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Counseling Psychology

Program Description

The 90-quarter unit Master of Science in Counseling Psychology Program at CSUB trains students to meet the community need for ethical, competent, and adaptable mental health professionals. It is designed to meet the academic requirements established by the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS), Sections 4980.37, 4980.38, 4980.40, and 4980.41 (subdivisions a-g) of the Business and Professions Code, for the California License in Marriage and Family Therapy (LMFT). Students receive broad training that prepares them for work in diverse and changing settings. The well-trained counselor will understand that:

• 1. Counseling involves the application of intervention techniques based on the best theory and empirical research available;
• 2. The counseling relationship is central to effective therapeutic intervention;
• 3. Counselors creatively use their knowledge, skills, and personal experiences to create an environment where clients can make positive change;
• 4. Clients’ adaptive and maladaptive functioning is determined by multiple factors including individual, familial and cultural influences; and
• 5. Training and education in counseling is a lifelong process that begins in graduate school and continues throughout the counselor’s professional career.

The CSUB Counseling Psychology program places a particular value on personal exploration in training and supervision. The curricular objectives of the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology therefore emphasize:

• 1. A foundation in the theory and research upon which clinical practice is based;
• 2. Development of self-awareness and relationshipbuilding skills that contribute to strong therapeutic alliances with clients;
• 3. Experiential learning, through which students learn and practice relevant skills and come to trust their own internal experiencing in work with clients;
• 4. An understanding of and a sensitivity to the effects of diverse individual, familial, and cultural factors; and,
• 5. Development of skills needed for life long learning and continued professional growth.

Experiential Learning Requirements

The Master of Science in Counseling Psychology Program is sequentially arranged and includes an emphasis on principles of experiential learning. Students are expected to participate from both counselor and client perspectives in individual, dyadic, and group exercises. Enrollment in the program implies student consent to engage in individual and group experiential learning activities in various courses.

Ethical and Professional Conduct

Throughout the program, it is important for students to remember that they are enrolled in a program designed to train professional counselors. The use of case vignettes, live clients, and student experiences are essential to this process. It is thus expected that students will conduct themselves as professionals and maintain the confidentiality of all client or student material generated or presented in any program class. A violation of this ethical requirement of confidentiality will result in faculty review of students’ conduct and subsequent progress in the Program.

The Code of Ethics of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) (Principle II and section 2.1) and the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice (Section B1,a) each stress the importance of confidentiality in counseling relationships. The ACA Code also notes that “Counselors have a responsibility both to clients and to the agency or institution within which services are performed to maintain high standards of professional conduct” (Section B1,,j). These Standards apply not only to licensed therapists, but also to students in the MS Counseling Psychology program who are expected to maintain the confidentiality of all information disclosed by, and related to, both clients and peers in the various experiential activities throughout the program.

While the preservation of confidentiality is only one aspect of professional conduct, the faculty takes seriously Standard F.1 of the ACA Code to only endorse for a degree and/or licensure only those candidates that exemplify high standards of ethical and personal conduct; and Standard F.3.a that asks faculty to insure that students are able to provide competent service. We refer to these concepts as pre-professional development in our published literature.

Pre-professional Development

Throughout the program students must provide evidence of the ability to interact competently and ethically with others from a variety of backgrounds. The student must engage in behaviors that:

• • demonstrate positive, consistent, and effective contributions to the classroom learning and atmosphere
• • exhibit harmonious and collegial relationships with peers and faculty
• • reflect professionalism and responsibility in areas such as attendance, timely completion of assignments, and attention to regulations and expectations

Students must also demonstrate by conduct and curricular performance achievement of curricular goals (listed above) appropriate to their progress in the program. Such evidence also may come from practicum and techniquebased courses, courses with an experiential focus, or from supervised experiences. Students will be evaluated by the CPFC at each point of reclassification. The Division of Graduate Programs section of the CSUB Catalog describes the procedures for student Appeals and Grievances.

Inter-School Courses/Curriculum

Because the MS in Counseling Psychology Program is an inter-school program, several courses with restricted enrollments are available to qualified students in the School of Education’s MS in Counseling program. Enrollment in these courses must be approved by the CPSY and EDCS Coordinators.

For some continuing students, discontinued courses may still meet prerequisite requirements.

