Counseling: The Helping Relationship

Prepares students for the Human Services Profession through the study and practice of professional standards and select helping skills central to effective helping relationships. Prerequisites: HDF 1050 or HDF 1600; Minimum Sophomore standing or Instructor Permission. Cross-listed with: HDF 2010.

Cross listed with HDF 2010 w/ 50 seat capacity; Prereqs enforced by the system: HDF 1050 or 1600; Prereqs for Human Dev & Family Science students: HDF 1050 or HDF 1600 (HDF 1600 may be taken concurrently w/ HDF 2010); Sophomore standing or instructor perm; Open to Degree and PACE students

This course is designed as an introduction to the theories and practices associated with Helping Relationships. Theories of human development will be reviewed to gain an understanding of the implications for models of intervention and support. Students will be introduced to a range of therapeutic models, including humanistic, cognitive-behavioral, and social constructivist approaches. For each model, students will have the opportunity to practice and demonstrate associated helping relationship skills. Students will also gain an understanding of the way in which values, assumptions, and other sociocultural factors can influence the helping relationship. A key component of the class involves helping conversations. Students in HDFS 101 will be required to participate in a series of helping conversations with students in the graduate counseling program. The purpose of these helping conversations is twofold. First, the helping conversations will expose students to the helping skills they are studying in this class. Second, the helping conversations are intended to promote attention and introspection into various elements of the student’s own development for personal and professional understandings. Course Objectives: To learn and be able to demonstrate basic helping skills used in helping professions. To gain an understanding of different theories for conceptualizing human development and helping relationships. To gain an awareness of how personal and sociocultural factors and biases may influence the helping relationship. To understand key ethical principles and practices for Helping Professionals. To engage in personal and professional development.

Writing reflections, group projects, class assignments, experiential work with counseling graduation students, midterm and final exam.