Youth and Family Counselling

YFC-400 Youth and Family Counselling, I & II

This two-part course in a nutshell:
Discussion Topics: The focus is on a child-centered, family approach for counselling children and adolescents, emphasizing the interaction between family members during the counselling process.
Skills: You’ll learn practical information and skills that can readily apply to counselling youth and families including: assessment of problems related to unmet emotional needs and developmental delays; trust building, treatment planning, parenting strategies, play therapy and art therapy; assessment tools to evaluate presenting issues of children and adolescents; develop treatment strategies and/or make appropriate referrals within the scope of practice of an entry level therapist.

Course Objective: Applied Skill Development

On-line delivery of YOUTH AND FAMILY COUNSELLING (YFC-400) I & II, provides students with knowledge related to cognitive, emotional and behavioral problems exhibited by children and adolescents within the context of the family. This course will introduce concepts and techniques required for counseling children, adolescents and their parents. Students will learn to assess the presenting issues of children and adolescents and develop appropriate treatment strategies within the scope of practice of an entry level counselor.

COURSE CONTENT:

Topics covered in this two-part course include:

Common indicators of psychological disorders that may be manifest in acting out behaviors.
The effects of delayed or regressed behaviors during key developmental stages.
The impact of cultural, genetic and psycho-social variables that influence parenting styles, and family values.
Various counseling skills specific for treating children and adolescents such as building trust, advanced empathy, active listening, filial and play therapy, problem solving, art and music therapy.
The impact of various childhood disorders such as learning disabilities, anxiety disorders, and developmental disorders on a youth’s self-esteem, social and academic functioning.
The limits of confidentiality, ethical and legal implications of working with children, youth and parents.
Various parenting theories, psycho-educational programs and counseling skills specific to working with parents.
Safety protocols for working with children, adolescents and parents.
How to address abuse, anxiety, giftedness, disability, body image, substance abuse, social media, grief, bullying, changing families, military families, incarcerated family members, race and ethnicity, and sexual identity and orientation.
Assess for presenting problems that fall WITHIN the scope of practice of an entry-level therapist are commonly identified by the youth, parents and/or school systems as negatively impacting the child’s or adolescent’s emotions, behaviors, and/or learning ability, and causing conflict in the family.
Recognize cases that fall OUTSIDE the scope of practice of an entry-level therapist, and require supervisor’s input and a possible referral to a therapist specializing in the presenting issues.
Implementing a self-care plan when working with youth.

PORTFOLIO OF JOB SKILLS

What you will learn:

Opportunities will be provided for you to learn therapeutic skills to help children and adolescents develop a healthy sense of self in family and social relationships, and in their educational environment.

Your level of proficiency and competence with the skills introduced in this course will deepen as you proceed through the program. Upon graduation from the Diploma or Certificate program, you may include the following skills as part of your Professional Portfolio:

The ability to assess for and recognize symptoms of psychological, cognitive and behavioral disorders that may manifest in acting out behaviors of children and youth.
The ability to assess for and recognize common indicators of delayed developmental tasks in children and youth.
The ability to incorporate cultural sensitivity when counseling parents, children and adolescents.
The ability to incorporate counseling skills such as trust building, advanced empathy, active listening, and play therapy when working with children.
The ability to utilize techniques appropriate for adolescents such as trust building, empathetic listening, problem solving, art and music therapy.
The ability to apply counseling techniques specific to various childhood disorders such as learning disabilities, anxiety disorders, and developmental disorders relating to damaged self-esteem, unresolved losses, and acting out behaviors and family conflicts.
Proficiency with various parenting theories, and the ability to develop and deliver psycho-educational programs or counseling services for parents.
The ability to counsel children, teens and their parents in a family setting using a variety of professional techniques including: role plays, art and play, letter and journal writing, cognitive restructuring, conflict resolution, and behavior modification.
Understanding the limits of confidentiality and legal implications when working with children and adolescents; when and how to report incidents of suspected abuse, and assess for suicidal risk and apply a “no-harm contract”.
The ability to work within the limits of your scope of practice; the need for supervision and/or professional consultation; and how to make appropriate referrals.