CPSY 651, CPSY 661, CPSY 671, CPSY 681, and CPSY 682 are clinical process classes. These are experiential in nature and require the use of live clients and videotaping of sessions. Because of the additional time needed for supervision, and to move people from room to room and to change videotapes, the class schedule may indicate more time than mandated for clinical process classes.

ADMISSION AND APPLICATION

Students are normally admitted for fall enrollment. Students may be admitted in other quarters, but course selection will be limited and sequencing will be affected. For application assistance or questions regarding the acceptability of prerequisite courses, please contact the Assistant Coordinator, Dr. T. Ken Ishida (see above).

Application

The Master of Science in Counseling Psychology Faculty Committee (CPFC) reserves the right to admit those applicants they deem most qualified. Although the university admits international students using standardized criteria for English language competence, the CPFC reserves the right to evaluate students for program admission for oral English mastery needed for effective communication. Students seeking admission to the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology may secure program application materials from the School of Education, Graduate Studies Office (EDUC 249, 654- 3160) or from the Psychology Department (DDH-D107, 654-2363). All program-specific application materials must be submitted as a complete package. Quarterly deadlines are listed on information sheets accompanying application forms; deadlines are also listed on the CSUB Counseling Psychology Program Home Page: www.csub.edu/cpsy.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for admission, the student must fulfill the following minimum requirements:

• 1. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university
• 2. A 3.0 GPA over the most recent 60 semester or 90 quarter units
• 3. Completion of all prerequisite courses with a grade of at least a “C” (2.0):
  • a. Introductory statistics
  • b. Abnormal psychology
  • c. Child psychology, developmental psychology, or human development

Prerequisite courses must have been completed within five calendar years of intended admission date. A competency examination may be taken to demonstrate currency of knowledge if prerequisites were taken outside the time limit.

• 4. Completion of the application packet to the MS in Counseling Psychology Program including official transcripts, a personal statement and three letters of recommendation attesting to suitability and promise. (See www.http://www.csub.edu/cpsy.)
• 5. Graduate or Post-baccalaureate admission to the University. Apply directly to the University’s Office of Admissions and Records.

Students accepted by the university for post-baccalaureate study are considered unclassified students (i.e., not having been accepted into a major field of study) but may take selected psychology or counseling psychology courses. The CPFC determines the acceptability of any graduate transfer credits whether these courses were taken for personal pleasure or as a means of establishing a record of academic achievement that could lead to Classified standing. It is important to note that students in this classification have not been accepted to the Counseling Psychology program and must complete a separate application to the program (see #4 above).

The CPFC reserves the option to request supplemental documentation and information, including a personal interview, to determine suitability and promise. Students who do not meet minimum requirements for admission to the program may file a petition to the CPFC though the Counseling Psychology Program Coordinator requesting exceptional consideration. Students denied admission also may petition the CPFC for a second review. The CPFC reserves the right to make all decisions regarding admission to the Program and all decisions are considered to be final.

STUDENT CLASSIFICATIONS

The CPFC determines students’ initial classification level prior to admission as well as all subsequent changes in level. At any point of reclassification the CPFC will evaluate academic and pre-professional development.

Conditionally Classified

Students who have completed most, but not all, of the requirements for admission at the Classified level and show promise of success may be admitted at the Conditionally Classified level. Students admitted at this level who complete all admission requirements or alternate requirements specified in the offer of admission will be moved to the Classified level at the discretion of the CPFC and only if the CPFC determines that the requirements have been completed at a level satisfactory for movement. These students may take no more than 14 units applicable to the graduate standing.

Classified

Students who successfully meet all of the requirements for admission, as determined by the CPFC will be eligible for admission at the Classified level. Classified graduate students may take any graduate level course meeting the requirements of their Plan of Study as long as the appropriate prerequisites or co-requisites have been met.

Graduate Candidacy

Classified level students will be eligible for advancement to Graduate Candidacy after successful completion of CPSY 540, 600, 610, 611, 620, 642, and 643. These individuals must have a minimum 3.0 GPA in the Program of Study and have completed the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement. (See GWAR under “Graduation Requirements” below.) Students also must have received positive faculty evaluations in pre-professional development. The status of Graduate Candidacy is required for the student to take most of the advanced courses in the Program.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

To graduate with the MS degree in Counseling Psychology, a student must meet the following requirements:

