Syllabus for Marriage and Pre-Marital Counseling GS 511c Great Lakes Bible College Short Course Summer 2015 Course Dates: August 24-28 Course Description: An introduction to the solution-focused process of working with couples who are married or considering marriage in the congregational setting. A survey of various tools and techniques found in solution-focused therapy. Instructor: Name: Joshua Freeman Contact Information: (518) 423-6224 joshfreeman01@gmail.com Course Objective: 1. The student will gain a basic understanding of Solution-Focused (Brief) Therapy in the context of couple counseling. 2. The student will develop the necessary skills to provide basic solution based counseling in their ministry context as they work with a variety of couple ages. 3. The student will gain a comprehensive knowledge of the Prepare-Enrich assessment as well as certification as a Prepare-Enrich facilitator. Required Textbooks (available on Amazon.ca): Everett L Worthington Jr, Hope-Focused Marriage Counseling: A Guide to Brief Therapy (Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 2005). ISBN-13: 978-0830827640 Gary Thomas, Sacred Marriage: What if God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than To Make Us Happy? (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000). ISBN-13: 978-0310242826 Tim Clinton and John Trent The Quick-Reference Guide to Marriage & Family Counseling (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2009). ISBN-13: 978-0801072246 Assigned Readings (copies will be provided during course): Selected readings for Gary Collins, Christian Counseling: A Comprehensive Guide, 3 rd ed. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson). Pages 358-375 and 607-632. Optional Prepare-Enrich Certification Students who participate in the course will be eligible to receive certification as a Prepare-Enrich Facilitator and a personal Facilitator I.D. number required to provide assessments to couples.
Certification is an additional cost of $80 USD that is to be paid in person by credit card (drawn on US bank) within one week of the end of the short course week. Forms will be provided to register for your Facilitator I.D. Course Procedures and Requirements: 1. Textbook Reviews a. Students are expected to complete two book reviews during the course of their study. The first review covers Everett L Worthington Jr s, Hope-Focused Marriage Counseling and the second will cover Gary Thomas Sacred Marriage. Each review must be 4 5 pages, double-spaced. The review will include 4 sections: a summary, a concrete response (evaluation of strengths/weaknesses), a reflection (what bothered you, excited you, changed your thinking, etc), and application (a section about how the student will apply what he/she has learned when working with a couple). b. Length: 4-5 printed pages c. Assignments are to be printed, 12 characters per square inch (e.g. Times New Roman 12), and double-spaced. d. Must follow guidelines provided in the "Practical Book Review Instruction Sheet" 2. Final Project / Case Study a. The Counseling Project is designed to help the student interact with the material in a meaningful way. This is facilitated through the choice of a case study. b. The student will be expected to write a 12-15 page case study that will be made up of the case summary (2-3 pages), case conceptualization (5-6 pages) and a treatment plan (no more than 6 pages). c. The style of the project is to be according to Kate Turabian, A Manuel for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations and GLBC s Directions for the Preparation of Written Work. 8 th ed. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 2013. d. The case summery will include information about the couple consisting of their background information, current stressors, commitment, and presenting problems as defined by the couple. e. The case conceptualization will identify and illustrate the various issues present in the case study couple. This section will identify the facilitator s opinions concerning the current and potential problems for the couple as well as an assessment of the couples understanding of the real issue. Here the student will also include discussion of potentially helpful approaches to these problems and references to support the suggested approaches. This section is not a treatment plan, but a discussion of various concepts and techniques that might be helpful for various identified growth areas. f. Once the student has thoroughly discussed the potential issues and approaches, the student is to put together a treatment plan in which the student will create a six session plan itemizing goals for each session, material to be covered, brief reasoning behind that which is chosen, in session exercises, and homework. g. The project must integrate the material discussed in class and must also cite 5 additional resources.
3. Class Participation a. Each student is expected to participate in class through interaction with the material, discussion, and attendance. 4. Assignment Due Dates: a. The Thomas summary review is due on August 26 at 1pm EST. b. The Worthington review is due on September 7 at 11:59pm EST. c. The Final Project / Case Study is due on October 17 at 11:59pm EST. d. Late assignments will be penalized. 5. Semester Grade Breakdown: Book reviews (100 marks each), Final Project (100 marks) 6. Auditors (non-credit students) are welcomed to do the book reviews and/or Final Project and I will be glad to provide feedback. 7. For attendance and lateness policies see the school catalogue. 8. Cell phones, ipods, and other similar electronic devices are not to be used in my class room. These are considered to be a distraction and detriment to education in the classroom. 9. Assignments must be submitted in word format by email to joshfreeman01@gmail.com Selected Bibliography Balswick, J. O., & Balswick, J. K. The family: A Christian perspective on the contemporary home, 3rd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007. Chan, Francis and Lisa. You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity. Claire Love Publishing, 2014. Chapman, Gary. 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts. Northfield Publishing, 2015. Cloud & Townsend. Boundaries in Marriage. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002. Collins, Gary. Christian Counseling: A Comprehensive Guide, 3 rd ed. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2007. Evans, J., & Evans, K. Marriage on the rock: God s design for your dream marriage. Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 2007. Kostenberger, A. J., & Jones, D. W. God, marriage, and family: Rebuilding the biblical foundation. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2004.
