Faculty Contact Information:
Dr. Scott E. Borrelli, EdD, ABPP, NCC
E-mail: doctor.borrelli@gmail.com
Telephone and mailing address will be provided on the first day of class. | |
Consultation:
| I will be available after each class for consultation. It is preferable that you make an appointment so that you may have my undivided attention without the distraction of others. Appointments may be made for no other reason than an interest in meeting and talking with me, and also to gather additional information about the course and your progress, and for program and career advisement. | |
Required Texts and Readings:
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author
Corey, G. & Corey, M. (2005). Groups: Process and Practice (7th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole. | |
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.
Additional Recommended Text Reference:
Yalom, I. & Leszcz, M. (2005). Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy (5th ed). NY: Basic Books.
Additional readings will be assigned throughout the course and readily available through the university online library system.
| |
Recommended Journals:
A variety of full-text, online, free-of-charge and pay-per-view academic journals are available from the UMUC Europe online library at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/library/
Memberships in Professional Organizations and JCD:
It is strongly recommended that students join The American Counseling Association (www.counseling.org) as student members and, if in Europe, The European Branch of The American Counseling Association http://www.online-infos.de/eb-aca/about.htm. As a member of the American Counseling Association, you will receive their flagship journal, The Journal of Counseling and Development (JCD). This highly recommended journal offers a wide range of professional articles to support the student's learning experience. | |
Course Description:
| Prerequisites: PSYC 502 and PSYC 734. This course is not offered online but must be taken onsite. 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. As this course replaces GUCO 531, students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: GUCO 731, GUCO 531 or EDCP 617. | |
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:
|
At the conclusion of this course, the student will be able to:
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 and legal issues in group counseling.
6. Understand personal development through group activities.
7. Understand individual, interpersonal, and intragroup issues that occur in group counseling.
8. Demonstrate an enhanced self-awareness of personal strengths, interests, and abilities. | |
Grading Information:
Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:
A 90 - 100%
B 80 – 89%
C 70 – 79%
F 69% and Below
The grade of “A” is given for superior course and practice performance in all respects, usually achieved by a minority of exceptional students.
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:
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:
Attend all classes and
Participate in classroom activities
and discussions 25%
Write graduate level papers,
journals, reactions papers,
and case studies 25%
Orally/visually present
prepared material 25%
Complete two written examinations 25% | |
Description of Course Requirements:
Successful graduate students in American universities dedicate approximately three hours of preparation/study time for every hour spent in the onsite classroom. Thus, the following course requirements were developed on the assumption that students would be prepared to spend approximately 150 hours of their own time working on them. In an eight-week term, that is the equivalent of a half-time job. Most ten-week graduate distance education courses require at least ten hours per week of dedicated time, plus time spent in the virtual classroom.
Participate in classroom discussions:You are expected to come to class prepared to engage in all discussions in a professional and informed manner.
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 coursework 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. APA style is mandatory for all graduate counseling course work. Plan on committing approximately 150 hours over the duration of this course to producing professional level work.
Orally/visually present prepared material:You are required to present your research in a professional manner. In an onsite course, this typically means an oral presentation accompanied by appropriate visual material. In an online 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 for successfully passing the comprehensive exam required of all graduate students. The questions used in this course will either be taken directly from past comprehensive exams or written as though to be included on a comprehensive exam.
Specific course requirements will be discussed in greater detail during the first class, and will include the following:
1. Regular participation in class discussion, experiential exercises, and group leader/facilitator practice.
2. Journal writing, literature reviews and papers examining the development of a theoretical approach, ethical issues, professional challenges, and personal/professional growth.
3. Individual and group projects including demonstration of group counseling knowledge, attitude and skills. This requirement includes a final project presented to the class on the last weekend of the course.
4. Two written exams based on the readings in the text and lecture material.
Informed Consent Statement on Experiential Learning (adapted from Corey & Corey course text):
The faculty members in this counselor training program are dedicated to the personal growth and development of their students. We consider personal development to be at least as important as the educational development of the therapist. The helping professions require that the use of self be fully integrated into therapeutic processes; therefore, the personal characteristics of counselors are as critical as the knowledge and skills related to being an effective therapist. In this course, there is emphasis on identifying and exploring personal issues and concerns, especially those that may impede your effectiveness as a counselor. For example, you will have opportunities to identify your family of origin issues and explore how these experiences affect your current life and how any resolved issues in this area might potentially affect your work with clients. You will identify patterns of perception, behavior and decision-making that you might wish to update.
It is not uncommon for people in our profession to feel uncomfortable with a focus on personal development even though, as therapists and counselors, we ask our clients to do so. We believe this to be essential to engage in such personal growth. While personal self-disclosures are, therefore, part of your coursework, only you can decide what aspects of your personal life you are willing to share. Creating comfort may not be the desired goal in this or many of your training courses, yet creating safety is. The faculty is committed to creating a safe environment in which you can address personal concerns. This "safety net" is developed through discussion, negotiation and agreement at the start of the group class, when basic rules will be established. These rules are likely to include: supporting and communicating respect for each other’s style, degree and content of self-disclosure; agreeing to protect information disclosed during the class by not discussing course experiences with anyone outside the class membership. Reviewing and, if necessary, updating course/group rules will be an ongoing discusison throughout the class.
