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Program Curriculum
Emporia State University's program is unique in that its 60 hours meet the core requirements of both Kansas and national certifying and licensing boards. In addition, the elective and clinical experiences allow for diverse interests.
Most of our classes are taught face to face in the classroom; a few are taught online.
Clinical Experience
Practical experience in a counseling setting is an essential part of the curriculum. Students are encouraged to obtain their counseling experience in a variety of settings suited to their career interests. The practicum experience is gained through the on-campus Community Counseling Services Clinic which has state of the art digital video recording equipment for use in supervision of students’ counseling sessions. The internship experience is an in-depth, on-the-job experience geared to a specific interest and/or a career objective of the student. Students are able to obtain internship experiences in numerous counseling agencies. Practicum and internship students receive weekly clinical supervision on campus from full-time faculty in the Mental Health Counseling Program.
Course Descriptions
MH 700 INTRODUCTION TO MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING: 3 HRS.
(Consent of instructor) This course serves as the basic course introducing students to the theoretical and historical framework within which a mental health counselor functions. The student will be introduced to various mental health professions and to the interfacing of all mental health professions.
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MH 703 SPECIAL TOPICS IN MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING: 1-3 HRS.
MH703 enables the Mental Health Counseling program to teach on demand a course to provide in-depth consideration of specialized topics and current issues in Mental Health Counseling.
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MH 740 COUNSELING THE ADULT AND AGED: 2 HRS.
Counseling the Adult and Aged focuses on the issues involved in providing effective counseling for the elderly; the skills needed for counseling the elderly; and knowledge and information related to understanding elderly in our society, their needs, characteristics and special physiological and social conditions that affect them. The course is appropriate for persons working with, or planning to work with, the elderly segment of the population.
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MH 770 RELATIONSHIP AND FAMILY COUNSELING: 3 HRS.
(Prerequisite, 9 graduate hours in MHC or permission required.) This course serves as an introduction to marriage and family counseling. This course presents the basic theories, history, issues, and procedures followed in marriage and family counseling. In addition, this course focuses on giving the student experience in completing relevant documentation and appraisal instruments pertinent to marriage and family counseling. The ethical, legal, and related professional issues as well as implications of socio-cultural and lifestyle diversity relevant to the field will be covered. Major approaches will be demonstrated and discussed.
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MH 830 GROUP PROCESSES IN MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING: 3 HRS.
(Prerequisite, 9 graduate hours in MHC or permission required.) This course provides an understanding of group dynamics, stages of group development, group leadership styles, group counseling methods and skills, and presents group process theories and methods applicable in all group counseling settings. Specifically, this course is designed to provide experiential techniques and intervention strategies essential for counselors treating mental disorders in therapeutic groups in mental health settings. Part of this course provides students the opportunity to participate in brief counseling groups facilitated by the professor during which techniques and interventions reflecting various group counseling theorists and group processes are implemented.
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MH 860 ASSESSMENT IN MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING: 3 HRS.
This course focuses on the theory, standardization, and application of various assessment instruments necessary for conducting a comprehensive Mental Health Evaluation and doing mental health counseling. These assessment instruments include projective and standardized personality tests, aptitude, intelligence, achievement, and interest inventories. Administering, analyzing, and interpreting the findings of assessment instruments and the writing of comprehensive mental health evaluations is the major emphasis of this course.
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MH 861 EVALUATION DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT PLANNING IN MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING: 3 HRS.
To supplement the required testing course in the Mental Health Counseling curriculum by adding a behavioral assessment course.
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MH 880 THESIS MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING: 1-3 HRS.
(ER851 or Consent of Thesis Chair) A student completes an important research study appropriate to Mental Health Counseling.
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MH 881 RESEARCH PROBLEMS IN MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING: 1-3 HRS.
A project of special interest is investigated by a student under the immediate supervision of a faculty member. This problem can entail a review of the research literature or data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
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MH 890 ADMINISTRATION OF MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING PROGRAMS: 2 HRS.
(Permission required) This course will provide students with an understanding of various principles of mental health/human services administration and management, and supervision models. Students will explore their own management and supervisory styles as well as principles of effective leadership. Students will gain knowledge in understanding the necessary components for planning and evaluating in human service programming, customer satisfaction, organizational culture, funding resources, and regulations and laws. The impact of funding sources, e.g. Medicaid, Medicare, and JCAHO and accrediting agencies will also be examined.
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MH 891 LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN COUNSELING: 1 HR.
(SC805) This course provides an in-depth exploration of critical, ethical and legal issues facing practicing counselors in mental health, rehabilitation, school, university, and other settings.
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MH 898 SUPERVISED PRACTICUM IN MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING: 3 HRS.
