Philosophy and Theories of Counseling Psychology



Philosophy and Theories of Counseling Psychology

CPSE 702

Fall 2006

Aaron P. Jackson O 422-8031

340-I MCKB C 636-3745

Office Hours: M 8-10, W 8-10, and by appt. aaron_jackson@byu.edu

Course Objectives

1. Strengthen understanding of philosophical constructs and their application to counseling psychology.

2. Develop an integrated philosophy of science and practice.

3. Become familiar with the history and philosophy of counseling psychology.

4. Learn and apply a metatheoretical approach to critically analyzing theories of personality and treatment.

5. Understand the implications of one’s philosophy and theory for multicultural issues in counseling.

6. Improve scholarly writing skills.

7. Improve academic presentation skills.

Tentative Schedule

Date Topic/Readings Assignment Due

9-6 Introductions, Syllabus, Philosophy

9-11 Unrecognized Idols Slife (1999)

9-13 Levels of Explanation

9-18 The Nature of Law Fischer; Yanchar & Smith (2005)

9-20 I Haven’t A Clue I Haven’t a Clue

9-25 Suffering & Pain Gantt; Gleave (2005)

9-27 Human Agency Judd; Williams (2005)

10-2 The Nature of Truth Richards; Slife & Reber (2005)

10-4 Human Identity Smith & Draper; Moss (2005)

10-9 Theory Discussion Assigned Reading

10-11 Theory Discussion Assigned Reading

10-16 Theory Discussion Assigned Reading

10-18 Theory Discussion Assigned Reading

10-23 Theory Discussion Assigned Reading

10-25 Theory Discussion Assigned Reading

10-30 Relationism Jackson (2005)

11-1 Midterm Exam

11-6 Review 1st Draft of Integration Paper Integration Paper

11-8 Book Report

11-13 Book Report

11-15 Book Report

11-20 Book Report

11-22 No Class-Thanksgiving Break

11-27 Book Report

11-29 Book Report Program Proposal

12-4 Review 2nd Draft of Integration Paper

12-6 Values & Theory Morrow, 2000

12-11 Naturalism & Theory Slife, in press

12-13 Agency & Theory Williams, 1992 Integration Paper

12-21 7:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. Final Exam

*Readings

There are three types of readings for the course.

1. Assigned readings—most of the readings during the first few weeks of class come from Turning Freud Upside Down (Jackson & Fischer, 2005), the only required text for the class. A few other readings are listed in the syllabus and will be made available to you.

Jackson, A. P., & Fischer, L. (2005). Turning Freud upside down. Provo, UT: BYU Press.

2. Theory Readings—each of you will make a presentation and lead a discussion on a theorist of your choice. Your preparation for the discussion will include reading at least one original work by the theorist and preparing a summary of key concepts, quotes, etc. for the rest of the class. You might also include a video clip of someone doing counseling according to the theory in your presentation. Please make the summary reading available to me and the rest of the class the class period prior to your presentation.

3. Philosophical Readings—select a philosophical work from the list below, or another work that you and I agree upon. Read the book and prepare an engaging presentation for the class on the key concepts in the book and their implications for counseling psychology in general and your work as a counseling psychologist in particular. Prepare a handout that summarizes the book’s key points and distribute it to the class.

Philosophical Readings

*What’s behind the research, Brent Slife & Richard Williams

*Personality and psychotherapy, Joseph Rychlak

The triumph of the therapeutic, Phillip Rieff

The great psychotherapy debate, Bruce Wampold

I and thou, Martin Buber

Toward a philosophy of the act, Mikhail Bakhtin

Beyond freedom and dignity, B.F. Skinner

Critical issues in psychotherapy, Brent Slife, Richard Williams, & Sally Barlow

Otherwise than being, Immanuel Levinas

Psychology for the other, Ed Gantt & Richard Williams

Witnessing, Kelly Oliver

The question of God:  C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud debate God, love, sex, and the meaning of life, A. M. Nicholi

Critical thinking about psychology, Brent Slife, Jeffrey Reber, & Frank

Richardson

Truth and method, Hans-Georg Gadamer

*most appropriate for students with limited exposure to counseling and personality theories

