Graduate Catalog
Professional Mental Health Counseling
Professional Mental Health Counseling at Lewis & Clark has a longstanding reputation in the community for educating professional counselors who are well-grounded in theory and skillful in providing sound clinical interventions. We train empathetic and compassionate practitioners who through their creative leadership and advocacy contribute to the advancement of the counseling profession.
Our core mission is to train counselors who can provide effective individual and group counseling and therapy in diverse community settings. Professional preparation includes knowledge, skills, and supervised clinical experiences, as well as developing an identity as a professional counselor who understands and addresses social justice as a key factor in improving the well-being of clients, individually and relationally.
Graduates of our programs understand that power, privilege, and oppression impact the well-being of individuals and the relationships in their lives, especially as it relates to race/ethnicity, culture, socioeconomic status, exile/migration status, religious and spiritual beliefs, language, education, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, physical ability and age.
Professional Mental Health Counseling programs are for students wanting to become professional counselors and work in a wide variety of settings including community mental health clinics, hospitals, correctional facilities, educational settings, residential treatment centers, and private practice.
Accreditation and Licensure
Professional Mental Health Counseling programs are approved by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) under the 2016 standards for Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs. Students who complete the Professional Mental Health Counseling program are eligible to take the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and to apply for status as a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC).
The Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists (OBLPCT) extends approval to Lewis & Clark's Professional Mental Health Counseling programs. Graduates who have earned an MA degree are eligible to pursue licensing as professional counselors (LPC) in Oregon. In addition, as a CACREP accredited program, our Professional Mental Health Counseling programs meet the requirements for licensure as a professional counselor in most other states. However, some states may have additional educational requirements that must be met prior to licensure.
Master of Arts in Professional Mental Health Counseling
This degree program is for students who wish to become counselors in community mental health agencies, programs serving children, adolescents and/or families, the criminal justice or juvenile justice system, other community and educational settings, as well as private practice. Students can choose an emphasis on adult counseling or child and adolescent counseling.
Degree Requirements
A minimum of 60 semester hours, distributed as follows:
Degree Courses
| MHC 503 | Introduction to Counseling | 2 |
| MHC 513 | Theory and Philosophy of Counseling | 3 |
| MHC 535 | Research Methods in Counseling | 3 |
| or MHC 538 | Advanced Research Methods | |
| MHC 506 | Life Span Development | 2 |
| MHC 550 | Diversity and Social Justice | 3 |
| MHC 509 | Practical Skills for Counselors | 3 |
| MHC 522 | Diagnosis of Mental and Emotional Disorders | 3 |
| MHC 524 | Counseling and Interventions with Adults | 3 |
| MHC 534 | Child and Family Counseling | 3 |
| CTSP 514 | Group Counseling With Children and Adolescents | 3 |
| or CTSP 515 | Group Counseling With Adults | |
| MHC 523 | Counseling and Interventions With Children and Adolescents | 2 |
| MHC 532 | Ethical and Legal Issues in Professional Counseling | 2 |
| MHC 536 | Introduction to Addiction Counseling and Psychopharmacology | 2 |
| MHC 541 | Introduction to Assessment | 2 |
| MHC 549 | Treatment Planning: Theory and Research to Practice | 1 |
| MHC 548 | Trauma and Crisis Intervention in Counseling: Theoretical Foundations, Response Models, and Interventions Across the Life Span | 2 |
| MHC 540 | Career Counseling | 2 |
| MHC 580 | Practicum in Counseling (two semesters, 3 hours each) | 6 |
| MHC 582 | Mental Health Internship: Adult Emphasis (two semesters, 3 hours each) | 6 |
| or MHC 583 | Mental Health Internship: Emphasis on Child and Family Problems | |
| MHC 591 | Professional Career Development | 1 |
Elective Courses
The remaining 6 semester hours will be earned by taking elective courses approved by the program. At least two elective credits must be taken in one of the program's focus areas:
- Counseling LGBTQ clients
- Feminist therapies
- Mind/body/spirit/creativity
- Community and professional advocacy
- EcoSomaArts Therapy (only for students enrolled in the EcoSomaArts Therapy Certificate)
- Eating Disorders (only for students enrolled in the Eating Disorders Certificate)
Electives meeting each focus requirement are determined on a yearly basis; a list is available from the program director(s). See additional courses required to add the Eating Disorders Certificate or the EcoSomaArts Therapy Certificate to your program below.