We encourage you as a counselor-in-training to stretch and to take more risks with us and your student colleagues than you might normally be prepared to do. In general, self-reflection and "real" expression in class is well worth the discomfort, as you grow in self-awareness and in your ability to help others to do the same.
The counseling program and this course in particular, combine didactic and experiential methods in the training of group counselors and therapists. We expect you to fully participate in the small group experiences, both as a group member and as a facilitator under direct supervision. These supervised group sessions allow for an integration of learning related group process and the interpersonal styles of student-participant leaders. It is expected that your interactions in these small groups will be genuine and will be based in personal concerns that are meaningful to you. Special attention is paid to individual vulnerabilities that are likely to evoke unresolved personal issues and affect your work with clients. For example, if you had critical parents, and you are very anxious about making mistakes or are highly self-critical, this will likely impede your ability to make effective interventions with some of your clients. If you recognize ways that you tend to engage in critical self-talk, you are in a position to begin to change your self-talk and also to improve your behavior and practice.
In this group counseling course, you will be expected to give feedback to others as well as listen to and consider feedback that you receive. A focus on here-and-now issues as they emerge within the context of the small groups tends to increase the intensity of the group and follows from those who take the risk of disclosing their fears, concerns, hopes and personal goals. The group course will provide a context in which you can identify areas for personal growth and will allow for personal exploration of both your concerns and needs. Although the aim is not to resolve personal problems, a desired outcome is that you will have a clearer focus on your struggles that might be productively explored outside of the group in your personal therapy and clinical supervision.
As faculty members, we believe that the most effective way to teach group process is through an integration of knowledge and experience – both as a participant and as a leader. And we hope that you will learn from and appreciate the value of this course.
We very much value your courage and stamina as counselor-trainees, believing that inviting and encouraging these characteristics in you will stimulate powerful positive change and the development of counselor excellence.
| |
Course Schedule:
This course consists of three weekend intensives, as well as assignments and discussions via emails and chats in between classes. Classes will combine lecture, discussion, and experiential group activities, including group leadership practice, and continuous self- assessment
The classes will meet on the following dates from 0900 - 1800 hours:
June 7/8, June 21/22, July 12/13.
Please read the required text material carefully before each class meeting, so that you are fully prepared for lectures, discussions, and experiential activities.
Expect minor changes in the schedule, readings and assignments, based on the needs of the class and development of the course.
Weekend 1 (June 7/8) -
Introductions
Review of syllabus
Clarification of goals, objectives and requirements
Orientation to subject
Topics:
Introduction and History
Ethical and Legal Issues
Group Process
Forming a Group
Initial Stage of a Group
Experiential Group Participation Meeting I
Case Studies
Application
Assessment
Read (in advance): chapters 1 - 5 (Corey)
Written Assignments Due:
1. Complete the "Multicultural Awareness, Knowledge and Skills Survey" (MAKSS) on pp.20-23.
2. Complete the "Self-Assessment of Group Leadership Skills" Questionnaire on pp. 56-61 in the course text.
3. Summarize the results and your conclusions based on the two assessments above in 2-3 typed pages for brief presentation to class and submission to professor.
4. Make a list of ten questions you have from the readings.
Weekend 2 (June 21/22) -
Topics:
Transition Stage of a Group
Working Stage of a Group
Final Stage of a Group
Groups for Children
Groups for Adolescence
Experiential Group Participation Meeting 2
Experiential Group Reflection Meeting 1
Case Studies
Application
Assessment
Read chapters 6-10.
Written Assignments Due:
1. Summary of process notes.
2. List of 10 questions from the readings.
Exam #1
Weekend 3 (July 12/13) -
Topics:
Groups for Adults
Groups for the Elderly
Experiential Group Participation Meeting 3
Experiential Group Reflection Meeting 2
Case Studies
Application
Assessment
Read chapters 11 & 12.
Assignments Due:
1. Group Project for presentation.
2. List of 10 questions fronm the readings.
Exam # 2
Assessments, Summaries and Conclusions | |
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."
Course Withdrawal: The last day to withdraw from a DE course is Friday before the last full week of the course. The last day to withdraw from an on-site course is the last business day before the last class meeting.
Students with disabilities should contct:
Director of Student Services
UMUC-Europe, UNIT 29216
APO AE 09102
Or: Im Bosseldorn 30, 69126 Heidelberg, Germany
Phone: +49-6221-378-299
Email: edstudent_svc@ed.umuc.edu
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. Scott E. Borrelli is Collegiate Professor in Psychology and Counseling Psychology with the University of Maryland/Bowie State University. As a licensed counseling & clinical psychologist and National Certified Counselor and School Counselor (NBCC), he has worked in a variety of professional roles and with many different populations, including in hospitals, clinics, schools, businesses. He holds Diplomate/Board Certifications in clinical and counseling psychology (ABPP), and in medical psychology (ABMP). He is also a European accredited EMDR practitioner and consultant, and Chief Editor of the EMDR Europe Association's official, online journal(see: www.emdr-practitioner.net). He recently published a book chapter based on research he completed on international concepts of family violence, and is now involved in research looking at cultural differences in concepts of political and governmental violence. Dr. Borrelli has been a counselor educator for nearly 20 years, first with Boston University, and now with the University of Maryland. His preference for an integrative model of counseling coincides with his special interests in multi-culturalism, energy psychologies, Asian studies, and medical and health psychology.
| |