Counselor Education 670

COED 670: Counseling Children and Adolescents

Prerequisites: COED 610, COED 611 or faculty approval

Credit Hours: (3)

This course examines developmental patterns and counseling needs of children and adolescents. Covers planning, implementation and evaluation of school-related helping services. Includes recognition of the rights of special student populations and counseling needs.

Detailed Description of Content of Course

This course is primarily designed for the developmental elementary and middle school counselor. However, most of the material discussed in class will be applicable to other mental health professionals who work with children and adolescents in counseling.

1. History and development of elementary and middle school counseling movement.
2. The counselor and personality development.
3. The person-centered approach.
4. Play therapy and play process.
5. Behavioral counseling.
6. Counseling through creative media:

• art therapy
• music therapy
• bibliotherapy

7. Guidance in the classroom.
8. Group counseling with children:

• growth centered groups
• problem-centered groups

9. School counselor as consultant.
10. Organizing and implementing a school counseling program.
11. Counselor's role in special education programs.
12. Special programs for school counselors (parent group, peer facilitator programs, etc.)
13. Evaluation procedures for school counselors.

Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

Lecture/Lab - counseling child or adolescent for minimum of 10 sessions, consulting with parents and teachers regarding child counseled. Approved class project/research 10-12 page paper on topic related to counseling children, eg., children of alcoholics

Goals and Objectives of the Course

The objectives of the course are to have the students learn to:

1. Know and understand the roles and functions of the elementary and middle school counselor.
2. Know basic approaches for working with children in counseling, including fundamental theories, historical perspective, research, and specific strategies.
3. While working with a child or children in a mini-lab experience, provide thoughtful planning to put theory into practice.
4. Through the mini-lab experience, demonstrate thoughtful and skillful assistance to a child in self, social and academic development.
5. Through the mini-lab experience, provide thoughtful and skillful consultation with parents and teachers regarding the child's classroom and out-of-class guidance and counseling activities.
6. Initiate, coordinate, and work cooperatively with parents and teachers in achieving educational goals and in meeting the mini-lab child's needs.
7. Know about multicultural, disadvantaged and handicapped child populations in the elementary and middle schools.
8. Know and understand program planning, organization, management and evaluation in the elementary and middle schools.

Assessment Measures

• Examination
• Instructor review of counseling experience
• Grading project

Other Course Information

None

Review and Approval
April 1999 Revised