Graduate Counselling and Applied Psychology (GCAP) 671
Developing a Working Alliance (Revision 4)
Revision 4 is closed for registrations, replaced by current version
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Delivery Mode: Paced study; online and summer institute (36 hours face-to-face).
Credits: 3
Area of Study: Graduate Studies
Prerequisite: GCAP 631, GCAP 633.
This course must be taken through GCAP.
Faculty: Faculty of Health Disciplines
Overview
GCAP 671: Developing a Working Alliance is divided into pre-Summer Institute study and Summer Institute study. The pre-Institute component consists of five (5) Lessons which will cover the theory and skills related to the working alliance, as well as basic information/groundwork necessary for success in the Summer Institute. The Summer Institute consists of three (3) weeks that emphasize skills acquisition and development of counselling competency. It is expected that learners pass the content portion of the pre-Summer Institute before participating in the Summer Institute.
The counselling skills course focuses on the understanding and acquisition of skills for use in interpersonal and counselling contexts. Emphasis will be placed on the identification and development of specific skills that are essential for the development of working alliances. The course will introduce a theoretical framework for the application of counselling skills in addition to providing the opportunity for skill practice.
Outline
Spring Online Lessons
- Lesson 1: The Art and Science of Helping
- Lesson 2: Relationship Management - Technique and Microskills
- Lesson 3: Relationship Management - Listening to the Client
- Lesson 4: Tracking the Issue - Structuring the Client-Counsellor Interaction
- Lesson 5: Tracking the Issue - Thematic and Theoretical Analysis
Summer Institute Lessons
The summer institute portion of the course runs for three weeks, with 36 hours of direct face-to-face instruction.
- Lesson 6: Problem Exploration
- Lesson 7: Rapport Building
- Lesson 8: Collaboration
- Lesson 9: Empathy
- Lesson 10: Cultural and Contexutal Factors
- Lesson 11: Self-Awareness
- Lesson 12: Intake Interview / Client History
- Lesson 13: Nonverbal Communication
- Lesson 14: Transference / Countertransference
- Lesson 15: Therapeutic Ruptures
- Lesson 16: Purposefulness in Skill Patterns
- Lesson 17: Self-Care
Course Evaluation
To receive credit for GCAP 671, students must achieve a minimum grade of "B-" (70%) on Assignments 6 and 7 and a composite grade of at least B- (70%) on the course. The weighing of the composite grade is as follows:
| Course Activity | Weight |
|---|---|
| Participation in Online Discussions | 10% |
| Participaton in Summer Institute | 10% |
| Assignment 1: Skills Coding | 5% |
| Assignment 2: Skills Coding | 8% |
| Assignment 3: Skills Coding | 8% |
| Assignment 4: Frames Analysis | 4% |
| Assignment 5: Chat-Room Transcript Assignment | 15% |
| Assignment 6: Problem Exploration Video/Skills Analysis I | 10% |
| Assignment 6: Problem Exploration Video/Skills Analysis II | 20% |
| Assignment 8: Working Alliance Concept Map | 10% |
| Total | 100% |
Course Materials
Course eTexts
Cormier, S., Nurius, P. S., & Osborn, C. J. (2013). Interviewing and change strategies for helpers (7th ed.) [eBook version]. Retrieved from http://www.cengage.com
Corey, G. (2013). The art of integrative counselling (3rd ed). [eBook version]. Retrieved from http://www.cengage.com
Note: Students will be provided with links to the etexts from within their course materials.
Other Materials
All other course materials are available online.
Other Information
Students with a disability, who require academic accommodation, need to register with the Access to Students with Disabilities Centre at Athabasca University. Notification of the need for academic accommodation must normally be provided to the program office no later than fourteen (14) days prior to the first day of class. It is the student's responsibility to register with the Disability Centre to request academic accommodation if required and to notify the instructor that such accommodation has been requested. Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate individual student needs. However, because GCAP courses are paced, all student are required to participate weekly in the online discussion forums. There are also several courses where online exams are required.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.
Opened in Revision 4, April 2012.
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