Graduate Convocation Requirement
Students must attend Convocation (CORE 500) in their first year in the program.
Eating Disorders Certificate
| CPED 572 | Introduction to Eating Disorders | 1 |
| CPED 573 | Fat Studies & Health at Every Size | 1 |
| CPED 574 | Body Politics | 1 |
| CPED 575 | Treatment of Eating Disorders | 1 |
| CPED 576 | Treatment of Negative Body Image | 1 |
| CPED 577 | Nutrition | 1 |
| CPED 578 | Family Therapy in the Treatment of Eating Disorders | 1 |
| CPED 580 | Mind Body Connections in the Treatment of Eating Disorders | 1 |
| CPED 581 | Eating Disorders in Transgender and Gender Expansive Populations | 1 |
EcoSomaArts Therapy Certificate (8 semester hours)
| ESA 500 | The Human Self as Nature and in Relationship with the Other-than-Human World | 2 |
| ESA 501 | Expressive Arts and Nature | 1 |
| ESA 502 | Ecosomatics | 1 |
| ESA 503 | Nature, Trauma, and Resilience in Sociocultural Context | 1 |
| ESA 504 | Ecotherapy and Ancestral Wisdom | 1 |
| ESA 505 | Rituals and the Other Than Human World | 1 |
| ESA 598 | Topics in Eco-Soma-Arts | 1 |
Master of Science in Professional Mental Health Counseling
Note: The Master of Science in Professional Mental Health Counseling Program is on hiatus. No applications will be accepted to the Master of Science in Professional Mental Health Counseling Program for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Students admitted to the Master of Arts in Professional Mental Health Counseling Program may choose to seek an MS degree. This option, which includes the completion of a research based thesis, is often of interest to students planning to pursue a doctoral degree in counselor education or psychology. Students become eligible to formally apply to the MS program upon completion of the requirements listed below.
Requirements for Application
- Current enrollment in the Master of Arts in Professional Mental Health Counseling Program.
- A demonstrated capacity for initiative and independent research.
- Completion of one of the following, with a grade of B or better:
| MHC 538 | Advanced Research Methods (for those with demonstrated skills and experience in research) | 3 |
| MHC 535 | Research Methods in Counseling (for those with no research background) | 3 |
- Completion of one of the following, with a grade of B or better:
| CTSP 531 | Statistics for Professional Practice (for those interested in conducting quantitative research) | 3 |
| CTSP 537 | Qualitative Research Methods (for those interested in conducting qualitative research) | 2 |
- Completion of CTSP 594 Proposal Writing
- Completion of a thesis proposal, including a timeline for completing the project, agreement by a faculty member to serve as chair of a thesis committee, and designation of a three-person faculty committee
- Formal approval of a thesis proposal by a thesis committee
Degree Requirements
A minimum of 62 semester hours, distributed as follows:
Students must meet all degree requirements for a Master of Arts in Professional Mental Health Counseling, complete the requirements for application to the MS program listed above, and take the following course:
| CTSP 595 | Master's Thesis Research (satisfactory completion of a thesis—a minimum of 2 semester hours and maximum of 9 semester hours is required) | 2-9 |
Practicum and Internship Information
Students in Professional Mental Health Counseling and Professional Mental Health Counseling—Specialization in Addictions enroll in a practicum course for two terms (MHC 580, 6 semester hours total) as well as two terms of internship (MHC 582 or MHC 583, 6 credit hours total). Practicum courses will be held at the Lewis & Clark Community Counseling Center. Students may also obtain a secondary practicum site at another community agency with approval of the program director. Student work with community clients is supervised live and through individual/triadic supervision with a faculty member. Practicum courses generally require spending a minimum of six hours a week at the Community Counseling Center, as well as making case presentations, transcribing session recordings, and other study and/or supervision related to client care.
