Clinical Mental Health Counseling Core and Fieldwork Course Requirements for All CMHC Students
Clinical Mental Health Counseling without a Dance/Movement Therapy Concentration
Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a Dance/Movement Therapy Concentration
(Refer to the Counseling Services Handbook for course sequence and prerequisites.)
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Core and Fieldwork Course Requirements for All CMHC Students
(45 credits in core and fieldwork courses)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core courses that must be taken prior to Practicum | ||
| CNPY 502 | Theories of Counseling and Helping Professions | 3 |
| CNPY 514 | Psychopathology | 3 |
| COUN 500 | Introduction to Counseling and Helping Professions | 3 |
| COUN 503 | Group Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 508 | Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 530 | Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling and Psychotherapy | 3 |
| COUN 550 | Counseling and Helping Techniques Laboratory | 3 |
| EDPS 503 | Human Growth and Development | 3 |
| Courses that must be taken prior to or concurrently with Practicum | ||
| COUN 520 | Multicultural Counseling and Relationship Development | 3 |
| COUN 505 | Vocational/Career Development | 3 |
| EDPS 520 | Measurement,Tests and Assessments in Counseling | 3 |
| Required Fieldwork Courses: 1 | 9 | |
| Clinical Mental Health Counseling Practicum | ||
| Internship in Counseling I | ||
| Internship in Counseling II | ||
| Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy Practicum II | ||
| Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy Internship I | ||
| Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy Internship II | ||
| Course that can be taken anytime: | ||
| EDUC 500 | Introduction To Research | 3 |
| Total Credits | 45 | |
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All CMHC students take 9 credits of fieldwork: one practicum and two internship courses. CMHC students who are not in the DMT concentration take COUN 585, 590, and 591. CMHC students who are enrolled in the DMT concentration take CNDT 585, 590, and 591. These fieldwork courses are cross-listed and are taught by the same instructor using the same syllabus.
Clinical Mental Health Counseling without a Dance/Movement Therapy Concentration
(60 credits)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core and Fieldwork Courses (see above) | 45 | |
| Courses that can be taken anytime | ||
| COUN 515 | Substance Abuse Counseling 1 | 3 |
| COUN 516 | Strategies in Addiction Counseling | 3 |
| CNPY 516 | Advanced Psychopathology | 3 |
| Elective Credits 2 | 6 | |
| Select courses from the following list to complete six credit hours; consult with faculty advisor on elective choices to select courses that meet student career and licensure or certification goals. | ||
| Prevention and Intervention for Body Image and Disordered Eating | ||
| Vocational/Career Development in Educational Settings | ||
| Approaches to Family Counseling | ||
| Disaster Response, Trauma, Crisis, and Grief Counseling | ||
| Cultivation and Implementation of Trauma-Informed Counseling in Community & Educational Settings | ||
| Gender Issues in Counseling | ||
| Holistic Wellness Counseling | ||
| Introduction to Play Therapy | ||
| Parent-Child Play Therapy | ||
| Independent Study and Research in Counseling Services | ||
| Counseling Supervision: Issues, Concepts and Methods | ||
| Counseling Children, Adolescents and Families | ||
| Foundations of Counseling in Edu Settings: Referral Sources for Stdnts and Stdnts With Special Needs | ||
| Total Credits: 60 | ||
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For SAC students, this course or COUN 516 must be taken prior to SAC fieldwork.
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Some electives have prerequisites and/or may need permission of the program advisor.
Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a Dance/Movement Therapy Concentration
(65 credits)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core and Fieldwork Courses (see above) | 45 | |
| Required Dance/Movement Therapy Concentration Courses: | ||
| CNDT 584 | Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy Practicum I | 3 |
| CNDT 600 | Body Mind Integration through Movement I | 0 |
| CNDT 610 | Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy Theory and Practice I | 3 |
| CNDT 612 | Movement Observation, Analysis, and Assessment in Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy | 3 |
| CNDT 620 | Clinical Applications of Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy | 3 |
| CNDT 700 | Body Mind Integration through Movement II | 0 |
| CNDT 710 | Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy Theory and Practice II | 3 |
| Students beginning in the MA CMHC program with a DMT concentration in Fall 2022 or after must also complete the following courses: | 5 | |
| Clinical Consultation in Dance/Movement Therapy I (2 credits) | ||
| Clinical Consultation in Dance/Movement Therapy II (3 credits) | ||
| Total Credits | 65 | |
Accelerated BA to MA Program
MA CMHC program for students not enrolled in the DMT concentration (15 credits)
Highly qualified undergraduate psychology majors are eligible to apply in their junior year for the accelerated BA-MA program. This program enables students to take graduate courses during their senior year that count toward both the bachelor's and master's degrees.
