Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2018 - EDUC 423 E100

Helping Relationships (4)

Class Number: 3406

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 3 – Apr 10, 2018: Fri, 4:30–8:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    Or corequisite: EDUC 323.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Introduction to the rationale for and the practice of basic counselling skills. Emphasis on the development of counselling skills as a means of establishing effective helping relationships in educational settings.

COURSE DETAILS:

The major focus of this course will be your active participation in the practise of basic listening and empathy skills. This will be accomplished through an experience/reflection format with opportunities to practise skills every class, and by videotaping your active listening exchanges and transcribing them. This will then be followed by self-critique and constructive feedback from the instructor and fellow students in your group.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

This course will focus on the development of basic listening, empathy and interviewing skills that help to foster human relations and understanding of others. There will be an emphasis on the role-play and personal use of a variety of basic counselling skills. These skills are not meant to reflect any one theory of counselling but are seen as fundamental to the development of helping relationships in any domain. Specifically, at the end of the course, students will have had the opportunity to:

  1. Increase your awareness of your own natural resources for helping others.
  2. Enable you to understand and demonstrate the appropriate use of a broad repertoire of specific helping skills.
  3. Enable you to more fully understand the interrelationship between your personality, your personal experiences, and the processes and skills involved in becoming an effective helper. Enable you to investigate more deeply the roots of other’s personal stories and dilemmas, and effectively intervene to help people make constructive changes in their lives.
  4. To consistently demonstrate helpful qualities of respect, empathy, and genuineness while interacting with others.
  5. To demonstrate the ability to give undivided attention during an interview.
  6. To demonstrate the ability to observe others accurately without distorting the meaning of non-verbal cues.
  7. To demonstrate the ability to listen actively which includes checking with others to gain understanding of the content and intended meanings of their messages.
  8. To demonstrate the ability to use probing skills appropriately.
  9. To facilitate the interviewee's open and constructive exploration and understanding of self and personally relevant issues.
  10. To demonstrate the ability to temporarily suspend personal values, beliefs, judgments, emotions and premature advice when in the process of listening to, and showing understanding of, others.
  11. To acquire accurate empathic responding skills and communicate to the interviewee the helper's empathic understanding of the interviewee's feelings and intended meanings.
  12. To demonstrate the ability to be aware of self and others simultaneously, without losing track of the boundary between self and others.
  13. To demonstrate the ability to give and receive feedback non-defensively.
  14. To learn and demonstrate professional and ethical conduct in class and during interviewing activities and feedback sessions with fellow students and the course instructor.

Grading

  • Attendance, readings and participation in class activities and discussions 10%
  • Tape and critique 1 10%
  • Tape and critique 2 20%
  • Tape and critique 3 40%
  • Reflection and self-evaluation paper 1* 10%
  • Reflection and self-evaluation paper 2* 10%

NOTES:

*Based on personal skill development from journal entries totalling 15% (one due the third week, and one due the second to last class ; 3-5 pages, double spaced.

(Reflection journal – I do not read your personal journals, and therefore they are not graded, but the content is intended to help you write your final reflection paper mentioned above).

Class Conduct and Special Considerations
Please note that this class is not based on competition among students. Often, students get higher marks when they participate in class in a cooperative and collaborative way that facilitates mutual learning and respect. The psychological safety of all of the students is paramount when they are taking the role of student-counsellor and the student-client in simulated interaction. Student behaviours that interfere with the development and maintenance of psychological safety for themselves and/or others will not be tolerated. Occasionally, students demonstrate that they are not able or ready to complete the course requirements and have been asked to withdraw from the course.

Counselling Assistance
Sometimes students find the discussion of personal issues in class and mock sessions leads them to experience heightened anxiety, stress, or other types of emotional discomfort or challenges.

If this should happen to you, please consult with me, and/or call/drop-in to speak with a professional counsellor at the SFU Health, Counselling and Career Center in the Maggie Benston Building (778 782 4515) or at the Counselling Center at SFU Surrey. There is also an SFU Nightline, which offers after hour crisis support available to the SFU community (604 857 7148) 4:30 to 8:30 pm weekdays and 24 hrs weekends and holidays.

REQUIREMENTS:

This is a course based on practicing within partnerships. Missing classes or portions of classes affects your learning and the learning of your assigned partners, and may result in a lower grade. As a courtesy, please inform your assigned partners and me if you will miss a class or portion of class.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Young, M. (2016). Learning the Art of Helping: Building blocks and techniques (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.
ISBN: 9780134165783

Supplementary readings will be provided in class, or emailed on pdf.

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS