Faculty Contact Information:
Michelle Mentzer, Ed.D.
Quadrelle, Italy
Phone: 0039-081-825-1967
Cell: 340-406-1967
Primary Email: mmentzer@faculty.ed.umuc.edu
Email: drmentzer@mac.com | |
Consultation:
| I am available for appointments after class on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays of class weekends. Email is my primary mode of communication, and I respond to emails usually within 12 hours. If you cannot contact me by email, please feel free to phone. If you have any special needs, please let me know before class begins. | |
Required Texts and Readings:
| Corey, G. & Corey, M. (2002). Groups: Process and Practice (6th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole. | |
Supplementary Readings:
Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy by Irvin Yalom will be used substantially for readings for this class. You would find it beneficial to purchase it both for this class and for your own library. The Fourth Edition will be referenced by page number in the syllabus and in handouts. It can be purchased used online for less than new.
All graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library at http://www.umuc.edu/library/. The library contains a large number of full text academic journals that are free of charge and immediately available. The library homepage also contains a number of links related to improving students’ research and writing skills. | |
Recommended Journals:
| A variety of full-text, online, free-of-charge and pay-per-view academic journals are listed on the Counseling Webboard at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/graduate/webboards/ | |
Course Description:
| The primary objective of this course is to acquaint students with important skills that are considered to be prerequisites for effective group counseling as well as working with other kinds of groups. These skills include the basics of group dynamics and an introduction to the laboratory training method of working with groups. Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: GUCO 531 or EDCP 617. Prerequisites: PSYC 502 and PSYC 534. | |
Course Goals:
| This course is designed to acquaint the student with the theoretical concepts and fundamentals of group counseling as outlined in the CACREP common-core curriculum area of Group Work. Students will examine counseling theories and research related to group work along with learning micro-skills related to group development and dynamics. The course will provide students with a beginning knowledge of conducting a group. An experiential component as a simulated counseling group will provide opportunities for practice and for personal and professional development. | |
Course Objectives:
1. Know the major theories of group counseling.
2. Be able to apply group therapeutic techniques.
3. Have acquired group counseling skills.
4. Be familiar with problems encountered in group counseling.
5. Be familiar with ethical issues in group counseling.
6. Understand personal development through group activities.
7. Understand individual, interpersonal, and intragroup issues that occur in group counseling. | |
Grading Information:
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Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:
A 92%
B 80 – 91%
C 70 – 79%
F Below 70%
Please note that Bowie State University does not use "D" for graduate students. The grade F(a) is used to designate academic failure. F(n) is used to designate failure for non-completion. Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog, available in your local Education Center or online at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/general_info/publications/catalogs. | |
Course Requirements:
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Graduate school at the masters level focuses on helping students obtain the education needed for success as professionals in their chosen fields. Thus, UMUC-Europe Graduate Programs and Bowie State University share the common goals of promoting excellence in academic scholarship through thoughtful inquiry and the skillful application of knowledge and theory for the betterment of society.
In order to maximize your graduate educational experience in general and this course in particular, you are required to:
Participate in classroom discussions............25%
Paper One.......................................25%
Paper Two.......................................25%
Complete one or more written examination(s).....25% | |
Description of Course Requirements:
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Participate in classroom discussions: You are expected to come to class prepared to engage in all discussions in a professional and informed manner. Usually this requires two to three hours of additional for every hour of a face-to-face class and approximately ten hours of preparation per week for a DE class.
Write graduate level papers or case studies: You are required to conduct professional-level research, including appropriately citing works of others and avoiding plagiarism. Resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC, UMUC-Europe or BSU), partially or in its entirety, is not acceptable in this course and will result in an automatic failure on the assignment. Plan on committing approximately 150 hours over the duration of this course to producing professional level deliverables.
Orally/visually present prepared material: You are required to present your research in a professional manner. In a face-to-face course, this typically means an oral presentation accompanied by appropriate visual material. In a DE class, this means creating a visual/textual presentation for your instructor and classmates.
Complete one written examination: The examination process in this class will assist you in developing the writing and critical thinking skills necessary to successfully passing the comprehensive exam required of all graduate students. The questions used for this course will either be taken directly from past comprehensive exams or written as though to be included on a comprehensive exam.
Paper One: Proposal for a Group; Due Feb 13 in class
In outline form, with some brief description, develop a proposal of a group. Actually bring your group proposal to an agency for feedback and reactions to it if at all possible. In your group proposal, show how you would screen, select, and orient members; outline the practical considerations in setting up this group. You should have an outline of topics that structure your group sessions, if this is appropriate for your group. Discuss the rational for your group and also how you would evaluate the outcomes. Review the examples of the various group proposals in the textbook given in Chapters 9 through 12 for ideas for the structure of your proposal. Also, in Chapter 4, specific guidelines are adressed for devloping a proposal for a group and for forming groups. Your proposal is designed to help you clarify the nature of the group and procedures you may use. (References Chapter 9-12 of Corey text.)
