Courses

This course introduces the theory and practice of multicultural counselling and family therapy including various aspects of diversity: identity formation, race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, spirituality, ability/disability, and aging. Students will have the opportunity to explore their own culturally informed belief systems, values, and practices. Research and class content will focus on knowledge and understanding worldviews that underlie client behavior, relationships, and resources. Ethical issues and culturally sensitive therapeutic approaches will be explored. Emphasis will be placed on integration of personal awareness, theoretical knowledge, and contextual clinical competencies.

An advanced course in Marital and Family Therapy, the course will focus on theories of family therapy, practical application of theory to therapy situations, clinical skill building and spiritual issues as they relate to Marriage and Family Therapy. It is assumed that students have had prior learning of Systems Theory. Students will be required to actively participate in the learning modules. Students will be required to apply the concepts learned to personal and group projects. Issues that are related to diversity and power and privilege as they relate to the areas of age, gender, sexual orientation, health/ability, culture, SES, spirituality, and ethnicity will also be addressed.

This course provides students with an introduction to group theory and acquisition of group leadership skills. Also included will be group development, ethical considerations, and the use of groups in church, parachurch and community mental health settings. The course will be taught from a relational/systems perspective. Using key theories of group counseling and family systems models, the class will explore attachment issues, recapitulation of family of origin in the group, boundary setting, and other individual/relational dynamics that occur in group work. The course includes an in-class group experience for facilitation skill building and person of the therapist development.

This course examines the major legal and ethical issues involved in the practice of therapy. Special attention is given to the American Association of Marriage and Family ethical standards, the laws of British Columbia regarding the practice of therapy, uniquely to Christian perspectives and responsibilities. Issues that are related to diversity and power and privilege as they relate to the areas of indigenous culture and history, age, gender, sexual orientation, health/ability, culture, SES, spirituality, and ethnicity will also be addressed.

As an advanced course in Marital and Family Therapy, this course will focus on the systemic issues and treatment of couples and families addressing essential topics like divorce, remarriage, stepfamily and blended family issues, severe illness and death, sexuality and intimacy, as well as violence and sexual abuse. Issues that are related to diversity and power and privilege as they relate to the areas of age, gender, sexual identity, health/ability, culture, SES, spirituality, and ethnicity will also be addressed.

This course provides students with clinical understanding regarding substance use, addictions and domestic violence offering a trauma-informed assessment and treatment. Students will learn to appreciate the complexity of substance use disorders, diversity of care, and providing informed referrals to evidence-based support services. They will learn to conceptualize and treat families in crisis in a systemic way, promoting recovery, safety, wellness, and harm reduction to improve care and support for those with substance use and addiction. The course will also emphasize understanding trauma and domestic violence and focus on conceptualization, assessment, treatment planning and appropriate referrals.

The course will familiarize the student with Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples (EFT), an empirically validated approach to working with couples who are experiencing marital distress developed by Drs. Susan Johnson and Leslie Greenberg. EFT offers a comprehensive theory of adult love and attachment, as well as a process of healing distressed relationships. Through a series of nine steps, this experiential–systemic therapy focuses on helping partners restructure the emotional responses that maintain their negative interaction patterns. This course fulfills the externship requirements toward Certification as an EFT Therapist.

In this course, we will explore the purposeful dynamics of emotion and the inherent properties of play — and most importantly, the magical interplay when they come together. We will play with the practical application across the lifespan. What does it look like to bring true play and playfulness into our practice, both in and out of the therapy room? What does it look like to matchmake play and emotion for those you care for and for yourself? With this insight of true play, we can see how play is nature’s design to take care of us, no matter what one’s role.

This seminar style course covers theoretical and practical approaches for helping professionals to integrate Christianity and Psychology. Emphases include biological, psychological, sociological, and spiritual aspects of personhood, including applications for clinical practice. This course also provides opportunities for professional development through personal reflection that leads to the development of an integrated therapeutic perspective.