COUN 551 1

CE 504/RC 545: Counseling Skills

Fall 2008: 5:05 – 7:45, BEC 328

Faculty Instructor: Jeff L. Cochran, Ph.D., NCC, LMHC

Phone: (865) 974-1319 Office: 439 Claxton
Email: [email protected] Hours: Tues 10-1 or by appointment

Course Description: This course introduces and provides foundational education in core
counseling skills from therapeutic listening and empathy to client concern
conceptualization, crisis management, and reaching across cultural divides with
counseling skills. It is appropriate for counselors who will work in a variety of settings
and with a variety of task foci. It is experiential and aimed at helping counselors develop
a foundation as strong, effective therapeutic agents for their clients.

Course Goals:
Students will –
 Develop a deep understanding of the core and basis of counseling, including what
it is, why it works, and how it is customized to individual needs
 Develop strengths in the foundational skills for counselors serving across settings
and task foci
 Achieve significant personal development toward becoming strong, effective
therapeutic agents for their clients

Course Foci include (the following foci are addressed in full or in part):
 Understanding and developing in one’s self the counselor characteristics and
behaviors that influence the helping process
 Understanding and developing interviewing and counseling skills
 Developing counseling skills and understandings that support an orientation to
wellness and prevention as desired counseling goals
 Developing initial skills for conceptualizing client concerns and articulating
customized explanations, to clients and stake holders, of how and why counseling
services can help
 An introduction to the management of client crises and helping clients who are
experiencing deep personal crisis
 A brief introduction into family and systems contexts of client concerns
 A brief introduction to a framework for understanding consultation

Primary Learning Modes include: discussion, self-reflection and writing, lecture, and
skill practice.

Required Text:
Cochran, J. L., & Cochran, N. H. (2006). The heart of counseling: A guide to developing
therapeutic relationships. Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.
Occasional recommended literature/articles made available
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Recommended Readings:
Martin, D. G. (2000). Counseling and therapy skills (2nd ed.). Prospect Heights, IL:
Waveland Press.

Suggestions for Getting the Most from the Course:

1. Read the syllabus and related documents. Ask helpful questions sooner, rather than
later.
2. Decide at the onset if you are willing and able to devote the time and effort needed to
do a quality job for this central course in your program. A rough time estimate would be:
 45 hours devoted to class meetings
 60 hours of class preparations (including reading, studying, contemplating, and
discussing the concepts presented, as well as preparing for the tests)
 45 hours completing writing and application assignments
 Totaling 150 hours during the semester, an average of about 10 hours per week.
 However, the work in this course, as in many courses is not evenly loaded (e.g.,
reading time may be heaviest early in the semester and writing and application
assignment times may be concentrated in certain weeks. Therefore, it is
imperative that you not fall behind and that you set additional time and energy
aside from other responsibilities for this critically important course.
3. It is wise to work ahead when reasonably possible and very detrimental to your
learning to fall behind.
4. Don’t allow yourself to get behind in your reading and study! The topics of the course
should build, with each week’s topics growing logically from the previous weeks’ topics.
It will be difficult to catch up if you are behind.
5. Contemplate: Give yourself time to contemplate important concepts during and after
reading, and following each class meeting. Strive to apply or at least think of how the
concepts apply to you or to life and humanity as you understand it. After each meeting,
make and organize your notes from the topics of that day.
6. Come to class with an open frame of mind and be willing to take risks in thought,
action, and self-expression for the purpose of your learning and self-development. This
course is meant to be a beginning of your understanding of counseling skills. You are not
expected to have previous counseling experience or knowledge. Don’t let yourself be
intimidated (there will be no stupid questions or comments, as long as your heart/intent is
in the right place). I hope, you will challenge your fears and push yourself to active
participation in an attempt to make yourself the best tool that you can be for your clients
in therapeutic relationships.
7. Of course, you are expected to attend every class meeting, unless there is a valid
emergency or seemingly unavoidable reason to miss. Missing classes will cause you to
fall behind and leave gaps in your learning and development. We will have some skills
practice in nearly every class.
8. Respect confidentiality! Active involvement in the class meetings and activities
entails a level of personal self-disclosure. Because of the nature of the vulnerability
inherent in this, and the trust and openness required, it is extremely important that
confidentiality be maintained. Revealing any personal information about classmates,
gained from class meetings or activities, is a breach of confidentiality. Additionally, for
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that reason, class meetings may not be recorded. This level of respect for confidentiality
is required for class discussions as well as self-reflective journaling and skill practice.
9. Contact me early if you have questions or concerns regarding your progress.
10. Most of all give it your all, immerse yourself in this study, enjoy and be passionate in
your learning. My main hope is that you will be well pleased with how much you will
challenge yourself and how much you learn, and that you will be well pleased with the
excellent counselor you move to become.