To provide students with the widest range of internship opportunities to meet their professional goals, over 100 agencies in Portland and its surrounding communities are approved for placement. Prospective interns contact and interview with agencies in conjunction with our annual internship fair. Students can expect to schedule 16-20 hours per week at the internship site in addition to weekly group supervision on campus.
Prior to enrollment in a practicum or internship, students must complete a portfolio of their work in the program, including coursework, field work, and other professional activities. Students must also be approved for clinical work by the program director or designee. More information is available in the program handbook, available online.
Master of Arts Courses
MHC 503 Introduction to Counseling
Content: Basic theoretical assumptions of the counseling profession, with an overview of its historical roots, social and cultural contexts, types of practice, ethical principles, and professional orientation. Introduction to social justice principles and how they apply to professional counseling.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 2 semester hours.
MHC 506 Life Span Development
Content: Exploration of life span development through the lenses of social, cultural, cognitive, biological, and learning theories and research. Emphasis is on gaining better conceptual understanding of healthy development and better practical understanding of how to help children, adolescents, and adults address the developmental challenges they face across the life span. Particular focus placed on understanding our own developmental processes as well as the role of cultural difference and commonality in the developmental process.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 2 semester hours.
MHC 509 Practical Skills for Counselors
Content: Overview of basic counseling concepts and skills, including skill development through role-playing and simulated counseling experiences.
Prerequisites: Take MHC 513 and either MHCA 502 or MHC 503.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
MHC 513 Theory and Philosophy of Counseling
Content: Overview of counseling theories such as psychoanalytic, Adlerian, client-centered, cognitive-behavioral, multi-modal, Gestalt, feminist, existential, solution-focused, and brief therapy, as well as integrative approaches. Examines a wide range of theoretical perspectives and advocates professional knowledge of best practices. Students acquire knowledge of various counseling theories and critique their relevance to diverse populations and clinical situations. Students clarify their personal assumptions and learn how to explain their own theoretical stance. Issues of diversity and client matching are addressed throughout.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
CTSP 514 Group Counseling With Children and Adolescents
Content: Instruction and practice in developing group treatments for children and adolescents in clinical and school settings. Students gain practice as group leaders in addressing issues related to group dynamics, cultural diversity, potential problems encountered when running groups, and generalization and maintenance of behavioral change. Students also gain experience constructing curricula for specific issues such as divorce, substance use, grief, and social skills. Consent of Counseling, Therapy School Psychology department required.
Prerequisites: For Professional Mental Health Counseling or Professional Mental Health Counseling - Specialization in Addictions students, take MHCA 502 or MHC 503, and MHC 506, and MHC 550. For Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy students, take MCFT 516. For students in the School Psychology program, take SPSY 502.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
CTSP 515 Group Counseling With Adults
Content: Introduction to the major schools of thought regarding group therapy and the common factors associated with positive outcomes. Covers group dynamics, obstacles to success in group therapy, and the stages of group process. Role-playing, outside group membership, and demonstrations illustrate principles of effective group leadership.
Prerequisites: For students in Professional Mental Health Counseling or Professional Mental Health Counseling - Specialization in Addictions, take MHCA 502 or MHC 503, and MHC 506, MHC 513, and MHC 550. For Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy students, take MCFT 516. For students in the School Psychology program, take SPSY 502.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
MHC 522 Diagnosis of Mental and Emotional Disorders
Content: Introduction to the structure and uses of the DSM 5 for diagnosing mental and emotional disorders. Limits and weaknesses of these approaches-especially with regard to cultural differences-and alternatives to them. How to use these systems effectively in the context of person-centered, psychosocial, and systemic interventions, and in culturally diverse environments. Current knowledge, theory, and issues regarding selected disorders. Use of technology-based research tools to secure and evaluate contemporary knowledge.