Applicants for this accelerated program must have a GPA of at least 3.0 and must meet the same admission requirements as all other applicants. Students must apply by February 1 of their junior year. Those admitted must maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout the bachelor’s part of the program. In addition, performance in graduate-level courses is subject to all academic policies and requirements of the Department of Graduate Education, Leadership, & Counseling.
Students accepted into the CMHC accelerated program (without a DMT concentration) who would like to complete the BA/MA will take the following 15 credits1 of graduate courses2 during their senior year, in addition to the necessary undergraduate courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COUN 500 | Introduction to Counseling and Helping Professions | 3 |
| COUN 503 | Group Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 550 | Counseling and Helping Techniques Laboratory | 3 |
| CNPY 502 | Theories of Counseling and Helping Professions | 3 |
| CNPY 514 | Psychopathology | 3 |
| Total Credits | 15 | |
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Undergraduate students who would like to take fewer than 15 graduate credits during their senior year are also eligible to apply for the accelerated program. Taking fewer than 15 courses as an undergraduate student may mean that it will take longer to complete the BA/MA program.
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Graduate program directors may suggest different graduate courses than the 5 listed above for accelerated students. Students should also consult with their undergraduate advisor on the choice of graduate courses.
Following successful completion of the undergraduate program, students will automatically be matriculated into the MA CMHC degree program, where they will complete the remaining MA-level coursework.
MA CMHC program for students enrolled in the DMT concentration (9 credits)
Highly qualified undergraduate psychology or dance majors are eligible to apply in their junior year for the accelerated BA-MA program. This program enables students to take graduate courses during their senior year that count toward both the bachelor's and master's degrees.
Applicants for this accelerated program must have a GPA of at least 3.0 and must meet the same admission requirements as all other applicants. Students must apply by February 1 of their junior year. Those admitted must maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout the bachelor’s part of the program. In addition, performance in graduate-level courses is subject to all academic policies and requirements of the Department of Graduate Education, Leadership, & Counseling.
Students accepted into the CMHC accelerated program (with a DMT concentration) who would like to complete the BA/MA will take the following 9 credits1 of graduate courses from the list below2 during their senior year, in addition to the necessary undergraduate courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COUN 500 | Introduction to Counseling and Helping Professions | 3 |
| CNPY 502 | Theories of Counseling and Helping Professions | 3 |
| COUN 508 | Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 503 | Group Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 550 | Counseling and Helping Techniques Laboratory | 3 |
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Undergraduate students who would like to take fewer than 9 graduate credits during their senior year are also eligible to apply for the accelerated program. Undergraduate students can take up to 15 graduate credits during their senior year.
- 2
Graduate program directors may suggest different graduate courses than the 5 listed above for accelerated students. Students should also consult with their undergraduate advisor on the choice of graduate courses.
Following successful completion of the undergraduate program, students will automatically be matriculated into the MA CMHC degree program, where they will complete the remaining MA-level coursework.
Courses and Descriptions
Required Core Courses for All CMHC Students
Required Fieldwork Courses for All CMHC Students
Additional Required Courses for CMHC Students In the DMT Concentration
Additional Required Courses for CMHC Students Not In the DMT Concentration
Required Core Courses for All CMHC Students
CNPY 502 Theories of Counseling and Helping Professions 3 Credits
Introduces the theoretical constructs of the primary theories being used in counseling and other helping professions, such as coaching. The theoretical constructs will be explored for use in self-reflection and self-development and to serve as the basis for development of psychological maps for understanding purposes of clients’ behaviors.
Prerequisite(s): COUN 500 with a minimum grade of D or concurrent enrollment.
CNPY 514 Psychopathology 3 Credits
A survey of the study of abnormal psychology. Includes classification, assessment, and treatment and prevention of psychopathology. Characteristics of healthy psychological functioning are examined. Biological, psychological, and sociocultural bases of well-adjusted and maladjusted behavior patterns are considered. Stress, anxiety, and milder forms of psychopathology are considered, as are more severe psychopathological conditions.
