7000

This course introduces students to the practice of integrating religion, spirituality, and healing into the therapeutic relationship. Surveys the current issues about the assessment and treatment of clients incorporating religious and spiritual constructs, including the various religious worldviews, an understanding of the psychological development of religious and spiritual perspectives, the treatment of religious and spiritual dysfunction, the incorporation of religious and spiritual assets, the spiritual and healing aspects of the body and mind connection, the connection of spirituality with the creative process, and a review of the clinical research in this particular aspect of the counseling field. 

This course addresses the influence of diverse social, cultural, and personal variables on the provision of psychotherapy and counseling services, including culture, religion, nationality, education, and family influences. Students will increase their cultural literacy and evaluate societal trends, human roles, subgroups, norms, and communication patterns. Students will develop and increase personal awareness of cultural issues and professional multicultural counseling competencies, as well as gain insight into personal assumptions, values, beliefs, and expectations about self and others as a means of working more effectively with diverse populations in the therapeutic process. The role of placebos and indigenous therapies will also be explored in this course.

This course examines the ideologies and practices associated with sexuality from a broad perspective that incorporates various case studies about the ethnographic and clinical records. Working from the argument that much of human sexual behavior is culturally constructed rather than biologically determined, the course invites students to expand their notion of the "normal" and to consider the human condition from a cross-cultural perspective. Topics discussed include cross-cultural varieties of transgender experience, same-sex sexualities, and heteronormative identities. The second section of this course investigates the differences between kink sexualities, paraphilia, and sexual dysfunction.

This interdisciplinary seminar will investigate in depth the concept of neurodivergence as well as other forms of neurological, mental, and cognitive differences. Neurodivergence refers to an individual with less typical cognitive variables such as Autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, etc. 

The relevance of religion and spirituality in the lives of a continually increasing number of clients seeking counseling is the inspiration for this introductory course.  Psychology’s origin is rooted in the word, psyche, meaning soul, and –ology meaning scientific study of.  The inclusion of the soul and spirit in the mind/body connection is an under-explored area of inquiry and research. Students will learn the differentiation between religion and spirituality, using modern approaches to establish clear definitions.  This course includes the study of Fowler’s Six Stages of Faith Development, Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development, and the mastery of practical skills such as conceptualization and appropriate questioning, using a variety of treatment modalities.

This course, through the use of the final two stages of Erickson's developmental model, facilitates the development of a framework which is utilized to assess the experiences and needs of the older adult and their families. Course requires a minimum of 25 volunteer hours with older adults.

Students will focus on studying the forensic psychology of juvenile delinquents. Course material will address issues related to adolescent development, the psychology of juvenile delinquency, and the social and legal matters related to adolescent development and delinquent behavior. The course will cover issues in juvenile delinquency and violence, criminal prosecution of juvenile cases, and other issues involved in the interface between child psychology and the legal system. The course format emphasizes discussing current problems in the law and adolescent psychology field. Students will be expected to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the material and to formulate and express their own opinions on relevant issues and how to develop educational programs for juvenile offenders.

This course explores the research and science of criminal investigative analysis, primarily in serial offenders. It studies the process of inferring distinctive personality characteristics of individuals responsible for committing criminal acts. This course also integrates broader societal contexts and implications and centers on the method that implies combining deductive and inductive profiling. Other subjects studied in this course include the analytic process of collecting and interpreting forensic evidence and the use of such evidence to develop offender characteristics. It approaches each crime as its universe of social relationships and behaviors and requires the examination and analysis of an actual homicide. An overview of the socio-legal aspects involving profiling and analysis of specific profiling issues in different types of serial crime are addressed.

Examine terrorism and responses to terrorism from an applied psychological perspective. Emphasis is on identifying these standard features within and across terrorist organizations and on understanding the motives, objectives, and methods used by terrorists to achieve their goals. The main aim of the course is to develop an ability to describe and use the fundamental attributes of terrorist psychology and to educate students on the examination, analysis, comprehension, and evaluation of the behavior of terrorists. It also provides the intellectual foundation for further study in terrorism. This course also explores evidence-based deradicalization techniques and educational programs for incarcerated terrorists.

This course is designed to explore the application of psychological research and theory to the problems faced by the Legal System. Students will be given a broad overview of the relevant topics, issues, and methodologies in Psychology and Law. Students will be taught about the different professions that can emerge from this specialization: jury consultants, legal consultants, expert witnesses, defense consultants, etc.

This course is an active theory, skills and discussion course for professionals heeding the call to help clients through the stages of grieving by exploring the cosmologies and theologies which relate to clients’ specific cultures and beliefs about a variety of losses, choices and dilemmas.  This course will engage students to explore developmental topics of understanding Self and the finality of life, “real life” situations in the grieving stages, expectations of terminal illness, and moving beyond grief and loss, incorporating the death and dying fundamentals of Kubler-Ross.

Study of individual identities and experiences related to counseling clients with various backgrounds, beliefs and concerns. Includes effective counseling techniques. 

Topics designed around special theories, practices or interests in the field of counseling.

Examines use of standardized tests to study individuals, including test development, selection, administration and interpretation. Includes educational and mental health applications.

Focus on theory, research, techniques and tools used in life planning, transitions and career development.

Examination of psychological, social, intellectual, and physical influences on the development of personality and behavior patterns in children, adolescents and adults.

Examination of major theories and systems pertaining to abnormal behavior. Studies implications for psychotherapy and treatment planning and diagnosis using DSM-IV. Prerequisite: Minimum of 15 semester credit hours of graduate counseling coursework.

Examination of current and classic research linking biological factors to deviation of human development and behavior from what is considered to be the norm. Includes the impact of revolution in neuroscience on the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of abnormal behavior. Study physiology of the central nervous system and how it triggers behaviors associated with a variety of DSM-listed disorders including depression, anxiety, addiction, and psychosis. Prerequisite: Minimum of 15 semester hours of graduate counseling coursework.

Examination of theories of personality development and therapeutic processes. Consideration of techniques for counseling applications and professional consultation.

Theories of group counseling. Includes techniques of observation, assessment and leadership in therapeutic groups.