Prerequisites: MHCA 502 or MHC 503; MHC 506, MHC 513.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
MHC 523 Counseling and Interventions With Children and Adolescents
Content: Mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders of childhood and adolescence. Topics include identification, diagnosis, and planning of multifaceted counseling intervention and treatment strategies; developmental, social, and cultural influences on diagnoses and interventions; ecological and social-justice-oriented conceptualization and intervention across systems.
Prerequisites: MHC 503 or MHCA 502
Credits: 2 semester hours.
MHC 524 Counseling and Interventions with Adults
Content: Identification, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental, emotional, substance abuse, and addictive disorders in late adolescence and adulthood. Covers adjustment, mood, anxiety, psychotic, dissociative, impulse, sexual, personality, and addictive disorders, including gambling and eating disorders. Topics include multicultural, interpersonal, and relationship factors; evidence-based treatments; and information technology research tools. Emphasis is on planning comprehensive, multifaceted treatment interventions.
Prerequisites: Take either MHCA 502 or MHC 503. Take MHC 506, MHC 513, and MHC 550.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
MHC 532 Ethical and Legal Issues in Professional Counseling
Content: Consideration of the applicable ethical and legal issues for mental health and school settings. Students develop skills in writing reports, assessments, and treatment plans.
Prerequisites: Take either MHCA 502 or MHC 503.
Credits: 2 semester hours.
MHC 534 Child and Family Counseling
Content: An introduction to theoretical systems and practical approaches to working with children and families in various counseling settings. Ethical principles, self-awareness, personal counseling style and honoring of diversity will be examined through textbook reading, class discussions, reflective assignments, as well as various classroom activities to assist students in beginning work with children and families. Students will practice counseling skills related to working with children and families and will develop awareness and intentionality in conceptualization of child and family clients. Admission to Professional Mental Health Counseling or Professional Mental Health Counseling - Specialization in Addictions required.
Prerequisites: Take MHC 506, MHC 513, MHC 550 and either MHCA 502 or MHC 503.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
MHC 535 Research Methods in Counseling
Content: Foundations of psychological research. Students are introduced to qualitative and quantitative research processes and basic concepts. Topics include (1) elements of the research process; (2) types of designs, program evaluation; (3) ethical considerations of research: informed consent, research with diverse and vulnerable populations, research with children, human subjects review; (4) basic measurement concepts: validity, reliability, norms, score interpretation; and (5) basic statistical concepts: frequency distributions, central tendency, measures of variability, correlation, normal curve, hypothesis testing, significance tests. Students read and evaluate examples of published research. Reviews Web-based resources for conducting research.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
MHC 536 Introduction to Addiction Counseling and Psychopharmacology
Content: General survey course providing a broad overview of the field of addiction counseling and the impact of addiction on child, adolescent, and adult populations. The course will summarize key points drawn from the following areas: the American experience with addiction and recovery, theoretical explanations for understanding addiction and dual diagnosis, basic pharmacology and neuroscience, and assessment and treatment issues specific to dual diagnosis and addiction counseling.
Prerequisites: Take MHC 503, MHC 506, MHC 509, MHC 513, MHC 522, MHC 550.
Credits: 2 semester hours.
MHC 540 Career Counseling
Content: Career development theories; current career trends, concerns, and programs/interventions for diverse client populations; career counseling strategies, tools, and resources (including Web-based resources); facilitation of client awareness, choice, and action with respect to career-related issues; integration of career counseling with mental health and addictions treatment. Emphasis is on developing a broad view of career as lifestyle, the mutual impact of career and culture, and the practical application of theory and information in a professional counseling context.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 2-3 semester hours.
