Courses

Helping Relationships: Counseling Theories and Techniques I — Gained foundational experience in core counseling theories and essential helping skills through hands-on practice, including audio and video recording exercises. This course emphasized the importance of ethical practice, self-awareness, and the development of a strong client-counselor relationship, while also introducing key elements of the consultation process.

Helping Relationships: Counseling Theories and Techniques II — Explored major counseling approaches and developed introductory proficiency in applying them within both counseling and consultation settings. Gained a foundational understanding of ethical principles, confidentiality, and legal considerations, including professional liability, essential to responsible and effective clinical practice.

Orientation to Addiction: Etiology, Screening, Treatment — Examined diverse models of addiction to better understand the underlying causes of alcoholism and substance use, along with their implications for treatment planning. Gained familiarity with a range of evidence-based approaches, including 12-step and other self-help programs, relapse prevention strategies, and the role of psychopharmacology in recovery support.

Human Growth and Development — Gained a comprehensive overview of developmental psychology with direct application to clinical practice. Explored foundational philosophical and theoretical perspectives on human development, including learning and cognition, personality development, and key issues that arise across the lifespan. Emphasis was placed on understanding how developmental factors shape clients’ experiences and how they may emerge in therapeutic settings.

Group Dynamics — Developed both practical and theoretical understanding of group counseling through experiential learning, discussion of group models, and review of relevant research. Gained hands-on experience in group leadership, observation, and participation, while exploring group dynamics in a range of contexts—from general mental health to substance use treatment. Special emphasis was placed on understanding group stages, therapeutic factors, and adapting facilitation strategies to meet diverse group needs.

Psychopathology and Personality Disorders — Built proficiency in psychiatric terminology and diagnostic formulation using DSM criteria, with an emphasis on hypothesis development and clinical reasoning. Gained foundational knowledge of both pharmacological and psychological treatment approaches for a range of mental health disorders, supporting more informed and collaborative care planning as a future clinician.

Foundations of Mental Health Counseling and Consultation — Explored the mental health counseling profession's historical, philosophical, and sociocultural foundations. Gained insight into mental health practitioners' roles, responsibilities, and evolving identity within diverse communities. Examined principles of community intervention, human services systems, and the impact of public policy, administrative practices, and governmental relations on mental health care delivery.

Research and Program Evaluation — Introduced to research methods and basic statistical analysis with direct application to counseling practice. Explored the role of research in improving clinical effectiveness, including needs assessment, program evaluation, and the ethical use of data. Gained experience interpreting descriptive statistics, reviewing research designs, and utilizing technology to support evidence-based practice in mental health settings.

Career and Lifestyle Development — Gained foundational knowledge in career development theories and decision-making models, with emphasis on the intersection of work, education, family, and life roles. Explored career counseling strategies, assessment tools, and labor market resources to support clients in navigating career and life planning. Addressed ethical and legal considerations in career counseling and developed skills in career development program planning and implementation.

Marriage and Family Systems and Counseling: Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Maltreatment — Introduced to core concepts and major models of family therapy, with attention to the historical and philosophical foundations of systemic work. Explored a range of contemporary approaches to family counseling and gained insight into relational dynamics, intergenerational patterns, and therapeutic interventions with families. Completed New York State–mandated training in the recognition and reporting of child abuse and maltreatment as part of the course.

Social and Cultural Foundations of Counseling — Developed a comprehensive understanding of multicultural counseling by exploring the cultural, social, and systemic factors that shape individual and collective identities. Examined how race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, ability, socioeconomic status, and other intersecting identities influence mental health and therapeutic relationships. Gained practical strategies for culturally responsive counseling, including social justice advocacy, conflict resolution, and ethical considerations when working with diverse populations.

Appraisal and Assessment of Individuals, Couples, Families, and Groups — Gained experience with individual and group assessment techniques, including interviewing, diagnostic formulation, and test interpretation. Developed an understanding of case conceptualization, statistical concepts like reliability and validity, and ethical and legal considerations in assessment. Explored the historical foundations of appraisal and applied various assessment tools to support clinical decision-making with diverse populations.