Personal Dispositions
As of fall, 2008, the Counseling Program has adopted a set of personal dispositions to be
demonstrated by all students. The dispositions include:
      Self-awareness, including humility, self-reflection, and understanding of place in
history
      Integrity, including personal responsibility, maturity, honesty, courage, and
congruence
      Commitment, including counseling identity, investment, advocacy, collaboration,
and interpersonal competence
      Openness to idea, learning, change, giving and receiving feedback, others, and
self-development
      Respect to self and others, including honoring diversity, self-care, and wellness
All students will be expected to model these dispositions during class meetings and
through all course related assignments and interactions.

Grading Practices and Policy:

Your letter grade for the course will be an average of all letter graded assignments:
homework (graded weekly), your tests grade (an average of the two), the taped skill
practice assignment, and class participation (with weekly grade feedback included with
your graded homework).
The tests will be multiple-choice and short essay. They will be scored on a 1-100
scale, based on the proportion of correct answers. Grade feedback on most other
assignments will be in the simplified A, B, C format, without specification of +’s or
number grades.

Grading scale converting number grades to letters.

100 - 93 = A 82 – 80 = C+
92 - 90 = B+ 79 – 73 = C
89 – 83 = B 72 – 63 = D

Grading scale converting letter grades to numbers.

A = 97 C+ = 81
B+ = 91 C = 76
B = 86 D = 68

Assignments should be on time. Timeliness is an accepted value of our professional

culture and it is difficult for me to keep track of work completed at different times.
However, I may agree that some unusual circumstances make lateness understandable. If
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you think this may be your situation, please talk to me about it as soon as possible.

Additional Resources:
Disability Services. If you need course adaptations or accommodations due to a
documented disability, please contact the Office of Disability Services at 191 Hoskins
Library at 974-6087. This will ensure that you are properly registered for services.

Writing Center. The Writing Center (HSS 211, 974-2611) offers assistance in preparing
written materials for all classes. Tutors will help any student, graduate or undergraduate,
decide on topics, revise drafts, find grammatical errors, and prepare outlines. Students
must be actively involved in the tutoring sessions and be willing to learn to write better.
Students may self-initiate a visit to the Center or may be referred by instructors.
Appointments are not necessary, but they can eliminate the risk of coming to the Center
and finding all tutors busy with other students.

UTK Honor Statement and Pledge:

An essential feature of The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is a commitment to
maintaining an atmosphere of intellectual integrity and academic honesty. By registering
for this course, you are responsible for upholding this pledge. The pledge reads, As a
student of the University, I pledge that I will neither give knowingly nor receive any
inappropriate assistance in academic work, thus affirming my own personal commitment
to honor and integrity.

