This course focuses studying the diagnostic criteria of dsm-1v of psychiatric disorders, developing the ability for the differential diagnosis and an overview on treatment plan for each disorder, anxiety d/o, mood d/o, eating d/o, and personality d/o.

This course provides an overview of the problem of addiction and how servants in the church can support individuals who suffer from this problem as well as their families.

This course provides the servant with the requisite skills and knowledge to assist couples through crises and to develop healthy, vibrant marriages. Christian and secular experts agree that marriages are failing at a 50% or higher rate in the United States of America.

The First Five Years of Marriage: Launching a Lifelong, Successful Relationship (2006). By: Wilford Wooten, Phillip Swihart. ISBN: 9781589970410

The Quick-Reference Guide to Marriage & Family Counseling (2009). by Dr. Tim Clinton AND Dr. John Trent. ISBN: 978-0801072246.

This course is designed to help the enrollees to learn how to handle daily unwelcome surprises and life changing events. Will equip the person with step-by-step actions to use in the face of the serious life challenges. When people are faced with various live events, it causes one to feel powerless and vulnerable. Is there a way to be prepared to tackle a catastrophe? What should someone do in the face of a trauma. How can we become resilient and stronger in the face of an always changing life?

Required Text:
Complete Guide to Crisis and Trauma Counseling: What to Do and Say When It Matters Most! by Dr. H. Norman Wright. ISBN: 0764216341.

This course is designed to help the student gain a better understanding of the patterns of behavior of survivor and abusers, learn to communicate with a survivor, grow in verbiage, understand the types of abuse, recognize the warning signs, provide resources and strategies to seek and receiving help and educate to break the cycle.

Required text:
No Visible Bruises by Rachel L. Snyder

This course educates what constitutes sound, ethical conduct to do the right thing with good intentions in counseling. It covers the moral principles of the helping lay counselors. It addresses the knowledge of ethical, legal and professional standards. It equips the student with the skills for applying the rules and standards to the questions and dilemmas that would arise in the counseling settings.

Required text:
Theodore Remley and Barbara Herlihy, “Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in Counseling”, 3rd Edition (March 23, 2009), 352 pages, Pearson; ISBN-10: 0137016719, ISBN-13: 978-0137016716

Recommended text (NOT REQUIRED):
Sanders, Randolph; Christian Counseling Ethics. Intervarsity Press

The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the Family Systems Theory, the historical and conceptual development of Family Systems Theory, General Systems Theory, and the eight concepts of the theory. The course will also cover family rules, roles, structure and interaction patterns, functional and dysfunctional family systems, life-cycle issues in marriage and family, and family therapy. The course will also discuss applications of Family Systems Theory beyond the family, e.g., in the Church, in the workplace, and in society.

This course will address the normal changes of aging and the abnormal ones that need to be helped in counseling. We will explore the roles of religion and spirituality and their implications for the physical and mental health and psychosocial outcomes in older adulthood. Our aging population is growing rapidly so that by the year 2025 it is estimated that the number of persons age 65 or over in the US will increase by more than 100%. Also chronic health problems are common in older adults and many normal changes of aging are similar to and may blend in with symptoms of treatable diseases.

Required Text:

1. Watkins, Derrel; Practical Theology for Aging. Haworth Pastoral Press., ISBN# 0-7890-2227-3, ISBN-13: 978-0789022271.
2. Koenig, Harold; Pastoral Care of Older Adults. Fortress Press., ISBN# 0-8006-2964-7, ISBN-13: 978-0800629649.

Recommended Text:
Kirkland, K.; Spiritual Therapy for the Elderly

This course entails an introduction and definition of homosexuality (same-sex attraction), causes of same-sex attraction, healing process & the importance of confession, and how to be protective in our churches and families.

This course entails an analysis of the anatomical, psychological, cultural, and religious aspects of a wide range of topics in the area of human sexuality and emphasis is on the development of an understanding and appreciation of the role of sexuality throughout the various phases of the life cycle.

Required text:
Choose one of the two books listed below

• The Act of Marriage the beauty of sexual love. Tim and Beverly LaHaye
• The Act of Marriage After 40. Tim LaHaye and Beverly LaHaye

This course is designed to familiarize students with the concepts of purity in marriage as well as how to prevent infidelity. Students will learn about the impact of technology on marriage relationships and ways to protect marriages from infidelity. Various types of infidelity and warning signs of an affair will be reviewed. Students will gain an understanding of how betrayal occurs and how to rebuild trust. The perspectives of the betrayed spouse and the unfaithful spouse will be discussed in the course. Typical responses to the betrayal and the healing process will be covered. Positive communication tools will be identified so that students may assist couples who may be struggling with infidelity.