COUN 500 Introduction to Counseling and Helping Professions 3 Credits
Educational, social, and psychological foundations of counseling services. Basic theories, principles, and techniques of counseling and related helping professions, such as coaching, and their applications to professional services. Emphasizes self-awareness as related to becoming a facilitator of helping skills. The team approach to counseling services and the contribution of the various specialties within the total counseling services program are stressed.
COUN 503 Group Counseling 3 Credits
Analyze the historical development of group treatment methods, theories, practices, methods for appraising outcomes of treatment, and review research findings. Each class member will be a group member and a leader in an actual group counseling experience.
COUN 505 Vocational/Career Development 3 Credits
Includes organizational change and vocational development theories, research, and literature in the field to inform practice with clients with vocational/career concern. The problems and techniques of using occupational and career information, assessment tools, educational and vocational goal setting, conflict management strategies, and individual and group processes are stressed. Includes concepts of career/life planning and counseling and coaching techniques, lifespan transitions, and the interrelationships among work, family, and other life roles.
COUN 508 Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling 3 Credits
This course will provide the foundation of clinical mental health counseling, including discussion of roles, policies, history, diversity, systems, programs, interventions, fiscal issues, community resources, consultation, advocacy, and assessment issues that are unique to clinical mental health counselors. Projects include searching for government and foundation funding, writing a grant proposal, developing a resource directory, and visiting and writing reports on clinical mental health agencies.
COUN 520 Multicultural Counseling and Relationship Development 3 Credits
Introduces, examines, and critically analyzes and reflects upon major origins and dimensions of human similarities and differences. Explores and personalizes the social-psychological and behavioral implications of these similarities and differences. Examines issues of race, ethnicity, class, disability, age, gender identity, sexual identity, etc., in the light of theories of individual and group identity development and the impact of these on, between and within group relationships. Each student is expected to utilize this knowledge for the development of healthy multicultural skills. A semester-long engagement in a multicultural interaction and a presentation of a multicultural discovery project are required.
COUN 530 Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling and Psychotherapy 3 Credits
Examines and analyzes the legal, ethical, and professional parameters of counseling and psychotherapy. Discusses legal liabilities and malpractice cases arising from constitutional, tort, contract, family, privacy, and criminal laws. Examines client rights and counselor duties and responsibilities. Explores legal, ethical, and professional implications of third party payment, informed consent, medication, case documentation, client termination and abandonment. Advertisement of counseling services, crisis and case management, consultation and supervision, "duty-to-warn" and court appearances of an expert witness will be explored. Special attention will be given to child abuse reporting issues, dual relationships and to regional legal and ethical developments.
COUN 550 Counseling and Helping Techniques Laboratory 3 Credits
This is a laboratory course, which provides opportunities for both the observation and practice of counseling and professional helping skills. The purpose of this course is to provide students with their initial training in counseling and helping skills under closely supervised conditions. The focus of this course is the development of initial client interviewing and basic counseling and helping skills through an emphasis on techniques (basic and advanced listening and helping skills), strategy (the counseling and helping process), and self-development (the student as counselor and helper) grounded in theories of counseling and related helping professions.
EDPS 503 Human Growth and Development 3 Credits
Provides an overview and broad understanding of life span developmental theories and research applied to counseling services with special emphasis on developmental processes, individual differences and mental health. Includes strategies for working with developmental issues across the life span.
EDPS 520 Measurement,Tests and Assessments in Counseling 3 Credits
The primary goal of this course is to provide an understanding of the role of tests in a counseling relationship and of ways to select, administer, and interpret assessments for a wide variety of purposes. Students must first master some elementary statistical concepts due to their importance in understanding assessment. The basic measurement concepts of validity and reliability will be introduced and used to help students understand their role in selection of tests. Other selection criteria, administration, scoring methods, and test interpretation will enable students to evaluate, employ and interpret tests and other assessment procedures.
EDUC 500 Introduction To Research 3 Credits
This course will provide students with the tools to evaluate the claims and uses of research related to teaching, counseling, and psychology. Students will learn how to find and critique the literature, and will be able to conduct some of their own basic evaluative research to assess the efficacy of their practice and programs. At the conclusion of the course, students will have developed an understanding of rigorous research and evaluation design, and will have skills in data analysis and interpretation.
