Couples CounselingRequired Texts:Grading ScaleImportant datesCourse Schedule TentativeDateDescriptionText/ReadingsEmotion Focused Therapy for Couples Overview1st Johnson VideoEroticism / AffairsJournal dueClass PoliciesTHE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK Course Number: SW 393R15 Instructor: Susan Harnden, LCSW Unique Number: 64710 E-mail: [email protected] Semester: Fall 2004 Phone: 471 9105 or 784-4445 Class Time: Mondays 8:30-11:30 Office: 3.122A Meeting Place: 2.118 Office Hours: By appointment Couples Counseling Course Description:This course is designed as a seminar for students in the clinical concentration and will cover intervention approaches used in couples therapy. It will be taught from a systems perspective and will include an overview of models and methods drawn from evidence based research. The primary focus of this course will be to blend theory and application. This course will require the student to participate in both theory based and experiential learning and will incorporate simulations as a way to elucidate the approaches discussed. Course Objectives:Upon completion of this course the student will be able to: 1. Demonstrate the ability to compare and contrast theory-based interventions with couples which incorporate intrapsychic and interpersonal theory including an understanding of emotions, physiology and communication. 2. Demonstrate the ability to explore and resolve social work value and ethical dilemmas in selecting and implementing approaches to intervening with couples. 3. Understand the importance of awareness of self as a parallel process to the application of interventions in couples work. 4. Identify the implications of race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, substance abuse and domestic violence on assessing and intervening with couples. 5. Understand and integrate theory based upon empirical, evidence-based best practice research. 1Teaching Methods:This course will include a variety of teaching methodologies designed to achieve the beginning mastery of theoretically-grounded advanced practice skill competencies with couples. Learning activities will include readings, writings, discussions, lectures, speakers, videos, simulations and experiential exercises. Students will video-tape simulations as a tool for learning assessment and intervention skills. Students will also be encouraged to develop insights into “the use of self” through observations and self reflection. Simulations will be monitored to facilitate the assessment of skill competencies. Required Texts: Greenberg, L., Johnson, S. (1988). Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples (4th ed.). New York: The Guilford Press. Gottman, J., (1999). The Marriage Clinic. New York: WW. Norton & Company, Inc. Schnarch, D., (1991). Constructing the Sexual Crucible. New York: WW. Norton & Company, Inc. A Course Packet (Harnden) of required readings is available for purchase by enrolled students at Speedway Copy and Printing located in Dobie Mall, 2025 Guadalupe St., Phone # 478-3334 Recommended Texts: Jacaobson, N., Gottman, J (1998). When Men Batter Women, New Insights into Ending Abusive Relationships New York: Simon & Schuster. Johnson, S, Whiffen, V. (Eds.) (2003). Attachment Processes in Couple and Family Therapy. New York: The Guilford Press. Course Requirements: The following course requirements will be completed during the semester, with points given for each course requirement. Grading will be based on total points accrued by the end of the semester. 1. Examinations There will be three (3) exams given during the course of the semester (see course schedule for due dates). The first exam will be worth 10 points; the following exams will be worth 30 points each. All exams will be based on in-class viewing of a teaching video. You will be given the questions before the viewing. You will be asked to answer each of the questions in class after viewing the video. 70 points maximum for all three examinations 22. Couple History, Assessment and Genogram You and a partner will create history and background for a “simulation” couple. To prepare for the simulations you will need to construct a family history and current family structure in the form of a genogram. Construct a history of the marital relationship, strengths and challenges using the Oral History Interview (Gottman, pp. 98-99) and a Meta-Emotion Interview (Gottman, p. 402). Each person should fill out a Lock-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test (Gottman, p. 337)) and the Weiss-Cerreto Marital Status Inventory (Gottman, p. 339) as well as one additional assessment, of your choice. Please describe how you chose the additional assessment. Describe a presenting problem. You may loosely base the image of your couple on people you know, yourself or media characters. This package will be due on Sept. 13th. Keep a working copy for yourself and make two copies for me. You will be graded based on completion of the criteria described in the assignment and inclusion of answers to questions asked in Chapter 4 of Gottman. 15 points maximum 3. Couple Therapy Simulation Video and Analysis You and a partner will alternate playing a couple and co-therapists with another dyad. You will need to schedule a room in the LRC to video tape simulations. Please schedule this early in the semester to avoid schedule conflicts. Each session will be 45 minutes long. You will be required to fulfill the role of a couple four times throughout the semester and the role of the co-therapists four times throughout the semester. This will allow for one assessment session, two intervention sessions and a termination session. After the sessions you will be required to view and critique the video using a critique guide. 100 points maximum, 25 for each simulation. 3. Research Paper and Presentation You and your simulation partner will be asked to research a special topic area and present it to the class. Paper You will be assigned one of the following research areas: ethnicity and race, domestic violence and emotional abuse, sexual orientation or substance abuse and addiction. You will be expected to discuss the effects one of these identified areas on couples and couples therapy. A typed, well-written paper is to be submitted. The paper should be written in APA format (5th edition) and should be between10 and 15 typewritten pages (excluding references, title page,