(Other possible philosophical readings are attached to this syllabus)

Assignments

I Haven’t A Clue Paper—Write a brief paper defining a philosophical term with which you are unfamiliar. Define the term citing appropriate sources. Demonstrate how the term is used by applying it to issues in counseling psychology. (50 points)

Theory Discussion—Lead a discussion of a theorist of your choice. Use the Levels of Explanation model as a metatheory to discuss the theory. Read at least one original work by the theorist and prepare a summary of key concepts and quotes for the rest of the class. If available, you might include a video demonstration of counseling according to the theory. Hand out the summary readings the class period prior to the day you lead the discussion. The discussion should include (1) the basic tenets of the theory, (2) the philosophical assumptions of the theory—both personality theory and treatment theory, and (3) an analysis of the degree to which the theory is compatible with Christian and other theistic philosophies. (100 points)

Philosophy Book Presentation—read one of the philosophical works on the list above and prepare a presentation for the class on the key points in the book and their implications for counseling psychology. Write a summary of your presentation. The presentation will be graded for content, effectiveness, and style. (100 points)

Integration Paper—Write a final paper that addresses the following questions—(1) What do you see as the key philosophical/theoretical issues facing counseling psychologists today and what needs to be done to address those issues?, and (2) How have you integrated you professional philosophy with your theology? (100 points)

Program Proposal Participation—Identify a research team that interests you. Attend team meetings and either author or co-author a proposal for the 2006 APA Convention or some other professional meeting. Turn in a copy of the proposal and the cover sheet. (100 points)

Tests—A midterm and final exam will be given. The test will include both multiple choice and short essay questions taken from the readings, discussions, and presentations. (50 points each)

All written work should conform to the APA Publication Manual (5th ed.) standards.

Attendance at class is expected and considered when assigning grades.

Honor Code Standards

In keeping with the principles of the BYU Honor Code, students are expected to be honest in all of their academic work.  Academic honesty means, most fundamentally, that any work you present as your own must in fact be your own work and not that of another.  Violations of this principle may result in a failing grade in the course and additional disciplinary action by the university. 

It is the university’s expectation that each student will abide by all Honor Code standards.  Please call the Honor Code Office at 422-2847 if you have questions about those standards.

 Preventing Sexual Discrimination or Harassment

Sexual discrimination or harassment (including student-to-student harassment) is prohibited both by the law and by Brigham Young University policy.  If you feel you are being subjected to sexual discrimination or harassment, please bring your concerns to your professor.  Alternatively, you may lodge a complaint with the Equal Employment Office (D-240C ASB) or with the Honor Code Office (4440).

 Students with Disabilities

If you have a disability that may affect your performance in this course, you should get in touch with the office of Services for Students with Disabilities (1520 WSC).  This office can evaluate your disability and assist me in arranging for reasonable accommodations. Please let me know of any accommodations you may need for disabilities or special circumstances.

Additional possibilities for the philosophy reading

E. L. Hersch, _From Philosophy to Psychotherapy:  A Phenomenological

Model for Psychology, Psychiatry, and Psychoanalysis_.



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J. Martin, J. Sugarman, & J. Thompson, _Psychology and the Question of

Agency_.



Sigmund Koch, _Psychology in Human Context_.



Hans Georg Gadamer, _Philosophical Hermeneutics_.



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M. Merleau-Ponty, _The Primacy of Perception_.



Charles Taylor, _Sources of the Self_.



M. Polanyi, _Personal Knowledge:  Towards a Post-Critical Philosophy_.



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B. Wiker, _Moral Darwinism:  How we became Hedonistis_.



J. Rychlak, _The Human Image in Postmodern America_.

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McGuire & Tuchanska, _Science Unfettered: A Philosophical Study in

Sociohistorical Ontology_.



L. K. Schmidt, _The Specter of Relativism:  Truth, Dialogue, and

Phronesis in Philosophical Hermeneutics_.



J. N. Downing, _Between Conviction and Uncertainty_.



P. Ricouer, _Hermeneutics and the Human Sciences_.



Levinas, _Basic Philosophical Writings_.



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