(Prerequisites, SC805, SC810, SC825 and at least one of the following: SC820, SC710, MH830, RE832, or MH700, and permission is required.) This supervised practicum will assist students to improve their counseling skills through counseling sessions with clients. The course provides opportunities for students to obtain supervised practice in the area of group counseling, as well as experience in preparing case notes, consulting with other professionals, and critiquing audio and video tapes of counseling sessions. Students receive one hour of individual and one and one-half hours of group supervision each week. Liability insurance coverage is required.
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MH 899 MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING INTERNSHIP: 1-9 HRS.
(MH898) This course supports interns who are engaged in field experiences at a site or sites that offer opportunities for working with mental health clients. Over the course of their program, interns complete 900 clock hours of experience for 9 hours of academic credit. The intern will engage in individual and group counseling, and may engage in family counseling, substance abuse counseling and work with a variety of populations in various settings. In addition, interns will perform a variety of other activities that a regularly employed staff member in the setting would be expected to perform. The internship is a cognitive and skill-building opportunity that must extend the intern beyond her/his current skill and knowledge base. Each intern will learn experientially through their own site work, as well as from the insights, information, and evaluation of other sites from class peers.
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SC 805 PROFESSIONAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES: 1 HR.
A general survey of professional, ethical, and legal concerns facing the practicing counselor as applicable to school, community, and agency settings. Comparison will be made with similar issues in other helping professions.
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SC 810 COUNSELING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT: 2 HRS.
A study of characteristics of and techniques for establishing effective counseling relationships. The class provides an opportunity for personal growth, development of basic counseling skills, and improved interpersonal counseling relationships. This will be accomplished through group exchange of ideas, feelings, and attitudes through didactic and experiential activities.
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SC 820 CAREER COUNSELING AND DEVELOPMENT: 3 HRS.
(Prerequisites, SC810, or concurrent.) An introduction to career counseling with various types of clientele. The theoretical emphasis is on the development aspects of career decision making from childhood through adulthood. Attention is given to various information sources and techniques for counselors to use in assisting clients with appropriate approaches to decision making.
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SC 825 COUNSELING THEORIES: 3 HRS.
(Prerequisites, SC810 or concurrent.) A close look at various theories of counseling and their applicability to the individual counselor and his/her prospective counseling situation. The use of various tools in the specific approaches to counseling. The application of theory in dealing with personal concerns in education, private practice, rehabilitation and other agency settings will be examined.
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PY 806 PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT: 2 HRS.
This course serves as the background for specific assessment courses. Types of assessment techniques, selection of appropriate techniques, and the diagnostic process are discussed. Professional ethics and legal implications are discussed.
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PY 846 CULTURE, ASSESSMENT, AND TREATMENT IN PSYCHOLOGY: 3 HRS.
This course is designed to meet the growing demand for culturally competent mental health services by providing graduate students in clinical psychology with a basic foundation in multicultural counseling. Starting with the self, students are expected to comprehensively understand their own cultural upbringing and belief systems in order to be able to provide services to people from various cultural backgrounds. The class will be both didactic and experiential.
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RE 670 ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE IN COUNSELING: 3 HRS.
This course will introduce the student to the different theories of addiction: (1) biological, (2) psychodynamic, (3) social learning, (4) systems, (5) sociocultural, and (6) spiritual, and their implications for counseling. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the cultural variables that influence alcohol and substance use across the various microcultures. The phenomena of dual diagnosis (alcohol and substance abuse coexist with another disabling condition) will be explored. Culturally relevant counseling and rehabilitation strategies will be explored.
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RE 832 PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND DISABILITY: 3 HRS.
This course focuses on understanding the psychosocial process involved in adjusting to disability. The major characteristics of disability that impact adjustment will be explored as well as stage theories typically cited when referencing the adjustment to disability. Social, environmental, and political factors that impact how persons with disabilities are viewed in society will be discussed. A developmental approach will be taken as life stages will be explored. The impact that disability has on personality development, sexual functioning, families, and social functioning will also be covered.
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RE 833 DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF MENTAL DISORDERS: 3 HRS.
This course provides an overview of the diagnostic criteria utilized in the diagnosis of mental illness. Assessment, psychopharmacology, treatment and rehabilitation modalities will be explored. Using lecture and case studies, students will be provided with experience in diagnosing mental disorders and developing appropriate treatment/rehabilitation plans.
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ER 752 ANALYSIS OF RESEARCH: 3 HRS.
An introductory graduate level course in research methodology designed to allow the student to function as a knowledgeable consumer of research in his/her field of endeavor. The content of the course should prepare the student to evaluate informal descriptive studies in their field.
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ER 851 RESEARCH DESIGN AND WRITING: 3 HRS.
Develop competencies in designing research proposals and writing of research work. Introduction to theoretical concepts and research. Investigate, evaluate and discuss various types of research studies and designs. A study of variables related to research problems and hypotheses. Development of first three chapters of thesis or research problem.