Napier, A., & Whitaker, C. The family crucible: The intense experience of family therapy. New York, NY: Harper Perennial, 1978. Papp, P. The process of change. New York, NY: Guilford Press, 1994. Harley, Willard. His Needs, Her Needs: Building an Affair-Proof Marriage. Revell, 2011. Worthington, E. Marriage counseling: A Christian approach to counseling couples, 2nd ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993. Yarhouse, M. A. & Sells, J. N. Family therapy: A comprehensive Christian appraisal. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2008.
BOOK REVIEW INSTRUCTIONS A Practical Book Review is a way of responding to readings, lectures, and life experiences that requires the learner to interact with new ideas and techniques on several levels. Your review can be accomplished by thinking of four words: Summarize, Respond, Reflect, and Act. Use the following paragraphs and headings to complete your review. First person is acceptable in the book review. Summarize Give the Terabian formatted reference of the book below the heading Summarize. Summarize what you have read by boiling down the book into 300 tight words. Prove that you comprehend the material by writing a no-nonsense summary. A summarization is not a commentary or a rehearsing of books Table of Contents; rather, it is a gut-level, insightful précis of the longer, more elaborate book. It should provide a clear overview of the material. Keep this section to 300 words. Respond What parts of this book describe your experience? You will remember little you have read unless you make this critical, personal connection. Be transparent and get vulnerable with your answer. Relate a personal experience that in your internship experience that relates to Hodge s text. Remember also to respect confidentiality change personally identifying information when discussing clients. Relate your story in first person, describing action; quote exact words you remember hearing or saying and/or the non-verbals on display in the memory. What was going on with your internal conversation during the story? This is your chance to put your experiences into words; as you do this, the experience will become more real to you as well as more memorable. Keep this section to 300 words. Reflect What new questions or ah-ha moments popped up for you after reading the book and listening to its comments? Clarify statements made with your situation/context in mind. Use questions like: What bothers me about this book, section, etc? or use statements like: I am reticent to accept because or This technique will help me to. Also, what insight(s), technique(s), word pictures(s), and tool(s) are you seeing for the first time? Keep this section to 300 words. Act So what are you going to do about it? What did you do about it? What actions or changes are you going to make in your pastoral or lay counseling as a result of this information? What techniques do you need to incorporate to improve your relational style and internship experience? What tools (questions, word pictures, techniques, etc.) will you use to help a friend or a counselee to get unstuck and move towards meaningful change/solution? Where will you place these tools within the structure of your counseling scenario? Be specific as to what techniques, strategies, and/or concepts you will use from the texts. Keep this section to 300 words. PLEASE NOTE: Your grade on these assignments depends on the manner in which you address each of these four dimensions at a satisfactory level and according to the appropriate research writing guidelines of this class. You must follow the approved formatting guidelines and include a title page. You must use the headings provided as your main headings and any sub-headers deemed necessary.
Book Reviews Grading Rubric Element Marks Possible Marks Earned Comments from Instructor Assignment specific 30 Summarize: Clear overview of the book in 300 words or less. Respond: A response of 300 words relating personally to the reading. Reflect: Reflection on written material evident (300 words). Act: Specific strategies for improving relational style included (300 words) Appropriate writing style used. Content Clear, logical flow of the sentences. Identifies and discusses the major points clearly. It is substantive with good development of ideas and concepts. Major points are supported/ illustrated by pertinent information from the reading and site experience also. Interaction and Evaluation Analyzes insightful ideas. Synthesizes the information in the readings. Discusses issues thoroughly. Demonstrates mastery of textbook information and receptivity of site experience. Grammar and Syntax 30 30 10 (Note: First person is accepted in BR) Spelling & Grammar. First person is allowed for this assignment. Sentences are complete, clear, and concise Paragraphs contain appropriately varied sentence structures 100 Total Marks for each Book Review