• 1. Complete the 90-unit program in accord with the approved Program of Study.
• 2. Be in Good Standing in the MS in Counseling Psychology program, a student must maintain at the end of each term of enrollment a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in courses taken to meet degree requirements and receive satisfactory evaluations of pre-professional development from faculty and field placement supervisors. Students not in Good Standing must formally request permission (and receive written approval) to enroll in additional graduate courses. The CPFC will review the explanations and plans set forth in the petition and make a decision whether to permit continued enrollment and what conditions must be met for a return to Good Standing. (See Scholastic Probation, Academic Disqualification, and Appeals and Grievances paragraphs, section, CSUB Catalog).
• 3. Be advanced to Graduate Candidacy.
• 4. Receive an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher for the entire 90-unit program.
• 5. Not count more than two courses, regardless of the number of units, with grades of “C+” (2.3) or “C” (2.0). Any course with a grade lower than “C” will not count toward graduation.
• 6. Not count any course at the 600 level with a grade of less than “B-”.
• 7. Finally, all graduate students in the California State University system must satisfy the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) as soon as possible in their program. This can be done either by passing or having passed the university-wide GWAR examination or by achieving a grade of “C” or better in COMM 304, 306 or 311; ENGL 305, 310, or 311; HIST 300; or ADM 510. Brochures with more information on the GWAR are available in the Testing Center, the Department of English and Communications, and in all deans’, offices. The English Department is the sole determiner of whether writing courses at non-CSU institutions may be equivalent.

CURRICULUM

Year 1
Fall
CPSY 535 Domestic Violence
CPSY 540 Theories of Individual Counseling
CPSY 600 Human Communication
CPSY 610 Psychopathology and Diagnostic Interviewing
CPSY 636 Chemical Dependency

Winter
CPSY 520 Research Methods in Counseling Psychology
CPSY 611 Treatment Planning
CPSY 620 Adult and Family Development
CPSY 642 Behavioral Intervention
CPSY 643 Cognitive Intervention

Spring
CPSY 512 Psychological Testing
CPSY 630 Clinical Ethics
CPSY 631 Legal and Professional Issues in Marriage
and Family Therapy
CPSY 650 Theories of Family Counseling
CPSY 681 Practicum I

Year 2
Fall
CPSY 634 Psychopharmacology
CPSY 644 Dynamic Intervention
CPSY 651 Techniques of Family Counseling
CPSY 660 Theories of Group Counseling
CPSY 682 Practicum II

Winter
CPSY 633 Cross Cultural Issues in Counseling
CPSY 661 Techniques of Group Counseling
CPSY 670 Theories of Developmental Counseling with Children and Adolescents
CPSY 691 Traineeship I

Spring
CPSY 530 Human Sexuality
CPSY 645 Dyadic Intervention
CPSY 671 Techniques of Child and Adolescent Counseling
CPSY 692 Traineeship II
CPSY 697 Master’s Examination in Counseling Psychology

This two-year course sequence is for full-time students and requires classes four evenings a week. Sequences are also available for completing the program as parttime students in three years (three nights a week), or four years (two nights a week).

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

CPSY 500 Introduction to Counseling Psychology (4)

Overview of the counseling profession, counseling and consultation processes and services, counseling theories, and preparation of counselors, including the development of a professional identify as an MFT or professional counselor.

CPSY 512 Psychological Testing (4)

Survey of assessment procedures applicable to MFT practice and their theoretical and applied characteristics. Consideration of the role of various kinds of assessment in typical clinical situations, as well as the impact of cultural orientation, age, and other client characteristics in ethically selecting and using assessment procedures. Prerequisite: one course in elementary statistics.

CPSY 520 Research Methods in Counseling Psychology (4)

Methods and issues associated with the conduct and use of research concerning phenomena relevant to counseling psychology. Overview of hypothesis generation, research design, data collection and interpretation, and utilization of research findings in clinical practice. Prerequisite: one course in elementary statistics.

CPSY 530 Human Sexuality (4)

Examination of the major variables affecting human sexuality. Includes the physiological, psychological, and sociocultural variables associated with the development and manifestation of sexual identity, sexual behavior, and sexual disorders. Special attention to the etiology, assessment, and treatment of sexual dysfunctions and to the relationship between issues of sexuality and intimate interpersonal relationships.

CPSY 535 Domestic Violence (2)

Prevention, detection, assessment, intervention, and legal reporting of violence in families, with special emphasis on abuse of children, dependent adults, and partners in intimate relationships. Therapeutic considerations include diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment planning. CPSY 540 Theories of Individual Counseling (4) Examination of several contemporary individual intervention approaches based on specific behavioral, cognitive, humanistic/experiential, and psychodynamic frameworks. Consideration of how each approach is used in clinical, school, and marriage and family counseling applications. Prerequisite: Conditionally Classified standing in the MS in Counseling Psychology and permission of instructor.