MHC 541 Introduction to Assessment
Content: Principles of psychological assessment as employed in school, clinical, and applied settings. Addresses psychometric concepts such as validity, reliability, norms, and score interpretation. Surveys intelligence, personality, career, interest, aptitude, and achievement tests and reviews alternative methods of assessing competence and person-situation interactions. Contemporary issues such as the validity of instruments for diverse populations and the impact of technology on assessment are discussed.
Prerequisites: For Professional Mental Health Counseling students, MHC 503, MHC 506, MHC 509, MHC 513, MHC 534, one of the following: MHC 535, or MHC 538. For Professional Mental Health Counseling - Specialization in Addictions students, MHCA 502, MHC 506, MHC 513, MHC 550, and one of the following: MHC 535, or MHC 538.
Credits: 2 semester hours.
MHC 548 Trauma and Crisis Intervention in Counseling: Theoretical Foundations, Response Models, and Interventions Across the Life Span
Content: This class includes the basic historical and theoretical foundations of crisis intervention and treatment of the effects of trauma. The main focus of study is current theory and practice models as well as the application of skills and techniques utilized in crisis interventions. The effects of crises, disasters, and other trauma-causing events will be differentiated across the lifespan. Principles of crisis intervention for people during crises disasters and other trauma-causing events will be examined utilizing a worldview context. Counselor self-care practice will be integrated into crisis and trauma work to bring into awareness and ameliorate the effects of crisis and trauma exposure.
Prerequisites: MHC 503 or MHCA 502; MHC 506; MHC 509; MHC 532; CTSP 514 or CTSP 515; MHC 522; MHC 523; MHC 524; MHC 535 or MHC 538; and MHC 550.
Credits: 2 semester hours.
MHC 549 Treatment Planning: Theory and Research to Practice
Content: This course assists students in developing critical thinking, case conceptualization, and treatment planning skills. Students develop their abilities to gather data, conceptualize from their emerging theoretical perspectives, and plan treatment. Uses an ecological and social-justice framework to view the client in context, apply evidence-based practice with cultural sensitivity, and plan interventions across multiple systems (individual, family, and community).
Prerequisites: None.
Corequisites: MHC 580.
Credits: 1 semester hour.
MHC 550 Diversity and Social Justice
Content: Development of diversity awareness and knowledge including systems of power and privilege. Introduction to methods/skills for working with clients who are diverse in culture, race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, or physical or mental ability. Focus is on helping students become capable therapists in varied environments, including becoming aware of their own beliefs, biases, and prejudices.
Prerequisites: MHCA 502 or MHC 503
Credits: 3 semester hours.
MHC 580 Practicum in Counseling
Content: Working with clients in the practicum clinic, agency or school setting (eight to 10 hours per week, 150 hours total) under intensive supervision from CPSY faculty, developing the therapeutic relationship and basic counseling competencies. Students are expected to demonstrate personal characteristics and professional conduct necessary for effective, ethical counseling. Two semesters, 3 credit hour each required. Consent of the program director.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1-3 semester hours.
MHC 582 Mental Health Internship: Adult Emphasis
Content: Internship in a community setting. Participants engage in counseling and related professional activities under supervision. Students write reports, prepare case histories, and submit work samples for supervisory review. Consent of internship coordinator.
Prerequisites: MHC 580.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
MHC 583 Mental Health Internship: Emphasis on Child and Family Problems
Content: Internship in a community setting. Participants engage in counseling and related professional activities under supervision. Students write reports, prepare case histories, and submit work samples for supervisory review. Consent of internship coordinator.
Prerequisites: MHC 580.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
MHC 591 Professional Career Development
Content: This course is designed to apply principles of career development to the professional development of counselors in a variety of roles and settings. Administration, supervision, consultation, and other career-related opportunities for professional mental health counselors will be explored.
Prerequisites: MHC 580.
Credits: 1 semester hour.