Required Fieldwork Courses for all CMHC Students
COUN 585 Clinical Mental Health Counseling Practicum 3 Credits
A 100-hour supervised experience in counseling and consulting techniques in a mental health agency, private practice, hospital, or college counseling setting. Students will obtain a minimum of 40 direct contact hours with clients. This practicum course is facilitated in the format of group supervision. The course includes seminar discussions, audio- or video- recorded observations, and individual supervision with the site supervisor and university instructor. Students will develop knowledge and skills in developmental, preventive, and crisis counseling interventions designed to promote mental health in clients from diverse backgrounds. Students will apply knowledge and skills developed in pre-practicum experiences in addressing the needs of clients. Students registering for this course should contact their advisor or coordinator the semester prior to the course being offered.
Prerequisite(s): To be taken semester prior to COUN 590.
COUN 590 Internship in Counseling I 3 Credits
An internship that provides 300 hours of on-the-job experience, including all activities that a regularly employed staff member would be expected to perform. The internship placement is selected on the basis of the student’s career goals. School and agency counselors who supervise interns determine the structure and the content of the internship in cooperation with the Rider supervisor. The approval and cooperation of the student’s superintendent, principal, or other appropriate administrative personnel must be obtained the semester before the counselor candidate’s internship is scheduled.
Prerequisite(s): COUN 580 or COUN 581 or COUN 585 or CNSC 580 or CNSC 581. All other required course work must be completed or in progress and permission of the Rider supervisor must be obtained; any exceptions must be approved by the instructor.
COUN 591 Internship in Counseling II 3 Credits
The continuation of an internship that provides a 300-hour field experience including all activities that a regularly employed staff member would be expected to perform (n.b., a regularly employed staff member is defined as a person occupying the professional role to which the student is aspiring). The internship placement is selected on the basis of the intern’s career goals. School and agency counselors who supervise interns determine the structure and the content of the internship in cooperation with the faculty supervisor. The approval and cooperation of the intern’s agency or school field supervisor must be obtained the semester prior to the actual placement.
Prerequisite(s): COUN 590 or CNSC 590 or concurrent enrollment. All other required course work must be completed or in progress and permission of the faculty supervisor must be obtained; any exceptions must be approved by the faculty supervisor.
CNDT 585 Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy Practicum II 3 Credits
A 100-hour supervised experience in counseling and consulting techniques in a community agency, private practice, hospital or college counseling setting. Students will obtain a minimum of 40 direct contact hours with clients. This practicum course is facilitated in the format of group supervision. The course includes seminar discussions, interview analyses, audio- or video- recorded observations, and individual supervision with the site supervisor, who meets CACREP requirements, and university instructor. Students will develop knowledge and skills in developmental, preventive, and crisis counseling interventions designed to promote mental health in clients from diverse backgrounds. Students registering for this course should contact their advisor or coordinator the semester prior to the course being offered. Additional hours may be dedicated to Dance Movement Therapy and its integration with counseling. Pre-requisite(s): CNDT 584.
CNDT 590 Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy Internship I 3 Credits
This course is one of two internship courses required in the student's final year. Students will be at a clinical site approved by faculty, with a site supervisor who meets standards for clinical mental health counseling supervision. Students must complete 300 hours in clinical mental health counseling to meet CACREP requirements; an additional 75 hours leading dance/movement therapy sessions are required to be accrued separately from the 300 CACREP-required hours. Students will receive supervision by a board-certified dance/movement therapist in a separate course (CNDT 790). Site supervisors who supervise interns determine the structure and the content of the internship in cooperation with the Rider supervisor. The approval and cooperation of the intern's site supervisor must be obtained the semester prior to the actual placement. Pre-requisite(s): CNDT 585.
CNDT 591 Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy Internship II 3 Credits
This course is the second of two required internship courses. Students will be at a clinical site approved by faculty, with a site supervisor who meets standards for clinical mental health counseling supervision. Students must complete 300 hours in clinical mental health counseling to meet CACREP requirements; an additional 75 hours leading dance/movement therapy sessions are required to be accrued separately from these 300 CACREP-required hours. Students will receive supervision by a board-certified dance/movement therapist in a separate course (CNDT 791). Site supervisors who supervise interns determine the structure and the content of the internship in cooperation with the Rider supervisor. The approval and cooperation of the intern's site supervisor must be obtained the semester prior to the actual placement.
Prerequisite(s): CNDT 590, CNDT 790, or concurrent enrollment.