Assignments
“Homework”
Overview. You will have weekly “homework,” including chapter reading
reactions and self-reflection and/or counseling skill reflection journal assignments. Some
of the journaling assignments will require out of class activities, then journaling your
answers to questions about the activity. Twelve course weeks include at least two of
these journal writing/activity assignments, usually with one topic required for all and
others in a list of options to choose from, and chapter reading reactions. Specific
guidance is given for the journaling assignments/options each week. Each journal
assignment is normally limited to two typed, double spaced pages with 12 point Times
font and normal margins, but the length of reflection/preparation times for the
assignments will vary for individuals and from week to week. Please review the
“guidance for written work” provided in this syllabus and include the guidance in your
writing for the reading reactions and journal assignments.
In an attempt to save us all printing costs and to be a little “greener,” you may
submit these assignments to me electronically, as long as they are received prior to the
class meeting in which they are due. If you would like to use a “read receipt,” I will do
my best to open your email right away and check to see that your attachment opens and
all appears OK (I will not likely be able to read them until after the class they are due).
My email address is [email protected].
However, we begin most classes with a discussion of your reading reactions and
responses to activities/journal assignments. Therefore, you may need to have a copy of
your writings or notes from them to help prompt your participation in these discussions.
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Homework assignments are graded on the following criteria. Your final

homework grade is an average of the weekly homework grades.
A = 1) very well written (see “guidance for written work,” included in syllabus), 2)
evidence of excellent depth of thought and/or personal application, 3) completeness and
timeliness of the assigned works for that week
B = good, but less than excellent work in any of the three categories above
C = poor quality work in any of the three categories above
D = repeated poor quality work in any of the three categories above
E/F = homework that is significantly incomplete or significantly late, without having
contacted me with a valid emergency or seemingly unavoidable reason for the lateness of
the assignment.
Guidance for reading reactions. Standard guidance for reading reactions follows.
Text chapters, articles and handouts are assigned following class meetings. We
set aside time to discuss readings on designated dates. Come to the discussions ready to
ask questions or make comments that have occurred to you, and to discuss the questions
and comments of others.
We provide you copies of or access to non-text assigned readings. Some are
articles or special book chapters. Many are relatively brief handouts or skill descriptions.
Turn in a written reaction to readings on assigned dates. These reactions should
include a brief summary focused on aspects of the readings that are most meaningful to
you, with explanations of why. I encourage you to reflect and focus your reactions more
on the personal meanings you make of readings, than on summary. You need only
summarize enough to help me know what parts of the readings have struck a reaction in
you.
Please limit your written reactions to two typed double spaced pages, in 12 point
font, with normal margins. Be aware that you cannot comment on all readings in the
space allowed. Select the readings that strike reactions in you that you most need to
ponder in written reflection. Also note that concise writing is required in the space
allowed. Often when consulting with a key client, significant other in a client’s life, or
administrator in your life, you may have only brief moments to get your point about
counseling across. Therefore the concise writing required for these reactions can help
develop your skills for concise communication (selecting the most important comment to
make and getting right to the point).
I suggest you practice expressing yourself on the topic by drafting your reading
reactions in “stream of consciousness” style. But please edit the works you turn in. Use
your process of editing to advance your thoughts on the topic and enhance the quality of
the work you submit. Of course, your submitted reactions cannot be completely resolved
of all the issues you’ve explored (one can spend a life time studying the topic), but please
work through your thoughts in written reactions such that what you submit for me to read
represents thoughts you have spent significant time contemplating.

Tests
There are two tests for this course, scheduled for 10-1 and 11-19. The first test
will cover chapters 1-6 and any additional readings assigned. Test two will focus on
chapters 7-12, with some comprehensive items included. The tests feature multiple
choice questions and short essays meant to check your understandings of readings. They
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will be graded on a 1-100 scale based on the proportion of correct answers/percentage of

possible points earned in short essay questions. The two test grades will be averaged
together to equal 25% of your final grade.