Master of Science Courses
MHC 538 Advanced Research Methods
Content: Advanced Research Methods has been developed for those students who enter their PMHC/PMHC-A program with a strong research background and/or are considering completing a thesis. This class will build on student's base of knowledge by providing an opportunity to learn about aspects of the research process in more detail. Research paradigms, qualitative, quantitative designs and program evaluation will be covered. We will also learn about new and innovative designs and/or methods. Students planning to complete a thesis will refine their thesis topics, develop a research question, and begin their thesis proposal, including a literature review. The structure of the class will include some lecture but primarily that of a research colloquium. Each meeting of the colloquium will cover a different broad topic with specifics determined by the class. Class will also provide the opportunity to present "problems" and/or issues that come up as students design their projects. Instructor consent required.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
CTSP 531 Statistics for Professional Practice
Content: This course covers the descriptive and inferential statistics practitioners use in their professions. There is an overview of quantitative research designs with the focus on understanding and application of data analysis and interpretation. Coverage includes basic descriptive and inferential statistics, appropriate interpretation of statistical results, and real-world presentation of data. Note: Taught in spring semester only. Students who wish to pursue the thesis-option M.S. program are required to take this course if conducting a quantitative thesis project.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 3 semester hours.
CTSP 537 Qualitative Research Methods
Content: Overview and application of qualitative research methods. Through course readings, discussion, and practical application, candidates explore: (1) different approaches in qualitative research and epistemologies and common theoretical perspectives that undergird qualitative inquiry, and (2) various methods and techniques for gathering, interpreting, and making meaning of in-depth and rich information about things as they occur in their natural settings. Candidates gain the skills necessary to review and critique qualitative research and to design and undertake their own qualitative research. Consent of instructor, program director, or advisor is required.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 2 semester hours.
CTSP 594 Proposal Writing
Content: Direct instruction and support for the process of preparing a thesis and/or other research or grant proposals. Includes both a colloquium and individual consultations with a thesis chair (or, if not writing a thesis, another faculty member). The colloquium will focus on the refinement of research questions, the specifics of research design, and the Human Subjects in Research application process. Consultations with thesis committee chair or other faculty member will focus on the development of a manuscript that clearly details the purpose of the research, summarizes relevant literature, and identifies the proposed design and methodology for the research project.
Prerequisites: Research Methods Course from program
Restrictions: Permission of program director or thesis coordinator
Credits: 1 semester hour.
CTSP 595 Master's Thesis Research
Content: Completion of thesis research project under the direction of the chair of the candidate's thesis committee. Two semester hours, which can be taken in 1-semester hour increments, are required for degree. Grades are deferred until the candidate has successfully defended his/her/their thesis. Consent of thesis committee chair is required.
Prerequisites: CTSP 594
Credits: 1-9 semester hours.
Eating Disorders Certificate Courses
CPED 572 Introduction to Eating Disorders
Content: Etiology of eating disorders, including biological, cultural, and environmental factors. Assessment and diagnosis of eating disorders, appropriate levels of care and a thorough overview of medical complications.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1 semester hour.
CPED 573 Fat Studies & Health at Every Size
Content: Explores the interdisciplinary field of scholarship in Fat Studies that aims to debunk weight-centric misconceptions and countering mainstream narratives. Examines fat bias, fat shame and weight-based oppression as a social justice issue that intersects with other systems of oppression. Introduction to the paradigm of Health At Every Size, a weight-neutral approach to health promotion that emphasizes size diversity, intuitive eating, and joyful movement. HAES is also an important paradigm in working with people who experience disordered eating.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1 semester hour.
CPED 574 Body Politics
Content: Considers the relationship between body and power in global consumer cultures, the gendering and objectification of bodies, and the commodification of bodies in looksist societies. Raising awareness of body politics in the counseling process is reviewed to promote individual and relational wellbeing.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1 semester hour.
CPED 575 Treatment of Eating Disorders
Content: Evidence-based approaches to treating eating disorders, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Interpersonal Psychotherapy and more.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1 semester hour.
