3.00 Credits
This is an advanced level course, the purpose of which is to increase students' understanding of contemporary topics, practices and problems relevant to counselors who work in school and agency settings. Students in this class can expect to be proactive in researching, and sharing information as well as evaluating practices and policies for their efficacy in various settings. They will demonstrate their integration of this new knowledge into their prior learning as it relates to the counseling field through writing, discussion and presentations. More specifically, the purpose of this course is to prepare you for dealing with death, loss and grief situations you may encounter working with the athlete population. We will spend time reflecting on how people deal with death, loss and grief and start to develop your skills in grief counseling and intervention. You will also examine some of the relevant research on grief counseling and intervention as well as the relevant research on death, loss and grief in sports. However, your major focus throughout the course will be on learning the practical skills of helping people who are dealing with death, grief and loss issues and learning assessment and treatment strategies used by counselors, educators, and other helping professionals who work with the athlete population to assist individuals, groups, and/or organizations (e.g., athletes, teams, athletic programs, schools, etc.).