Paper Two: Process Analysis of the Course and Weekend Groups: Due March 13 in class
Do a process commentary of the groups from both a leader's perspective and a member's perspective (since you functioned in both roles). Apply your readings in group process to an analysis of your own experience in these groups. Conceptualize the group process, rather than give a report of events. Write about key group process themes in a way that demonstrates your understanding of the readings. Write the essay on both your personal learnings and on the group aspects of these group sessions by focusing on such points as the following:
- What did you learn about yourself during this process?
- Focus on the qualities about yourself that might either enhance or detract from your effectiveness as a group leader.
- What did these group sessions teach you about being a group member? About group leadership? About how groups malfunction? About the stages of a group? About techniques?
- What have you learned about groups this semester that you can apply to groups that you will lead at some time in the future?
- Did your group fit or not fit the characteristics described in the readings?
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Course Schedule:
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Weekend One January 29-30 ;
- 0900 - 1300 Saturday
- Overview and Orientation
- Expectations and Assignments
- Questions and Answers
- Chapters 1 (Introduction) Corey Text
- Chapter 2 (Person and Professional) Corey Text
- Chapter 16-17 from Yalom; also pages 414-418
- 1300-1700
- Chapter 3 (Ethical and Legal Concerns) Corey; also pgs 284-286
- Page 238 Yalom
- 0900-1300 Sunday
- Chapter 4 (Forming a Group) Corey
- Chapters 8,9,and 10 Yalom; also pages 278-294
- 1400-1700 Instructor Led Group Time
Weekend Two February 12-13 ; Paper One Due
- 0900-1300 Saturday
- Chapter 5 (Initial Stages of a Group) Corey
- Chapter 3,5, and 6 of Yalom, plus pages on handout
- 1400-1500 Instructor Led Group Time
- 1500-1700 Student Led Group Time
- 0900-1300 Sunday
- Chapter 6 (Transition Stage of a Group) Corey
- Chapters 7, 12, and 13 of Yalom, plus pages on handout
- 1400-1700 Instructor Led Group Time
- 1500-1700 Student Led Group Time
Weekend Three February 26-27 ;
- 0900-1300 Saturday
- Chapter 7 (Working Stage of a Group) Corey
- Chapters 1 and 4 Yalom, plus pages on handout
- 1400-1500 Instructor Led Group
- 1500-1700 Student Led Group
- 0900-1300 Sunday
- Chapter 8 (Ending a Group) Corey
- Pages 361-168 Yalom
- 1400-1700 Student Led Group
Weekend Four March 12-13 ; Paper Two due
- 0900-1100 Saturday
- Chapter 9 and 10 (Groups for Children and Adolescents) Corey
- 1100-1300 Final Exam
- 1400-1700 Student Led Group
- 0900-1100 Sunday
- Chapters 11 and 12 (Groups for Adults and the Elderly) Corey
- Chapter 15 Yalom
- 1100-1300 Student Led Group
- 1400-1700 Student Led Group
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Academic Policies:
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Note: Any written assignment in this course may be submitted to TurnItIn.Com. This statement constitutes prior notice.
The official university policy on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty can be found at http://www.umuc.edu/policy/aa15025.shtml. Section I.C. states: "Faculty may determine if the resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC), partially or in its entirety, is acceptable when assigning a grade on that piece of course work. Faculty must provide this information in their written syllabi. If the resubmission of course work is deemed to be unacceptable, a charge may not be brought under this Policy and will be handled as indicated in the written syllabi."
Please refer to Description of Course Requirements for specific information on how resubmissions will be treated in this course and to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog for information on the following:
Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
Make-up Examinations
Nondiscrimination
Students with Disabilities
Hard copies of the catalog are available at your local Education Center. | |
Faculty Bio:
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Dr. Mentzer is a counselor and instructor residing in Quadrelle,
Italy with her family, books, and two cats. Her undergraduate
background at the University of Kansas was in education, her MA work
was in Counseling and Human Resources at Regent University, and
doctoral work was in Counseling Psychology at Argosy University, Orange
County. She works a great deal with the military population, both
active duty training and family counseling; from Critical Stress
Incident Debriefing and domestic violence training and research to
family retreats and interactive parenting classes for the whole family.
She thoroughly enjoys working with people and is looking forward to
teaching this course in Aviano.
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