Argosy University

COURSE SYLLABUS

PP8020

Person-centered & Experiential Theory and Therapy

Faculty Information

Faculty Name: Ted Welsch

Campus: Chicago

Contact Information: 815-577-6686 office

815-954-6664 cell

Office Hours: Tuesday 12:00pm-6:00pm, Thursdays by appt.

Short Faculty Bio: I graduated from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology and have my own private practice in Plainfield, Illinois (southwest of Chicago) where I work with individual adults and adolescents as well as couples and families. I work from a non-directive, client-centered approach in therapy. I also provide integrated psychological assessments.

Course description: This course offers an introduction to the theory, research and practice of person-centered, experiential and existential therapy. Through experiential exercises students learn skills that build therapeutic relationship (e.g. genuineness, empathic understanding, and acceptance) and intervention skills to help clients express and explore the means of their experience. This course includes exercises designed to develop competency in relationship and basic counseling skills.

Course Pre-requisites: (ATL) PP7365, (PHX) PP7501, (SEA) PP8038, (TC) PP8035

Required Textbook:

Rogers, Carl R. (1951/2003) Client-centered therapy: Its current practice, implications and theory. New York: Houghton Mifflin.

ISBN: 1841198404

Levitt, B. (2005) Embracing non-directivity. Ross-on-Wye, UK: PCCS Books ISBN: 898059683

Kirschenbaum, H & Henderson, V.L. (1989) The Carl Rogers Reader. New York: Houghton Mifflin ISBN: 0395483573

Rogers, Carl R. (1980) A way of being. New York: Houghton Mifflin ISBN: 0-395-30067-3

This Course Requires the Purchase of a Course Packet: NO

Additional readings will be sent through e-mail. Please check your preferred e-mail address daily.

Technology: Pentium III CPU/ Windows 98; 128MB RAM printer; Microsoft Office: Acrobat (full version); Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 (PC), 5.0 (MAC), or Netscape Navigator 4.08; Norton Antivirus.

Course length: 7.5 Weeks

Contact Hours: 45 Hours

Credit Value: 3.0

Course Objectives:

1. Achievement of competence in empathic following response process, as assessed by performance in tapes to be submitted to instructor and T.A.

2. Mastery of basic theory of client-centered therapy and theory of personality through completion of all assigned readings; assessed by students’ transcript commentaries, participation in discussion and case conceptualization paper.

3. Increased ability to evaluate one’s own work as a novice therapist through practice therapy sessions measured by class discussion, students’ self-reports and commentary.

Course Objective
Learn the basic tenants of Person-centered therapy and understand how to conceptualize a case through the theory.
Learn how to provide Person-centered therapy and assess progress as a novice therapist.
Address issues of psychological tests, issues of diversity, biological basis of behavior, etc. / Program Goal 1, 2a, b
Goal 2a, b, c, d
Goals 1, 3, 4, 5 / Method of Assessment
Case conceptualization written assignment.
Conduct weekly, taped, practice therapy sessions with another student or friend. Get feedback from instructor and combine with self-evaluation to help student’s growth as a therapist.
Reading assignments, course lectures and class discussions will address these issues.

Assignment Table

Note: reading assignments may be altered depending on the needs and interests of the class.

