Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Intended to be a capstone course providing both theory and practical skills in the areas of interpersonal neurobiology; dimensions of an effective therapeutic relationship; cognitive behavioral therapy; stages of change; and vicarious traumatization. Appropriate for students in the Alcohol  and Drug Counselor program as well as practicing professionals in the addiction treatment field.

Upon completion of this course students will be able to:

1. Conduct ongoing self-assessment of functioning in key areas of counselor relationship skills with addiction clients and utilize assessment to implement effective treatment interventions.
2. Articulate and apply key elements of evidence-based practice models in the areas of counselor/client relationship, cognitive behavioral therapy, and stages of change with addiction clients.
3. Apply a wide range of clearly defined therapeutic skills (including trauma- and wellness-informed services), techniques, and interventions based on evidence-based practices for addiction clients in various phases of recovery.
4. Monitor and mitigate the role of vicarious traumatization on the addictions counselor to maintain high levels of personal and professional functioning in the field.
5. Maintain at least a minimal level of therapeutic functioning and empathy as measured by the Carkhuff scale when working with addiction clients.
6. Effectively use a variety of confrontation techniques during a counseling interview (responding to conflicts, feedback, use of questions, and immediacy) when working with addiction clients.
7. Employ Motivational Interviewing counseling skills to initiate client change process when working with addiction clients.

1. Self, peer, and instructor ratings of in-class practice, small group practice and video review utilizing rating scales for client and counselor functioning.
2. Demonstrated knowledge and beginning application of motivational and other techniques related to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy through in-class practice, small group practice, and video review.
3. Written personal inventory of cognitive belief system.
4. Demonstrated knowledge of stages of change theory and application through in-class practice, small group practice, and video review.
5. Written personal recovery/support plan targeted at issues related to vicarious traumatization.
6. Creation of a transcript of a counseling session that identifies and demonstrates the targeted counseling strategies.

1.  Understanding the professional counseling/therapeutic relationship

2.  Definition of counseling

3.  Elements of professional counseling

4.  Neurobiology as basis for role of relationship in counseling

5.  EBP dimensions of effective relationship

6.  Measurement of counselor functioning on dimensional scales

7.  Impact of counselor functioning on relationship/change

8.  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Model - Intervention techniques

9.  Personal Cognitive Belief System Inventory

10.  Stages of Change/Motivational Interviewing - Interventions to facilitate change

11.  Vicarious Traumatization