Taped Skill Practice

Working in groups of three, you will complete five taped skill practices. For
each, you will have to practice the skill set enough to ensure that each group member has
accomplished the required proficiency level for the skill set (proficiency standards will be
explained for each in the class it is introduced). Required lengths for each persons turn in
the role of the counselor in each skill practice assignment will vary from 15-45 minutes
and will be noted with proficiency requirements as each skill set is introduced. Taped
skill practices will be assigned on 8-27, 9-10, 10-15, 10-22, and 10-29. Initial taped
practices are to begin the week they are assigned and continue until proficiencies are met
for all group members. Final tape sets are due by 11-26 or before.
Grades for this assignment are by group. Also, please note that I will have to
review for proficiency/grades by spot check, meaning I will review at least 15 minutes of
one of each student’s skill demonstrations. Each reviewed segment/skill set (one per
student) will be graded: A = exceeds proficiency, B = meets proficiency, C = does not
meet proficiency, or D = significant misunderstanding or misapplication of the skill set.
These three grades, plus the group’s class presentation grade are then averaged for the
final group grade.
Class presentation. Each group will present a 10’ segment of one taped skill
practice in class. The segment should be selected to initiate helpful class discussion of
the skill set (e.g., a point where the counselor struggled and would like guidance for
future work, improvement; or a segment where it went exceedingly well, so surprisingly
well that the group would like to share it with the whole class for discussion). This
presentation is not graded for proficiency and is not expected to be perfect work, even for
a student beginning her or his study of counseling. This grade is based on: 1) evidence
of quality of group thought in selecting the segment (e.g., what are your questions about
it or what do you want the class to see/provide input on and what are your thoughts so far
on the segment/what have you considered so far), 2) the technological readiness of the
presentation (e.g., the tape is ready & plays when we need it) and 3) usefulness in
advancing class discussion of counseling skill (e.g., it isn’t the same question, problem,
or situation that two or more other groups have already presented). An A grade will
mean that the three criteria have been met; a B grade that they have not been met, but it
was close, a C grade that the criteria were simply not met.

Class Participation Grade

To encourage your full and active involvement, class participation will be graded
on the following three standards: 1) active participation, 2) evidence of both depth and
spontaneity of expressed thoughts, and 3) evidence of being fully present (i.e., putting
yourself into your studies, letting yourself be known through your discussions and
participations). Your class participation grade will be returned with each homework
assignment. An A will indicate excellent work in the three standards; B moderate quality
on the standards; C poor quality; E/F an absence without an emergency or seemingly
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unavoidable reason for absence of which I have been notified. Your final class
participation grade is an average of the weekly grades.

Extra Credit Option

It is helpful to learn about counseling skills through personal experience as a
client. You may take this on as an extra credit task. To do so, you would document at
least six sessions of work with a qualified counselor from counseling or a related field.
You must be willing and ready to actively engage in counseling, perhaps either to
overcome significant difficulties you are facing or to accomplish significant personal
growth. You will have to be ready to take person responsibility for making excellent use
of your counseling time vs. attending counseling with the expectation that the counselor
can take the greatest portion of the responsibility for your use of counseling.
To use this option, you will have to document the dates and place of your
counseling sessions and write an essay/extensive self-reflective journal entry detailing:
what you learned about yourself from the experience, what you learned about counseling,
what you worked on or how you changed, what you liked or didn’t like and why, and
what would have made the experience more effective for you. Also identify the dates of
your counseling sessions and what counselor at what counseling center you worked with.
This paper should be 5-6 typed double space pages with 12 point Times font and normal
margins and should comply with the additional guidance for writing provided in this
syllabus. Three final grade points can be earned for a paper that is: 1) very well written,
2) complete, 3) that indicates a high level of thought and 4) indicates having put ones self
fully into the assignment. Two final grade points can be earned with the assignment
completed with moderate quality in each of the points above.
Should you choose this option, you will have to complete your counseling
sessions and paper by 11-19. Therefore, you must begin early - while six sessions is the
minimal number of sessions needed for this assignment, the real minimum is that you
have a significant enough experience with counseling to write about the experience with
depth. Also, it is possible, that you may be dissatisfied with your first counselor (all
persons serving as counselors are not equal) and may need to seek another with which to
develop a significant therapeutic relationship.
You may seek counseling on or off campus with any counselor or therapist with a
masters or higher degree from counseling or a related field. While our university
counseling center is mostly staffed with psychology graduate students, you may choose
to use their services. Also, I ask that you not use this assignment to seek pastoral
counseling or spiritual guidance. While all counselors should be able to help you address
your thoughts and feelings on spiritual issues, if needed, pastoral counseling/spiritual
guidance is a specialty area (or significantly different area) that I value highly, but it can
be very different from the skills of this class and from those you will earn through your
masters degrees.