CPSY 600 Human Communication I (4)

Interpersonal processes fundamental to the development of psychotherapeutic counseling strategies, with an emphasis on processes underlying verbal and nonverbal communication and the use of clinical skills applicable to interviewing, assessment, and intervention. Practice in simulated laboratory situations. Offered on a credit, no-credit basis only. Prerequisite: Classified standing in the MS in Counseling Psychology.

CPSY 610 Psychopathology and Diagnostic Interviewing (4)

Examination of major types of psychopathology. Techniques of intake interviewing and determining mental status to formulate a differential diagnosis based upon the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Prerequisite: Classified standing in the MS in Counseling Psychology.

CPSY 611 Treatment Planning (2)

Focus on alternative ways of integrating clinical information in order to develop practical and effective treatment plans. Relationships among client factors (e.g., diagnostic, personality, cultural, and developmental), therapist factors, and various interventions. Prerequisites: CPSY 600 and CPSY 610.

CPSY 620 Adult and Family Development (4)

Exploration of the biological, psychological, and social developmental tasks and life events of the adult years, including a family and vocational perspective. Focus on sociocultural, gender, and family issues salient to relationships, separation, nontraditional and blended families, and geropsychology. Issues of aging and long term care are stressed. Prerequisite: Classified standing in the MS in Counseling Psychology.

CPSY 630 Clinical Ethics (2)

Contemporary professional ethics relative to counseling practice. Professional codes of ethics (ACA, AAMFT/ CAMFT, and APA) and examination of key case examples. Prerequisite: Classified standing in the MS in Counseling Psychology.

CPSY 631 Legal and Professional Issues in Marriage and Family Therapy (2)

Laws and regulations that delineate the professional scope of practice of Marriage and Family Therapy. Current legal patterns and trends, including those in family law and reporting requirements imposed on California therapists by statue, regulation, and case law. Goals and objectives of professional organizations, standards of training, licensure and standards, and the rights and responsibilities of the professional counselor. Prerequisite or co-requisite: CPSY 630.

CPSY 633 Cross Cultural Issues in Counseling (4)

Focus on attitudes and issues arising from different values and cultural assumptions that affect therapeutic intervention. Attention to cultural sub-groupings of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, religion, relationship status, age, disability, and other demographics as they relate to the counseling process. Prerequisite: CPSY 600 and Classified standing in the MS in Counseling Psychology.

CPSY 634 Psychopharmacology (3)

Examination of the general principles underlying the use in modern practice of drugs to treat the major classes of mental illness. Include antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, mood stabilizers, and special topics. Mechanisms of action, drug interactions, pertinent aspects of differential diagnosis, and psychiatric aspects of general medical conditions will be discussed. Prerequisite: Graduate Candidacy standing in the MS in Counseling Psychology.

CPSY 636 Chemical Dependency (2)

Etiology, diagnosis and treatment of substance abuse and dependence. Prerequisite: Classified standing in the MS in Counseling Psychology.

CPSY 642 Behavioral Intervention (2)

Principles and techniques of behavior acquisition and intervention. Emphasis on respondent and operant conditioning. Ethical and professional considerations. Prerequisite: CPSY 540 and Classified standing in the MS in Counseling Psychology.

CPSY 643 Cognitive Intervention (2)

Cognitive theories of psychopathology and adaptive change. Illustration, demonstration, and practice of techniques of cognitive intervention. Prerequisite: CPSY 540 and Classified standing in the MS in Counseling Psychology.

CPSY 644 Dynamic Intervention (2)

Principles of psychodynamic and contemporary psychoanalytic psychotherapies, including and object relations and self psychology perspectives. Development of the ability to recognize and respond to conscious, and unconscious states, defenses, and transference and countertransference dynamics. Prerequisite: CPSY 540 and Graduate Candidacy standing in the MS in Counseling Psychology.

CPSY 645 Dyadic Intervention (2)

Emphasis on the dynamics of couple interaction, as well as on the examination of gender and ethnic issues. Integrates intrapsychic, interpersonal, and systems perspectives. Focus on enhancing communication and relationship processes and skills. Prerequisite: CPSY 650, CPSY 681, and Graduate Candidacy standing in the MS in Counseling Psychology.

