Graduate Centre for Applied Psychology - GCAP 681
Counselling Practicum I
Overview
There are two practica in the Master of Counselling program. The first practicum, GCAP 681: Counselling Practicum I, provides an opportunity for professional development and supervised practice in a general counselling context. Students will be involved in direct client work under the supervision of a qualified professional and will engage in one-on-one and group supervision processes. The practicum allows students to actively explore issues encountered in working with diverse client populations.
- Method of Delivery: Paced Study, Online and Weekend Seminars, and Field Placement
- Credit Weight / Area of Study: 3 credits - Graduate Studies
- Prerequisites: GCAP 631, GCAP 632, GCAP 633, GCAP 671, GCAP 634, and GCAP 635
- Precluded courses: GCAP 685
- This course must be taken through GCAP
- Permission of the program is required
Outline
- Lesson 1: Orientation to the Practicum Site and the Practicum Experience
- Lesson 2: Self-Monitoring Performance
- Lesson 3: Common Factors, Part I: Client Characteristics and Relationship Factors
- Lesson 4: Common Factors, Part II: Model and Technique and Expectancy/Hope
- Lesson 5: Developing Your Theoretical Orientation
- Lesson 6: Utilizing Supervision
- Lesson 7: Counsellor Professional Identity
- Lesson 8: Preparation for Intensive Seminar / Case Conceptualization
- Lesson 9: Debrief from Intensive Seminar
- Lesson 10: Clinical Record-Keeping
- Lesson 11: Risk Assessment
- Lesson 12: Dilemmas of Practice: Ruptures in the Working Alliance
- Lesson 13: Reflection on the Practicum
Evaluation
The counselling practicum will be graded based on the following course activities, with the percentage weighting of each activity as indicated. Final grades for the course will be a composite mark based on student performance on these course activities. Students must obtain a grade of 70% overall on components graded by percentage. To receive credit for GCAP 681, students must also receive a pass on each of the pass/fail components of the course..
Course Assignments
The assessment structure for GCAP 681: General Counselling Practicum is based on the following course activities.
Course Activity Weighting Participation in Online Discussions 30% Assignment 1: Preliminary Theory of Counselling 25% Assignment 2: Case Conceptualization and Video Presentation 25% Assignment 3: Reflective Journal, Portfolio, and Exit Interview 20% Practicum Evaluation (with completed hours) P/F Total 100%
For pass / fail components of the course, full completion of the tasks is required to obtain a pass on that component.
Other Course Requirements
Attendance at weekend seminars
Students are required to attend both 4-day intensive seminars in their entirety. Weekend seminars are scheduled from 8:30 to 4:30 Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and 8:30 to 2:00 Sunday. Students are required to make travel plans so that they can attend for the entire duration of the seminar. Students who do not attend the entire seminar will be required to withdraw from the course and practicum.
Satisfactory Completion of Required Direct Client Contact Hours
Students are required to complete the required direct client contact hours with a satisfactory evaluation.
Academic Accommodation Policy
Students with a disability, who require academic accommodation, need to register with the Access to Students with Disabilities Centre at Athabasca University. Notification of the need for academic accommodation must normally be provided to the program office no later than fourteen (14) days prior to the first day of class. It is the student's responsibility to register with the Disability Centre to request academic accommodation if required and to notify the instructor that such accommodation has been requested. Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate individual student needs. However, because GCAP courses are paced, all student are required to participate weekly in the online discussion forums. There are also several courses where online exams are required.
Page last updated: September 2, 2009 @ 03:08:29 PM