Topics / Readings / Assignments
1 / Client-centered therapy: Attitude, theory and practice
Required readings to be read before the first class: / Rogers, C.R. (1951) The attitude and orientation of the counselor. Chapter 2 of Client-centered therapy. (On reserve)
Rogers, C. R. (1957). The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change. (CRR, pp. 219-235).
2 / Empathic Understanding / Brodley, B. T. Empathic understanding: Observations of a CC practice (O)
3 / Unconditional Positive Regard / Brodley, B. T. & Schneider, C. (2001). Unconditional positve regard as communicated through verbal behavior in client-centered therapy. In P. Wilkens & J. Bozarth, (Eds.), Unconditional positive regard: Rogers’ therapeutic conditions: Evolution, theory and practice (pp. 155-172). Ross-on-Wye, England: PCCS books. (O)(also on reserve in UPR book)
Friere, E. Unconditional Positive Regard: The Distinctive Feature of Client-centered therapy. In P. Wilkens & J. Bozarth (Eds.) Unconditional positive regard: Rogers’ therapeutic conditions: Evolution, theory and practice. (pp. 145-154) Ross-on-Wye, England: PCCS books (on reserve in UPR book)
Raskin, N. J. The nondirective attitude. ONLY THE PARAGRAPH BEGINNING AT THE BOTTOM OF PAGE P. 330 – “There is a fourth level…” (EN)
Rogers, C.R. Reflection of feelings. (CRR)
4 / Congruence: A frequently misunderstood condition / Bozarth, J.D. (2005). The art of nondirective being in psychotherapy. (EN)
Brodley, B. T. (1998/2001). Congruence and its relation to communication in client-centered therapy. The Person-Centered Journal, 5(2), 83-116. (In the library)
Recommended: Moon, Nondirective therapist congruence in theory and practice. (EN)
5 / Nondirectiveness: The fundamental stance of CCT / Brodley, B.T. (1997) The nondirective attitude in client-centered therapy. Person-Centered Journal, 4(1), 18 – 30. (E)
Levitt, B. & Brodley, B.T. (2008) ‘It enlightens everything you do’: Observing non-directivity in a client-centered therapy demonstration session, pp. 96-112 (EN).
Raskin, N. J. (2008) The nondirective attitude. (EN)
6 / Rogers’ motivational theory and view of maladjustment / Bozarth, J.D. & Brodley, B. T. Actualization: A Fucntional concept in Client-Centered Therapy. http://www.allanturner.co.uk/ / FIRST TAPE AND TRANSCRIPT WITH COMMENTARY DUE.
7 / Rogers’s 1959 formal theory statement & client-centered conceptualization. / Rogers, C. R. (1959). A theory of therapy, personality, and interpersonal relationships as developed in the client-centered framework. In S. Koch (Ed.), Psychology: A study of science: Vol. 3 Formulation of the person and the social context (pp. 184-256). New York: McGraw Hill. (Handout)
8 / Client-centered therapy with children, families & couples / Moon, K.A. Nondirective client-centered therapy with children. (O)
McPherrin, J. K. Client-centered family and couple therapy. (EN)
9 / CCT and Chronic Mental Illness and the significantly impaired / Sommerbeck, L. (2005). Nondirective therapy with clients diagnosed with a mental illness. (EN)
Wilders, S. (2005) An exploration of nondirective work with drug and alcohol users. (EN)
Prouty, G. (1994) Theoretical evolutions in person-centered/experiential therapy: Applications to schizophrenic and retarded psychoses. Westport, CN: Praeger. (On reserve)
Prouty, G., Van Werde, D. & Portner, M. (2002). Pre-therapy: Reaching contact-impaired clients. Ross on Wye, UK: PCCS Books. (On reserve)
Shlien, J. M. (1961/2003). A client-centered approach to schizophrenia: First approximation. In A. Burton (Ed.), The Psychotherapy of the Psychoses (pp.285- 317). New York: Basic Books. Also in To Lead an Honorable Life: Invitations to think about Client-Centered Therapy and the Person-Centered Approach. Edited by P. Sanders. Ross-on-Wye: PCCS Books. (On reserve) / CASE CONCEPTUALIZATION PAPER DUE
10 / Person-centered groups / Rogers, C. R. Can I be a facilitative person in a group? (CRR)
Bozarth, J. D. Non-directive person-centered groups. (EN)
Hobbes, N. (1951). Group-Centered Psychotherapy. Chapter 7 in CCT.
Brodley guidelines on groups.
11 / Multiculturalism & Diversity Issues / Brodley, B.T., (2004). Uncharacteristic directiveness: Rogers and the ‘Anger and Hurt Client. In R. Moodley, C. Lago, & A. Talahite (Eds.) Carl Rogers Counsels a Black Client. Ross-on-Wye, UK: PCCS Books.
Brodley, B.T. (2004). Postscript to ‘uncharacteristic directiveness.’ In R. Moodley, C. Lago & A. Talahite (Eds.). Carl Rogers Counsels a Black Client. Ross-on-Wye, UK: PCCS Books.
Mier, S. & Witty, M. (2004) Considerations of race and culture in the practice of non-directive client-centered therapy. In Moodley, R., Lago, C., & Talahite, A. (Eds.) Carl Rogers Counsels a Black Client. (R; O)
Patterson, C.H. (1996). Multicultural counseling from diversity to universality. Journal of Counseling & Development, 74, 227-31. (O)
Knopf, N.(1992). Working with gay couples. (O)
12 / Similarities and differences between client-centered and experiential psychotherapy / Gendlin, E.T. (1964) A Theory of Personality Change (available at http://www.focusing.org/personality_change.htm
Brodley, B.T. (1990). Client-centered and experiential: Two different therapies. In Lietaer, Rombaults, and Van Balen, (Eds.) Client-Centered and Experiential Therapy for the Nineties. Leuven, Belgium: University of Leuven Press.
13 / The politics of the Person-centered approach / Rogers, C.R. On personal Power
Schlein, J. A Countertheory of Transference.
Witty, M. (2008). Nondirectiveness and the problem of influence. (EN) Excerpt of session by Brodley w/ commentary by Witty from Raskin, N.J., Rogers, C.R. & Witty, M. (2007). Client-Centered Therapy. In R. Corsini & D.Wedding (Eds.), Current Psychotherapies. (R; E) / REVISED CASE CONCEPTUALIZATION PAPER DUE
14 / CCT and research / Bozarth, J. Beyond the watershed: The nascent evolution of non-directivity. (O)
Bozarth, J. D., Zimring, F. M., and Tausch, R. (2002). Client-centered therapy: The evolution of a revolution. In Cain, D. & Seeman, J. (Eds.) Humanistic psychotherapies: Handbook of research and practice (pp. 147-188). Washington, DC: APA. (O)
Elliott, R. & Friere, E. Person-Centered/Experiential Therapies are Highly Effective: Summary of the 2008 Meta-analysis / SECOND TAPE AND TRANSCRIPT WITH COMMENTARY DUE
15 / Last Class – Shared agenda & Course evaluation / No readings assigned

