Writing Assignment #3 Essay – Counseling Session Analysis

Writing Assignment #3
Essay – Counseling Session Analysis

The purpose of this assignment is for students to reflect on the various counseling sessions viewed during the course and choose their favorite/preferred style of therapy to analyze further. The following is a list of the sessions you have watched thus far:

Psychoanalytic Therapy with Dr. Jill Scarff
Existential Therapy with Dr. Irvin Yalom
Adlerian Therapy with Dr. Jon Carlson
Person-Centered Therapy with Dr. Carl Rogers
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy with Dr. Don Meichenbaum
Feminist Therapy with Dr. Lenore Walker
Reality Therapy with Dr. Robert Wubbolding

The following is a detailed checklist explaining this assignment and what is expected:

Introduction: Students will begin with a formal introduction paragraph which should introduce the topic and provide a brief description of what will be discussed in the body of the paper.
Key Concepts of the Orientation: Using the textbook and at least 2 peer-reviewed, academic journal articles based on their preferred counseling approach (of the options listed above), students will introduce their preferred counseling approach and provide a brief summary of the key concepts of that counseling approach.
Counseling Session Analysis: Students will then reflect on the session they viewed and write about their reflections, specifically responding to the following questions:
Do you believe the counselor’s actions in the session were consistent with the theory behind the approach?
What did you like/dislike about the counselor’s specific approach or techniques?
What do you think the client might have gained/learned during that one session as a result of the counselor’s approach?
Were any behaviors of the counselor consistent with a Christian worldview? Was there anything at odds with a Christian worldview?
Conclusion: Students will provide a brief concluding paragraph with closing thoughts.
Required: The following headings should be utilized for this essay: Introduction; Key Concepts; Counseling Session Analysis; Conclusion.
This assignment should be in APA format.
Essay should be 3-4 pages in length.
Required: APA in-text citations for any information that you gather from outside sources.
Students are encouraged to closely review the APA publication manual prior to submission of the paper.

Grading Rubric:

Introduction (10 points) – Students will begin with a formal introduction paragraph which should introduce the topic and communicate what will be discussed in the body of the paper.

Key Concepts of the Orientation (30 points) – Using the textbook and at least 2 peer-reviewed, academic journal articles based on their preferred counseling approach (of the options listed above), students will introduce their preferred counseling approach and provide a brief summary of the key concepts of that counseling approach. Specifically, please share who the founder of the orientation is, how change is achieved, and some of the techniques used in that style of counseling.

Counseling Session Analysis – students should talk about each of the following (40 points total):

a) Do you believe the counselor’s actions in the session were consistent with the theory behind the approach?
b) What did you like/dislike about the counselor’s specific approach or techniques?
c) What do you think the client might have gained/learned during that one session as a result of the counselor’s approach?
d) While the counselor’s actions may not have been explicitly “Christian,” were any behaviors of the counselor consistent with the Christian faith? Was there anything at odds with the Christian faith?

Conclusion (10 points) – Students will provide a brief concluding paragraph with closing thoughts.

Peer-reviewed sources (10 points) – students are required to utilize at least 2 peer-reviewed, academic journal articles. Students may use the course textbook as well; however, the textbook is in addition to the required journal sources. Please, no website citations are permitted, as they are not primary sources of developmental research.

APA Style & Length of Essay (10 points) – Proper APA formatting is required throughout the paper. Please remember proper APA in-text citations for any information that you gather from outside sources; this essay should be 3-4 pages of text, plus a title page and reference page. No abstract needed. Required subheading should be used.