COU2121 Counseling II

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The Counseling II course offers an advanced exploration of modern counseling practices, specifically tailored for experienced counselors seeking to deepen their expertise. The course focuses on advanced therapeutic techniques and integrative approaches that address complex client needs. Emphasizing trauma-informed care, neuroscience in counseling, and multicultural frameworks, this course equips professionals with the tools necessary to handle challenging cases across various settings.

Participants will refine their skills in group counseling, somatic therapies, and attachment-based interventions while also learning how to integrate mindfulness and existential approaches into their practice. Through a combination of theory and practical applications, this course ensures that participants gain a comprehensive understanding of contemporary counseling techniques to support diverse client populations.

Key Points

1. Advanced Psychodynamic Counseling Approaches: This section delves into the unconscious conflicts and deep-rooted issues that affect clients’ present-day behaviors. The course covers techniques that help identify and resolve past conflicts that manifest in current relationships, enhancing the counselor’s ability to work with clients who have unresolved emotional struggles.
2. Trauma-Informed Counseling Practices: Focusing on trauma-sensitive approaches, this module highlights the importance of safety, trust-building, and avoiding re-traumatization. Participants will learn how to recognize trauma symptoms and integrate trauma-informed care into therapy sessions, ensuring a client-centered approach that respects emotional vulnerability.
3. Mindfulness-Based Counseling Interventions: This section explores mindfulness as an essential therapeutic tool, teaching counselors how to incorporate mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) to help clients manage anxiety, depression, and emotional regulation. The course emphasizes present-moment awareness and nonjudgmental acceptance of thoughts and feelings.
4. Somatic and Body-Centered Counseling Techniques: Somatic therapies focus on the body’s role in storing trauma and stress. This module helps counselors understand how physical sensations can be incorporated into the therapeutic process, enabling clients to release tension and process trauma through body-based interventions.
5. Integrative Counseling Approaches: Integrative therapy blends various therapeutic techniques to meet clients’ unique needs. This section covers how to effectively combine modalities like cognitive-behavioral therapy, existential therapy, and humanistic approaches, allowing counselors to tailor their interventions based on the complexity of each case.
6. Advanced Group Counseling Techniques: Group therapy provides a powerful platform for collective healing. In this module, participants will explore advanced group facilitation techniques, focusing on the “here and now” approach, fostering cohesion, and addressing group dynamics. Counselors will learn to manage complex group interactions while facilitating emotional growth among participants.

Core Learning Outcomes

• Apply Advanced Psychodynamic Techniques: Utilize psychodynamic approaches to help clients uncover and resolve unconscious conflicts impacting present relationships and behaviors.
• Implement Trauma-Informed Care: Integrate trauma-sensitive strategies to create a safe and supportive environment, minimizing re-traumatization and respecting client vulnerability.
• Incorporate Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Apply mindfulness techniques such as MBSR and MBCT to assist clients in managing emotional regulation and stress.
• Use Somatic Counseling Techniques: Employ body-centered approaches to support clients in processing trauma and releasing physical tension.
• Integrate Diverse Counseling Modalities: Adapt integrative counseling techniques by combining therapeutic modalities tailored to complex client cases.
• Facilitate Advanced Group Counseling: Utilize advanced group facilitation techniques to manage group dynamics, foster cohesion, and support emotional growth among participants.