Grading Criteria

Grading Scale

Grading requirements

A / 100 – 93
A- / 92 – 90
B+ / 89 – 88
B / 87 – 83
B- / 82 – 80
C+ / 79 – 78
C / 77 - 73
C- / 72 – 70
D+ / 69 – 68
D / 67 – 63
D- / 62 – 60
F / 59 and below
Attendance/ Participation / 20%
First Tape and Transcript / 20%
Second Tape and Transcript / 30%
Final Paper / 30%

Library Resources

Argosy University’s core online collection features more than 21,000 full-text journals, 23,000 electronic books and other content covering all academic subject areas including Business & Economics, Career & General Education, Computers, Engineering & Applied Science, Humanities, Science, Medicine & Allied Health, and Social & Behavior Sciences.All electronic resources can be accessed through the library’s website at www.auchicagolib.org. User IDs and passwords are distributed during orientation, but can also be obtained at the circulation desk, calling 312-777-7653, or by e-mail at .

In addition to online resources, Argosy University’s onsite collections contain a wealth of subject-specific research materials searchable in the Library Online Catalog. Catalog searching is easily limited to individual campus collections.Alternatively, students can search combined collections of all Argosy University Libraries. Students are encouraged to seek research and reference assistance from campus librarians.

Information Literacy: Argosy University’s Information Literacy Tutorial was developed to teach fundamental and transferable research skills, including selecting sources appropriate for academic-level research, searching periodical indexes and search engines, and evaluating and citing information. In the tutorial, students study concepts and practice them through interactions. At the conclusion of each module, they can test their comprehension and receive immediate feedback. Each module takes less than 20 minutes to complete. Please view the tutorial at http://library.argosyu.edu/infolit/

Academic Policies

Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: In an effort to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity during the learning process, Argosy University requires that the submission of all course assignments represent the original work produced by that student. All sources must be documented through normal scholarly references/citations and all work must be submitted using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition (2001). Washington DC: American Psychological Association (APA) format. Please refer to Appendix A in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition for thesis and paper format. Students are encouraged to purchase this manual (required in some courses) and become familiar with its content as well as consult the Argosy University catalog for further information regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism.

Scholarly writing: The faculty at Argosy University is dedicated to providing a learning environment that supports scholarly and ethical writing, free from academic dishonesty and plagiarism. This includes the proper and appropriate referencing of all sources. You may be asked to submit your course assignments through “Turnitin,” (www.turnitin.com), an online resource established to help educators develop writing/research skills and detect potential cases of academic dishonesty. Turnitin compares submitted papers to billions of pages of content and provides a comparison report to your instructor. This comparison detects papers that share common information and duplicative language.

Americans with Disabilities Act Policy

It is the policy of Argosy University to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If a student with disabilities needs accommodations, the student must notify the Director of Student Services. Procedures for documenting student disability and the development of reasonable accommodations will be provided to the student upon request.

Students will be notified by the Director of Student Services when each request for accommodation is approved or denied in writing via a designated form. To receive accommodation in class, it is the student’s responsibility to present the form (at his or her discretion) to the instructor. In an effort to protect student privacy, the Department of Student Services will not discuss the accommodation needs of any student with instructors. Faculty may not make accommodations for individuals who have not been approved in this manner.

The Argosy University Statement Regarding Diversity

Argosy University prepares students to serve populations with diverse social, ethnic, economic, and educational experiences. Both the academic and training curricula are designed to provide an environment in which students can develop the skills and attitudes essential to working with people from a wide range of backgrounds.

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