Christian Counseling

[version 2023.05]

 

CP2000/SW2028 Life Development and Spiritual Growth

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the basic life span of people; that is, theories and issues of physical, cognitive, personality, and social development from birth, children, adolescents, and adults to old age. The course will also introduce studies on spiritual life and moral development by exploring the relationship between personal life journey and Christian faith.

 

CP2001 Christian Counseling

This course discusses counseling concepts and practices in the Christian tradition and explores main counseling theories (including: psychoanalytic therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, humanistic and postmodern counseling models, etc.) and their relationship with Christian faith. It will also introduce different stages of integration of modern counseling with Christian faith, and its direction of future development.

 

CP2002 Counseling for Children

This course is to understand children’s psychological development and learn respective counseling skills. This course is designed to help students master the effective models in counselling children, e.g. Game Therapy.

 

CP2003 Counseling for Adolescents and Youth

This course helps student to understand the psychological development of teenagers and young people and introduces related counselling skills. Discussion on their growth challenges in terms of their relationship with parents, peers, and surrounding social/cultural systems will be included.

 

CP2004 Counseling for Elderly

This course lets students learn about the psychological development of the elderly and useful counseling theory skills e.g. Narrative Therapy and Reminiscence Therapy, etc. Important topics include elderly abuse, dementia, overcoming the widowed experience and health will also be discussed.

 

CP2005 Marital Counseling

This course is to enable the students to understand and master counseling theory and skills for marital relationships. The issues of postmodern gender relationships, as well as the concepts, techniques and applications of premarital counseling will be included.

 

CP2006 Crisis Counseling

This course provides students with basic definitions, principles, and skills in the practice of crisis counseling. Specific emphasis will be given to: developmental crises (adolescence, marriage, loss of parents, etc.), accidental crises (loss of job, savings, death of a family member, physical handicap, etc.), and traumatic crises (abandonment, suicide, rape, drug addiction, etc.).

 

CP2007 Grief Counseling

This course introduces the theory and model of grief counselling and teaches the integration of theory and practice in life, helping the students to master the counseling skills through classroom exercises, and developing individual awareness and self-care to enhance the students’ ability to care for others. The format will include tutoring, individual and group exercises.

 

CP2008 Short-termed Pastoral Counseling

This course introduces the theory and practice of short-term pastoral counseling. The purpose is to enable the students to master the application of the short-term and flexible pastoral counseling modes for the current ministry scene, in order to meet the needs of the church today.

 

CP2009 Basic Research and Assessment for Counseling

This course introduces basic research concepts, methodologies, psychopathology and practical assessment tools, including basic mental health evaluation instruments for the counselling process and for academic development.

 

CP2010/BS2000 Biblical Perspectives of Christian Counseling

This course probes into the teachings of the New and Old Testament Scriptures regarding the harmonious relationships amongst God, people, and all things. Learning from divine companionship exemplified in scriptures, students learn not only how to walk with others, but to apply the teachings in the counselling process.

 

CP2011 Essential Counseling Skills

This course introduces the basic attitudes and practical skills of counselors and aims at strengthening personal awareness and self-care as the basis to enhance the students’ ability in caring and assisting others to grow. The format will include tutoring, individual and group practices.

 

CP2012 Theories and Practice in Group Counseling

This course helps students understand and master the basic group counseling theories and techniques. Apart from introducing different group counseling theory models through class discussions and demonstrations, this course will enable student to learn relevant ethics and practices with faith integration.

 

CP2013 Advanced Christian Counseling Theories and Techniques

This course helps the students to deepen their understanding of counseling theory and skills integration. At the same time, the course helps to enhance understanding of the counseling stages with the use of adjusted skills and learn methods and techniques for case crisis management. It will integrate Christian faith, strengthen self-examination, and teach how to involve therapeutic presence and personhood in the counseling experience.

 

CP2014 Theories and Practice of Family Therapy

This course introduces different theoretical approaches in family therapy, their tenets and practices. This course will include demonstration and group participation, so that students can have more appreciation of the advantages and disadvantages of each theoretical model.

 

CP2015/CT2003 Christian Counseling Ethics

This course refers to comparable professional counseling ethics codes and discusses basic counseling ethics, and helps students make responsible decisions in different counselling situations.

 

CP2016/RC2005 Counseling in Culture

This course discusses how culture influences the practice of counselling. To be an effective human worker, the counsellor is bound to learn the dynamics of human interactions, which are characterized by their worldview, ideology, ethnicity, traditions and social context.

 

CP2017/PT2052 Personal Growth

The course is conducted in the form of camps. Through experiential learning, students can understand themselves by enhancing their self-awareness so as to enable them to become a more mentally and spiritually capable minister of people.

 

CP2018 Personal Growth Counseling (no credit)

The purpose of the individual session is to provide students the opportunity to have more self-awareness and self-growth, with the aim of developing a more healthy and ever-growing body, mind and spirit, in order to offer counselling services to others in future.

 

CP2019 Experiential Workshop in Counseling I (2 credits)

The workshop is conducted in the form of camp. Through experiential learning, students can be aware of how the “self” takes effect during the counselling process, hence, self-related topics such as family of origin, boundaries, defence mechanisms, and shadow will be explored.

 

CP2020-2022 Experiential Workshop in Counseling II, III, IV (1 credit)

The workshops are conducted in the form of camps. Through experiential learning, students can be aware of how the “self” takes effect during the counselling process. Each camp will carry different topics and modules of in-depth learning and exploration with the participants.

 

CP3000 Conflict and Conflict Management in Church

In our culturally-diverse and increasingly multi-variant societies, conflict is a part of life. Conflict is not rare in church living. The aim of this course is to provide an overview of conflict, with a special emphasis on the reasons and processes of conflict in the church setting. Different psychosocial and biblical models of conflict management are introduced and discussed. Students will have chances to analyze real conflict cases and apply the resolution method learned.

 

CP3001 Christian Counseling Blended with Satir Model

This course helps students to effectively apply the basic theories and techniques of the Satire Model. The integration of this approach with faith will be discussed. Students can learn how to evaluate and deal with cases via different tools such as icebergs, genograms, etc.

 

CP3002 Christian Counseling Blended with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

This course introduces the basic theory and skills of cognitive behavioral therapy. It focuses on strengthening individuals for helping others by examining personal thinking patterns, understanding the relationship between cognition and emotions and behaviors, and making adaptive adjustments to learn how to apply theory, evaluate and handle cases.

 

CP3003 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Youth and Adolescent

This course helps students apply the theory of cognitive and behavioral treatment with advanced skills for youth and adolescent populations.

 

CP3004 Pastoral Counseling Practicum (3 credits)

Under supervision, students are required to take actual cases in church and para-church settings. Students are expected to apply what was learned in the courses to provide counseling services to clients.

 

CP3005-3007 Counseling Practicum (Individual) I, II, III (1 credit)

This internship is an opportunity for peer counseling students to put learning into practice. Under supervision, students can attempt case management and reflection, and improve the use of learned counseling skills in the process.

 

CP3008-3010 Professional Counseling Practicum (Individual) I, II, III (1 credit)

This internship is an opportunity for students to integrate learning and practice personal tutoring theories and techniques. Under the guidance of clinical supervision, students can attempt case analysis and management, and improve the use of counseling skills in the process.

 

CP3011 Counseling Practicum (Group) (1 credit)

This internship is an opportunity for students to integrate learning and practice of group theories and techniques. Under the guidance of clinical supervision, students will learn to implement group therapy for the goals and processes, according to the proposed plan.