CPSY 650 Theories of Family Counseling (4)

Focus on major systemic and nonsystemic orientations in relationship, couples, and family counseling. Attention to the psychodynamics of relationships and transcultural family systems, communications theory, and the role of family of origin in individual and family functioning. Students will relate their own family dynamics to the literature. Prerequisite: Graduate Candidacy standing in the MS in Counseling Psychology.

CPSY 651 Techniques of Family Counseling (3)

Focus on the development of clinical skills necessary for effective relationship and family counseling. Laboratory experiences will be provided through observation, demonstration, and practice. Prerequisite: CPSY 650.

CPSY 660 Theories of Group Counseling (4)

Focus on the major approaches to group counseling. Emphasis on small and large group processes and involvement in group experiential activities designed to relate the clinical process to theoretical explanations. Prerequisite: CPSY 650.

CPSY 661 Techniques of Group Counseling (3)

Focus on the development of clinical skills necessary for effective group counseling. Laboratory experiences will be provided through observation, demonstration, and practice. Prerequisite: CPSY 660.

CPSY 670 Theories of Developmental Counseling with Children and Adolescents (4)

Focus on the major approaches to therapeutic interventions with children and adolescents. Attention to developmental issues and tasks necessary for competent counseling with children and adolescents, including biological, psychological, social, and cultural processes that influence or disrupt normal development. Prerequisite: Graduate Candidacy standing in the MS in Counseling Psychology.

CPSY 671 Techniques of Child and Adolescent Counseling (3)

Focus on the development of clinical skills necessary for effective preventive, therapeutic, and consultative interventions with and related to children and adolescents. Laboratory experiences will be provided through observation, demonstration and practice. Prerequisite: CPSY 670.

CPSY 681 Practicum I (3)

A supervised clinical practicum within the scope and practice of a Marriage and Family Therapist. Application of counseling procedures, with a focus on interviewing, assessment, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of familial and relationship dysfunctions. Counts toward the MFT practicum requirement (Business and Professional Code, Chapter 1054, Section. 4980.43, a-c). Limited by law to 8 students per supervision section. Prerequisite: Graduate Candidacy standing in the MS in Counseling Psychology; completion of or concurrent enrollment in CPSY 512, CPSY 620, CPSY 630, CPSY 631, CPSY 650, and professional liability insurance.

CPSY 682 Practicum II (3)

A continuation of CPSY 681. Counts towards the MFT practicum requirement. Prerequisite: CPSY 681 and professional liability insurance.

CPSY 691 Traineeship I (4)

A supervised clinical practicum in settings designed to facilitate the professional goals of the trainee within the scope and practice of a Marriage and Family Therapist. Advanced experience in interviewing, assessment, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of familial and relationship dysfunctions. Counts towards the MFT practicum requirement (Business and Professions Code, Chapter 1054, Section 4980.43, a-c). Offered in a credit, no-credit basis only. Prerequisites: Graduate Candidacy standing in the MS in Counseling Psychology, CPSY 681, professional liability insurance, and placement in an approved setting.

CPSY 692 Traineeship II (4)

A continuation of CPSY 691. Counts towards the MFT practicum requirement. Offered on a credit, no-credit basis only. Prerequisite: CPSY 691 and professional liability insurance, and placement in an approved setting.

CPSY 697 Master’s Examination in Counseling Psychology (2)

Comprehensive examination as the culminating activity in the MS in Counseling Psychology program. Offered on a credit, no-credit basis only. Prerequisites: Graduate Candidacy standing in the MS in Counseling Psychology and approval of the Program Coordinator based on satisfactory completion of curricular components. Note: CPSY 699 and CPSY 700 are not part of the 90-unit curriculum and are offered only as needed.

CPSY 699 Independent Graduate Study (1-5)

Individual supervision of counseling or investigation of an approved project leading to a written report. Offered on a credit, no-credit basis only. Requires a petition for individual study approved by the sponsoring faculty member and the MS Program Coordinator.

CPSY 700 Clinical Extension (4)

Additional supervised clinical experience for students requiring more than two quarters to complete the required hours for Practicum or for Traineeship. May be repeated for credit. Does not count toward requirements for the MS in Counseling Psychology. Offered on a credit, nocredit basis only. Requires approval by the sponsoring faculty member and the MS Program Coordinator.