Graduate Centre for Applied Psychology - GCAP 682
Counselling Practicum II
Overview
GCAP 682 (Counselling Practicum II) provides students with a continued and more indepth practicum experience following GCAP 681 (Counselling Practicum I). As students move through the practicum, they will have an opportunity to integrate content (i.e., counselling theories, ethics, diversity) that they have already acquired into practice; learn to manage workplace demands in counselling agencies; and build the foundation for lifelong professional development and reflective practice.
The practicum includes direct service experience in both individual counselling and group work. The GCAP 682 course work complements the clinical supervision provided in the practicum site by addressing a range of issues related to counselling practice. Through both field placement and course activities, students will become familiar with a variety of professional activities (e.g., record keeping, supervision, referral processes, collaboration, and professional development) and variety of professional resources (e.g., assessment and intervention processes, a wide range of professional resources, and research). They will continue to apply the principles learned in GCAP 681 to a new practicum setting. Student development as a practicum student and as a professional is a primary focus throughout the course. The assignments and learning activities are designed to nudge, and even push their process of reflection and stimulate development in areas such as their theoretical orientation, ethical decision-making, and self-awareness.
- Method of Delivery: Paced study; Online
- Credit Weight / Area of Study: 3 credits - Graduate Studies
- Prerequisite: GCAP 681
- Precluded courses: GCAP 685
- This course must be taken through GCAP
- Permission of the program is required
Outline
The course is divided into 13 weekly lessons, structured as follows.
- Lesson 1: Orientation to the Practicum
- Lesson 2: Common Factors, Part I: Client Characteristics and Relationship Factors
- Lesson 3: Common Factors, Part II: Model and Technique and Expectancy / Hope
- Lesson 4: Utilizing Supervision and Attending to Culture
- Lesson 5: Risk Assessment
- Lesson 6: Dilemmas of Practice: Ruptures in the Working Alliance
- Lesson 7: Ethical Dilemmas
- Lesson 8: Self-Care and Vicarious Traumatization
- Lesson 9: Preparation for the Intensive Seminar / Case Conceptualization
- Lesson 10: Debrief from Intensive Seminar
- Lesson 11: Professional Identity, Reflective Practice, and Continuing Competency
- Lesson 12: Theory Revisited
- Lesson 13: Person of the Therapist / Personal Transformation
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 682, students must also receive a pass on each of the pass/fail components of the course.
Course Assignments
The assessment structure for GCAP 682: Counselling Practicum II is based on the following course activities, each graded on a pass/fail basis.
Course Activity Weighting Participation in Online Discussions 30% Assignment 1: Case Conceptualization and Video Presentation I 25% Assignment 2: Final Theory of Counselling Paper 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 @ 03:08:42 PM