Additional Guidance for Written Work:

1. Quality writing skills –
 Write directly and informally, yet in standard English. One example is that when
you are writing of your experience, you should use first person pronouns.
 Proof read carefully. Use complete sentences and check your spelling. Strive for
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the clearest grammar and syntax possible. Partner with someone to proofread
and review the quality of your writing and thought.
 Develop your paragraphs so that each has a single, clear topic sentence,
supported with evidence or illustration. Each paragraph should make only
one clear point.
 Use APA style headings to separate sections. This clarifies the essay for the
reader and helps you think through what you want to say. Section headings
should name the content within the section. Naming the content keeps the reader
and writer clear on what the section is to say.
 Your abstract should name the pieces of the content of the essay, while staying
within APA length limits. You can think of your abstract like a movie review or
advertisement. For example, if a review/abstract only says, “This essay presents
evidence of how and why a beginning counselor sees her/his clients as having
changed though counseling,” how would the reader know if they want to read it?
If your review/abstract tells the potential reader what quality themes or
mechanisms within counseling that you assert helped your clients change, then
that may prick your potential readers’ interest and help your readers decide if they
want to read your essay. However, in this case, your abstract primarily serves to
help you clarify for yourself, just what it is that you mean to say in the essay. It
will likely be best for you to write your abstract first. Then as you write the body
of your essay, edit, edit, and edit, you will likely realize that what you are saying
has evolved. Then, you may go back and rewrite your abstract last.
2. Concise writing – I require that you keep strictly within established page limits.
 The limits require you to write efficiently, which helps you think through what
you say and your beliefs more completely.
 For concise writing, avoid words, sentences, and paragraphs that are not essential
to your message. Lengthy quotations are inappropriate for these assignments.
 For concise writing and for quality, you will probably begin with an essay much
longer than allowed. Then, edit, exchange it for review, edit, re-edit, and edit
some more, so that you get an essay that makes your essential points with
maximum clarity and brevity. In this way, when you need to explain aspects of
counseling to clients or significant others, you can rely on excellent, brief
explanations developed in your essay and other class assignments. Additionally,
you will have to choose between important ideas to include. You cannot possibly
write everything that you want for these assignments. With maximum effort, you
will be able to write what you need.
3. Development of a theme – Discern and highlight your central theme or message in
your essay. Create a title that fits the theme (e.g., your title should not be Cognitive
Therapy, but should be something about cognitive therapy that you focus your essay
around or perhaps a reaction you have to cognitive therapy or a way that you have come
to think of cognitive therapy through your study that has become a focus of your essay).
Further, make an outline and check that each point in your outline pertains to your
central message. A well-developed essay usually takes many drafts. Sometimes the
purpose of early drafts is to discern what the central message is, before rewriting to
highlight that message. Other guidance in this area includes:
 Create a short title for your essay that conveys your theme.
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 State your message clearly and concisely in your opening paragraph.

