Course Description
This course provides an introduction to the theory and practice of group counseling with a particular focus on groups for addiction recovery. Students will learn about the different types of groups used in counseling, including psychoeducational, support, and process groups. The course will cover the stages of group development, group dynamics, leadership styles, and ethical and legal issues in group counseling. Through readings, case studies, and experiential learning activities, students will develop practical skills in facilitating group sessions, building rapport, managing conflicts, and promoting positive group interactions. Overall, this course aims to prepare students for effective group counseling practice, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to work with diverse populations and facilitate positive change in group settings. Students will be trained in unique Christian approaches to group counseling to use in appropriate contexts.
Prerequisites
Available to undergraduates with 90+ credits and a 3.0+ GPA.
IMPORTANT: Required Meeting Times
This course requires a 1.5 hour Zoom meeting from 8:00-9:30 pm Eastern time every Thursday each week of the course. The focus of this course is to actually practice counseling skills in these live sessions, so you cannot attend this time, you should not take this course. There will be no make up sessions, so students missing a live meeting will receive a zero for that session’s grade.
Course Outcomes
- Identify key principles of group counseling and techniques to improve your overall effectiveness as a counselor.
- Discuss the various applicability of various approaches to group counseling and how they relate to the field of counseling.
- Reflect on how these group counseling approaches apply and can be used in your current and future contexts.
- Practice and record various evidence-based group counseling skills used in counseling to receive feedback.
- Use a group counseling observation form to evaluate the verbal and nonverbal counseling skills of someone else in a live video session.
Syllabus
Course Materials & Tuition
| Gladding, S. (2019). Groups: A Counseling Specialty (8th edition). Pearson. Corey, G. (2023). Counselor Self Care (2nd edition). Amer Counseling Assn. Sobell, L. C., & Sobell, M. B. (2011). Group Therapy for Substance Use Disorders: A Motivational Cognitive-Behavioral Approach (Illustrated edition). The Guilford Press. | $50.94 (eText rental) $38.95 $36.90 (kindle) |
| Tuition | $800.00 |
| Total Cost of Course | $926.79 |