 6. Taking action, envisioning goals, what if questions, scaling, and hope quilting bee. Practice Assignments: With your collaborative group, meet with me in my office and bring recorded segments of your work for us to process together. Reading and Writing Assignments: Review Chapter 7. Bring a hard copy of your comments to the next class meeting. Week 14 Class Activities: Discussion of Chapter 7. Individual crisis intervention and suicide prevention. Practice Assignments: With your collaborative group, practice suicide prevention techniques, as described in Using This Tool on page 159. Reading and Writing Assignments: Review Chapter 8. Bring a hard copy of your comments to the next class meeting. Week 15 Class Activities: Discussion of Chapter 8. Crisis intervention with couples and families, Practice Assignments: With your collaborative group, create a family crisis crest, share your reflections, and bring it to our next class. Reading and Writing Assignments: Review Chapter 9. Bring a hard copy of your comments to the next class meeting. Week 16 Class Activities: Discussion of Chapter 9. Crisis intervention with groups, linking, cocreating a collective survival story, promoting resolve, facilitating group coping.

Practice Assignments: With your collaborative group, prepare for disaster intervention. Reading and Writing Assignments: Review Chapter 10. Write a brief (about 5 pages) paper summarizing what you have learned in this class and how you plan to use this learning in the future. To help you prepare for this assignment, I encourage you to keep an informal diary of your reactions and reflections regarding your class experiences and readings. Week 17 Class Activities: Discussion of Chapter 10. Table top practice of disaster intervention strategies, review and preview, course evaluation.

Performance Evaluation If, at the end of the semester, you are able to endorse yes on all the items of the questionnaire below, you can expect a minimum of a B for this class. In addition, the instructors will assess the quality of your written responses to the readings and the skills displayed on your video recorded sessions according to the criteria on the attached rubrics. My Performance in the Brief Counseling Class Please complete the following questionnaire: 1. I attended every class: Yes No. 2. I actively participated in the class discussions and the class practice sessions (this means I talked in class): Yes No. 3. (a) I read every chapter of the text: Yes No. (b) I turned in three questions, arguments, etc. for every chapter of the assigned reading. I evaluated each chapter, stating what I liked and disliked: Yes No. 4. I met every time with my group for outside-of-class practice and discussion, and actively participated * : Yes No. *If you indicated yes to the above, please have your group members initial their agreement in the space below: This questionnaire has been completed on my honor and I certify all endorsements to be correct. Name [please print] Signature

Counseling Skills Rubric N - No opportunity to observe 1 Meets criteria minimally or inconsistently for program level 0 Does not meet criteria for program level 2 Meets criteria consistently at this program level BASIC COUNSELING SKILLS Listening, Understanding, and Validating [LUV] Non-verbal Communication Displaying presence with effective use of head, eyes, hands, feet, facial expression, posture, voice, etc. Verbal Feedback Effective minimal encouragers, paraphrases, summaries, and additional words that communicate caring, interest, and undivided attention, maintaining a non-expert stance, asking open questions. Empathy Communicating an ability to see the world from the client s perspective (to get it ) without disputing the client s narrative. Creating rapport with the client. Acceptance Communicating regard for the client as a person who possesses dignity and deserves respect. Establishing a warm, safe working relationship. Creating a working alliance. Congruence Displaying genuine non-duplicitous behavior, counselor words and music seemingly authentically connected, using no psychobabble or displays of one-up pseudo-professionalism. STRUCTURING THE RELATIONSHIP Moving Toward a Contract Going Beyond Content Bringing the client s unspoken concerns into the conversation--- Using advanced accurate empathic comments (making the implicit meanings explicit), clarifying the counselor s understanding, offering mild interpretations with a bridge, using creative misunderstandings. Managing Emotional Arousal Using silence to increase tension, calling attention to client behaviors in the moment (observational immediacy), using mirroring techniques to match client mood, adopting a soothing posture if client is too stressed, leaving with a Zeigarnik effect. Establishing A Well-Formed Goal Turning the absence of something into a presence of something, getting an internal focus for the work, eliciting the client s longings, contracting for something doable, remaining sensitive and flexible to the changing of the goal. Maintaining a Clear Contract Checking in with the client to make sure that the relationship is still on track toward the client s goal(s). Changing course if the goal has changed. BRIEF COUNSELING Resolution-Focused Skills Advanced Brief Skills Effective and timely use of Scaling for commitment and hope, Hypotheticals, Miracle Question, Coping Questions, Finding the Pony, etc. Additional Brief Skills---Effective use of presumptive questions, externalization, establishing future images, and making saying goodbye work. CRISIS INTERVENTION

Basic Crisis Intervention Skills Effective work with individuals, families, groups and communities in crisis. Resilience Promotion Appreciating and promoting the resilience, strengths and resources of people in crisis. Suicide Prevention Effective use of crisis intervention techniques to assess and reduce risk of suicide. Psychological First Aid Effective and appropriate use of psychological first aid strategies. Emergency Management Demonstrating an understanding of counselors roles on interdisciplinary response teams. What Constitutes an Acceptable Deliverable? (A Rubric) For Questions, Comments or Arguments regarding the readings: 1. List your three items 2. Display your thought processes for each item. If you have a question, please link it to information you already possess, so as to elaborate your reason for asking. [Example: I have always found it useful when people who know more than I do offer me good advice. Why does the reading state that as counselors, we are not to give advice? ] If you have a comment, please state it clearly and quote the section of the reading to which you are responding. [Example: In the section on the Dodo Bird Effect, which Lewis Carroll states that Everybody has won, and all must have prizes, I was thinking that it might be better to have a firm sense of my approach to clients, rather than accept the idea that any old theory will do. ] If you have an argument, state the idea that you are responding to in the reading, and build a case for your position. [Example: Cognitive Behavioral approaches, such as REBTE seem to suggest that clients faulty thinking must be disputed or annihilated. I think that this approach would only serve to make clients more defensive. The Rogerian approach of accepting the client s world-view seems to allow the client the freedom to gain insight into their own thoughts. An Old Joke Legend has it that when Albert Einstein was in elementary school, he turned in a paper with the result: E=mc squared

His math and science teacher looked at the paper and said, Not bad, Einstein, but next time, show your work! [Please show your work!] Personalized and elaborated responses to the reading assignments will be considered satisfactory work. Display your thought processes.