This course entails equipping lay counselors as the first defense line confronting family members in trouble to well address and handle their troubles with safety and wisdom, learning about when and to whom should they need to make professional references, learning about dysfunctional relationships (the most common presentation in counseling clinics) dealing with different situations and their relationship with false core beliefs and fears in the family members, and how to help parents bring up boys and girls while addressing some of the challenges parents face nowadays.

Required Text:
Why Marriages Succeed or Fail, by John Gottman, Ph.D.

This course will provide an overview of different aspects of Child development from theories and important contexts that shape children’s development. The course will provide also knowledge about effective parenting and instructional practices.

Recommended Text:
Child Development A Practitioner’s Guide (2nd or 3rd edition) by Douglas Davies.

The course equips students with both the tools and understanding needed to help parents explore and practice how to positively connect. Students will be empowered to facilitate a six-week Parenting Coaching Program. They will be introduced to a set of experiential activities that allow parents to learn without the need for lectures or advice. Students will have an opportunity to practice their skills in facilitating the Parenting Coaching Program. By the end of the course, each student will be evaluated based on the level of knowledge, skills, and confidence they demonstrate during a personal assessment with the instructor. Connection is a cornerstone in Parenting. When implemented peacefully and positively, not only does it result in joy, confidence, and a high sense of belonging among family members, but also helps to raise spiritually mature and responsible kids. The Parenting Coaching course is an introductory course that aims to strengthen connections in our homes.

This course will provide the students with a general understanding of healthy relationships, the helping relationship, the importance of values in helping, basic communication skills, attending, listening and understanding, basic empathy, the art of probing and summarizing, helping clients tell their stories, emergencies: suicide & homicide: how to handle them, reluctant and resistant clients, helping clients make plans, and termination issues in counseling.

Required Text:
Where to Start and What to Ask: An Assessment Handbook, by Susan Lukas. 1st edition. ISBN-13: 978-0393701524; ISBN-10: 0393701522

This course focuses on three important areas: self-awareness, counseling skills and techniques, and motivational interviewing. Practicum I is a journey through which the student is helped to better understand him-/herself and to deepen his/her self-awareness and self-knowledge, to be more empathetic and non-judgmental towards others, which are essential skills for an effective counseling relationship. It provides actual counseling practice and supervision through introductory, on-site lectures. These lectures focus on basic counseling skills, providing hands-on knowledge and opportunities for each student to observe and actively practice these skills through role-playing and structured exercises. Through constructive feedback, students will attain an appropriate level of professionalism as a lay counselor. Lectures are followed by weekly webinars, which provide online group and one-to-one interaction with the instructor, in which we discuss actual cases or vignettes, written verbatim, and reading assignments, to encourage, monitor, and teach clinical experiences. Finally, students will be introduced to the basic principles of Motivational Interviewing as an essential tool in motivating people to improve. Practicum I: successful completion of introduction to practicum.

This course is designed to develop students’ counseling skills beyond the level required in Practicum I. The primary emphasis is on performing counseling and related activities as a lay helper. Students will learn and practice a variety of counseling strategies in this course and will be asked to engage in experiential learning through role-play, practicing intervention strategies, and discussing case vignettes. The requirement for Practicum II: successful completion of practicum I.

Required Text:
Little Book of Big Emotions: How Five Feelings Affect Everything You Do (and Don’t Do) by Erika Hunter. ISBN 13: 978-1-59285-079-2.

This course is the advanced continuation of Practicum I and Practicum II courses. The purpose of the practicum course is to facilitate each student’s ability to interface theory and practice, theology, and counseling, by integrating their FMP theoretical learning with experiential supervised counseling. Students who complete Practicum III should be ready to assume their assignments as effective lay church counselors. Practicum III: successful completion of practicum II.

Required Text:
Troubled Minds: Mental Illness and the Church’s Mission by Amy Simpson. ISBN-13: 978-0830843046

The course will offer discussion about how to prepare couples for marriage. It will allow the lay counselors to help couples identify their differences, weaknesses and strengths. The following will be discussed: differences between man and woman, basics of Christian marriage, how to identify deal breakers during engagement, how to discover the will of God in marriage, how to choose your spouse, how to anchor your marriage on Love and respect, what to avoid in choosing your future spouse, and understand the Win-Win approach.

The course will offer discussions on the development of self-esteem with particular emphasis on cognition and belief systems. The relationship between thoughts, feelings and behavior will be addressed. Various communication skills and behavior strategies will be introduced to assist in enhancing self-esteem and coping skills.

Required Test:
Managing Your Mind “The Mental Fitness Guide“ 3rd Edition by Gillian Butler, PhD, Nick Grey, DClinPsych, and Tony Hope, MD. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-086677-8