Additional Required Courses for CMHC Students in the DMT Concentration
CNDT 584 Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy Practicum I 3 Credits
Students are at a clinical site for a total of 100 hours for the semester to practice counseling skills, including the use of dance/movement therapy in clinical mental health counseling. Students will apply skills in movement observation and analysis, group leadership, session analysis, treatment planning, and documentation. Supervision class will focus on understanding the professional, legal, and ethical responsibilities of using dance/movement therapy in clinical mental health counseling settings through a multicultural lens.
CNDT 600 Body Mind Integration through Movement I 0 Credits
This is a movement laboratory class to explore how dance and movement reflect and affect physical, cognitive, mental, emotional, and spiritual states. Students learn to attune to their bodies in movement and develop awareness of the bidirectional interactions between body and mind.
CNDT 610 Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy Theory and Practice I 3 Credits
This course introduces the foundational principles, theories, and techniques of dance/movement therapy in clinical mental health counseling. Students will examine the sociocultural foundations of dance as art and medium for growth, change, and healing through a Western cultural lens. Students will explore the intersection of counseling theories and methods with dance/movement therapy. Readings, discussions, and experiential exercises illuminate the ways in which the use of body, movement, and dance in counseling is evolving in the United States to be more inclusive of different cultures and identities.
CNDT 612 Movement Observation, Analysis, and Assessment in Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy 3 Credits
This course examines the psycho-socio-cultural influences on human movement patterns and behaviors. Students will learn movement observation frameworks that are used in observing, describing, analyzing, and assessing human movement in clinical mental health counseling settings. The didactic and experiential format of this class will enable students to embody various movement qualities and enhance their capacity for kinesthetic empathy. Students will learn how movement observation frameworks inform treatment planning and clinical interventions in counseling using dance/movement therapy.
CNDT 620 Clinical Applications of Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy 3 Credits
This course examines the application of dance/movement therapy in clinical mental health counseling within various clinical settings: psychiatric hospitals, addiction recovery programs, medical centers, therapeutic schools for children with emotional, behavioral, or developmental disorders, programs for eating disorders and trauma, as well as support for LGBTQ+ communities. Students also reflect on their lived experiences, use their creativity, and follow their curiosity to identify an approach to dance/movement therapy in counseling that is reflective of their identities, values, and theoretical orientation.
CNDT 700 Body Mind Integration through Movement II 0 Credits
The second semester of the movement laboratory class focuses on the use of mindfulness practices and Authentic Movement methods for further develop body-mind awareness, to experience and observe movements simultaneously as internal and external experience, and to decipher the nature of knowledge and meaning inherent in dance and movement.
Prerequisite(s): CNDT 600.
CNDT 710 Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy Theory and Practice II 3 Credits
This course examines select theories from psychology, counseling, and neuroscience that focus on the relational dimensions of non-verbal communication and their implications for dance/movement therapy in clinical mental health counseling. Students investigate the creative process to understand its role in facilitating therapeutic changes. In-class practice sessions and session analyses provide opportunities to put theories into practice and develop group leadership skills.
Prerequisite: CNDT 610 with a minimum grade of "B".
Additional Required Courses for CMHC Students Not In the DMT Concentration
Note: 6 credits in elective courses are required.
COUN 515 Substance Abuse Counseling 3 Credits
This course analyzes the development, intervention and treatment of substance abuse. Family dysfunction and its results will be examined with the various addictive behaviors. This course is designed to help students understand addictive behaviors and how they function. Specialized techniques for treatment will be examined along with related elements, i.e., family, parenting, the characteristics of dysfunction, developmental growth problems, physical problems, effects on school and job performance.
COUN 516 Strategies in Addiction Counseling 3 Credits
This is an experiential and laboratory-based experience in which students will learn to implement evidence based counseling techniques that are utilized in the field of substance abuse counseling. Students will be able to expand their basic counseling skills and techniques learned in COUN 550, as well as become exposed to techniques that are unique to addiction counseling. In addition to learning assessment skills, students will learn interventions that include motivational interviewing, relapse prevention, alternative therapies, group counseling, family counseling, and others. This course will also focus on issues of ethics and prevention in counseling.
Prerequisite(s): COUN 550.
CNPY 516 Advanced Psychopathology 3 Credits
An in-depth study of psychopathology with emphasis on developmental and personality disorders, and physiological disturbances. Includes assessment, classification, and treatment with emphasis on utilization in a variety of counseling and school settings. Biological, pathological, pharmacological bases of mental disorders are introduced and discussed in relationship to specific disorder classifications.
Prerequisite(s): CNPY 514 or VL45 with a score of WV or permission of instructor.