 Your theme should be clear, concise, and specific—rather than global and
generalized. If you write in a general, abstract manner, your essay will lack a
clear focus and be much less understandable.
 Develop your thoughts fully, concretely, and logically, rather than rambling or
being wordy.
 Your writing should flow well, and your points should relate to one another. The
reader should not have to struggle to discover your meaning.
 Provide reasons or evidence for each view, rather than making unsupported
statements.
 Cover a few ideas in depth, rather than many in a shallow way.
4. Incorporating yourself in your essays and other written assignments – Make your
essay truly yours, within assignment parameters. Strive to use your words, meaning the
words or ways of explaining that are most meaningful to you. It’s OK if you use some of
my words or those of other counselors and authors, but I want your essay to be truly
yours.
5. Use of examples – In developing your ideas, use clear examples to illustrate your
points. Tie your examples into the point you are making.
6. Creativity and depth of thinking – Write your essay to reflect your own uniqueness
and ideas.
 Do not make your essays mere summaries. Rather, focus on a clear position that
you take on the issue.
 Strive for depth in expanding your thoughts.
 Check that your thoughts and points expressed do not contradict one another.
Contemplate and work to resolve the contradiction when they do.
7. Define ambiguous terms. For example, we may each mean something different by
“mental health.” So, if you use such a vague term, you must tell your readers what you
mean by it.
8. Avoid ambiguous, unnecessary words. For example, you would not likely use words
like good or bad. They have different meanings to each person and are minimally
descriptive.
9. Further: Be sure to submit your best work. It is usually necessary and an excellent
learning experience for students to pair up to review each other’s work.
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Calendar (dates are subject to change; additional readings may be assigned):

Date Topics and Assignments
Week 1  Introductions
8/20  Course and assignments overview
 Lecture and Discussion of 11 Concepts that Underlie Modern
Counseling
Week 2  Readings Reactions and Homework due from Introduction &
8/27 Chapter 1
 Discussions of homework and reading reactions from Chapter 1
 Presentation and skill practices related to Chapter 2
 Groups formed and Taped Skill Practice 1 assigned
Week 3  Reading Reactions and Homework due from Chapter 2
9/3  Discussions of homework, reading reactions, and initial skill practice
from Chapter 2
 Presentation and activities or skill practices related to Chapter 3
Week 4  Readings Reactions and Homework due from Chapter 3
9/10  Discussions of homework, reading reactions, and initial skill practice
from Chapter 3
 Presentation and skill practices for Chapter 4
 Taped Skill Practice 2 assigned
Week 5  No meeting this week
9/17
Week 6  Reading Reactions and Homework from Chapter 4 due
9/24  Discussions of homework and reading reactions from Chapter 4
 Presentation and activities related to Chapters 5 & 6
Week 7  Readings Reactions and Homework from Chapters 5 & 6 due
10/1  Test 1
 Discussions of homework and reading reactions from Chapters 5 & 6 as
well as Taped Skill Practice 2
 Presentation of Chapter 7
Week 8  No meeting this week
10/8
Mtg 9  Reading Reactions and Homework from Chapter 7 due
10/15  Discussion of homework and reading reactions for Chapter 7
 Presentation and activities related for Chapter 8
 Taped Skill Practice 3 assigned
 Group 1 Tape Presentation due
Week10  Readings Reactions and Homework from Chapter 8 due
10/22  Discussion of homework, reading reactions, and taped skill practice
related to Chapter 8
 Presentation of chapter 9
 Group 2 Tape Presentation due
 Taped Skill Practice 4 assigned
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Week11  Reading Reactions and Homework from Chapter 9 due

10/29  Discussion of homework, reading reactions, and taped skill practice 4
 Presentation and skill practice related to Chapter 10
 Group 3 Tape Presentation due
 Taped Skill Practice 5 assigned
Week12  Reading Reactions and Homework from Chapter 10 due
11/5  Discussion of homework, reading reactions, and taped skill practice 5
 Presentation and activities related to Chapter 11
 Group 4 Tape Presentation due
Week13  Reading Reactions and Homework from Chapter 11 due
11/12  Discussion of homework, reading reactions from Chapter 11
 Presentation for Chapter 12
 Groups 5 & 6 Tape Presentations due
Week14  Reading Reactions and Homework from Chapter 12 due
11/19  Test 2
 Discussion of homework, reading reactions from Chapter 12
 Presentation and discussion related to Chapter 13
 Course evaluations
Week15  No meeting this week
11/26  Reading Reactions and Homework from Chapter 13 due
Wed Final Exam Date – May be used for presentations by request, including
12/10 empathic communication for conflict resolution, play therapy, relaxation
7:15 – techniques, an introduction to REBT/CBT.
9:15