Faculty Contact Information:
Dr. Michelle Mentzer
Quadrelle, Italia
University email: mmentzer@faculty.ed.umuc.edu
alternate email: drmentzer@mac.com
(w) 039- 081-825-7714
(c) 340-406-1967 | |
Consultation:
I reside in Italy. I am available directly before and after class, or by appointment. If you wish to contact me, email is the best way to receive a prompt reply; however, if you need to call, please feel free to do so within reasonable hours. Those hours are between 0800 and 2000 hours :). I usually reply to emails within a few hours at most, when awake and not teaching. I welcome all correspondence.
If you are a student with special needs, please contact me as soon as possible so that we can arrange for your access to and completion of this course.
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Required Texts and Readings:
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Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, APA.
Neukrug, E. (2003). World of the Counselor. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Neukrug, E. (2003). World of the Counselor Workbook. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Sperry, L., Carlson, J., and Kjos, D. (2002). Becoming an Effective Therapist. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. [This text is also used in PSYC 534, PSYC 514 and GUCO 510.] | |
Supplementary Readings:
| 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:
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Course Description:
| Historical, philosophical, psychological, and sociological basis of counseling in different settings(school, agency, and community) and with different populations will be explored. Intervention strategies, theoretical models, working contexts, relationships to other professions, ethics, obstacles to service delivery, and personal qualities of counselors are reviewed. Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: PSYC 502 or EDCP 610. | |
Course Goals:
| This course introduces students to the field of counseling including specializations, professional ethics, relevant credentialing legislation, and current issues. It also provides an introduction to the basic counseling theories and skills. | |
Course Objectives:
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The objectives of this course are for students to gain an information base and demonstrate competence in:
- The historical antecedents and current definitions of the counseling profession.
- The standards of counseling as a regulated profession including awareness of professional issues, ethics, and credentialing.
- The theories and basic counseling and interpersonal skills of communication associated with the counseling relationship.
- An understanding and appreciation of various populations with whom counselors work and a multicultural and diversity focus in counseling skills and advocacy.
- Familiarity with appropriate assessment procedures, community resources and intervention strategies and skills, and awareness of the specialty areas of counseling and their various settings.
- An awareness of future trends, particularly the expanded role of technology, and emerging concepts and theories in counseling.
- Enhanced self-awareness of personal strengths, interests, and abilities.
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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" is used to designate academic failure. "FN" 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%
Write graduate level papers or case studies.....25%
Orally/visually present prepared material.......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 or more written examination(s): 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.
Class projects will include an in-depth presentation on a theorist. A sign-up list and specific instructions will be provided at registration. Please sign up at registration. This presentation will be due the first week of class. No exceptions.
The second project will be demonstrating techniques introduced in class. More information will be provided as each technique is introduced.
One paper will be due prior to the second week of class. This paper will be based on a DSM diagnosis that is highlighted in a book chosen by each student. I have books to loan the first week of class, but you may choose one of your own liking, subject to my approval. The assessment and treatment of that DSM diagnosis will be covered as well. Specific instructions and a rubric will be given to each student the first week of class. Any one desiring to begin their book early, please email for book approval. | |
Course Schedule:
Saturday , August 20
Professional Orientation
Chapter 1 The Counselor’s Identity
Chapter 2 A History of the Counseling Profession
Chapter 3 Standards in the Profession
Chapter 4 Individual Approaches to Counseling
Sunday, August 21
Chapter 5 Counseling Skills
Chapter 6 Family Counseling
Chapter 7 Group Work
Chapter 8 Supervision
Monday, August 22
Chapter 9 Development Across the Lifespan
Chapter 10 Abnormal Development, Diagnosis, and Psychopharmacology
Tuesday, August 23
Chapter 11 Career Counseling
Chapter 12 Testing and Assessment
Thursday, September 29
Chapter 13 Research and Evaluation
Chapter 14 Theory and Concept of Multicultural Counseling
Friday, September 30
Chapter 15 Knowledge and Skills of Multicultural Counseling
Chapter 16 School Counseling
Saturday, October 1
Chapter 17 Community Agency Counseling
Chapter 18 Student Affairs Practice in Higher Education
Chapter 19 Going to Graduate School, Getting a Job
Chapter 20 A Look Toward the Future
Sunday, October 2
Techniques
Evaluations
Final Exam | |
Academic Policies:
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:
| Dr. Mentzer is a family counselor and professional trainer for both military and civilian sectors. She is currently working in Napoli and teaching in the UMUC-Bowie Graduate Counseling program in Europe. Dr. Mentzer's undergraduate work was taken at the University of Kansas, in Education. Her M.A. in Counseling and Human Resources was completed at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va. Dr. Mentzer completed a Doctorate of Education in Counseling Psychology at Argosy University. Her primary focus was on family communications and attachment theory. After her residency at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto, she worked as the Group Manager at the Marine Corps Camp Pendleton Mental Health Clinic in Southern California and continued all her other interests that she had collected through the years. She currently resides in Italy with her husband and three children (22, 20, and 16) and her cats. Her hobbies include reading, used bookstore hunting, Macintosh computers, traveling across Europe in her VW Westy, and "being" in coffee shops around the world. | |