COU 500 Introduction to the Counseling Profession & Introduction to Ethics

This course serves as an orientation to the MA of Clinical Mental Health program; personal growth experiences in the program; the counseling profession; ethical and legal issues, counseling process, skills and theories; professional counselor roles, functions and work settings; and historical foundations of counseling. The course covers history, philosophy, and trends in clinical mental health counseling; roles, responsibilities of counselors; knowledge of clinical mental health settings; legal, ethical issues, policies, laws, and legislation pertinent to counseling. Students will learn basic information about national standards, certification, and licensure requirements.