CPED 576 Treatment of Negative Body Image
Content: Research related to the impact of negative body image on all populations. Ways in which negative body image is developed and maintained. Special focus on people meeting criteria for eating disorders and body dysmorphia. Evidence-based treatment strategies to help clients make peace with their bodies.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1 semester hour.
CPED 577 Nutrition
Content: Nutritional aspects in the treatment of eating disorders. Nutritional rehabilitation for underweight clients. Nutritional therapy, intuitive and mindful eating.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1 semester hour.
CPED 578 Family Therapy in the Treatment of Eating Disorders
Content: Disordered eating and eating disorders in children. Family therapy treatment strategies including the Maudsley method and other approaches. How to foster healthful eating in families.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1 semester hour.
CPED 580 Mind Body Connections in the Treatment of Eating Disorders
Content: Mindfulness, yoga, and somatic approaches to improving body image, embodied experience, and introspective awareness and the ability to identify, feel, and regulate emotions - critical components of the treatment of eating disorders and negative body image
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1 semester hour.
CPED 581 Eating Disorders in Transgender and Gender Expansive Populations
Content: Explores the interdisciplinary field of scholarship that explores best practices in working with transgender and gender diverse clients (TGDCs) experiencing eating disorders and/or disordered eating (Eds/DE). This course will also include an introduction to understanding the intersections of TGDCs, neurodivergence and EDs/DE. Ultimately, this course will explore the prevalence of EDs/DE in transgender communities, address gaps in current models based on cisgender populations, and provide TGD and neurodivergent affirming considerations that reduce barriers to care, and increase and provide ethical, competent, and gender-affirming care for all gender diverse clients. Admission to an LC graduate degree program or the ED certificate program required.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1 semester hour.
EcoSomaArts Certificate Courses
ESA 500 The Human Self as Nature and in Relationship with the Other-than-Human World
Content: This course examines the relational foundations of ecotherapy from a systems perspective that encompasses our relationships with the other-than-human world and reclaiming our birthright to feel more at home on the earth. The concepts of sympoiesis and sympoiethics, sense of place, nature language, and human rewilding will be explored to reclaim our bodies as home, and the importance of integrating sense and sentience into our therapy practices. It combines an in-depth study of the role of the body and creative expression as agents of change and of the development of an artistic sensibility for the therapeutic process. Limited to CTSP students finishing their first year in the program.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 2 semester hours.
ESA 501 Expressive Arts and Nature
Content: This course explores the neurobiological foundations of "coming back to our senses" through expressive art therapy, aiming to restore body and mind. Through this somatically-based approach, both the body's sensory experience and the mind's cognitive/language capabilities, we can help clients access embodied awareness and effectively address experiences that leave individuals stuck in isolation and shame. Informed by IFS and polyvagal theory, this course will work with the self through drawing, painting, sculpting in clay, and engaging in group work through play and rhythmic drumming. It will explore aesthetics, sensory engagement in nature, and group activities through play. It will integrate simple rhythmic, movement-oriented, image-making, and other techniques that will support clients to begin to feel once again safe, calm, and enlivened. Limited to students in the CTSP Department only; can be taken in their second year of their program.
Prerequisites: ESA 500.
Credits: 1 semester hour.
ESA 502 Ecosomatics
Content: This course explores the relational continuum between the human and the other-than-human world through an animist perspective rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems from various traditions. Specifically, it offers a comprehensive understanding of phenomenological approaches to embodied experience, ecosomatic principles through culturally responsive and decolonizing lenses, ethical considerations in ecosomatic therapy, and sophisticated skills for somatic self-awareness and regulation. Limited to students in the CTSP department only.
Prerequisites: ESA 500.
Credits: 1 semester hour.
ESA 503 Nature, Trauma, and Resilience in Sociocultural Context
Content: This course explores how to use trauma-informed nature therapy, polyvagal theory, and The Work that Reconnects to address the interpersonal, communal, and ecological impact of trauma. Students will examine their relationship to nature, trauma, and resilience, and how to work with the multisensory multisystem involvement of the body to heal and learn to be safe in and with nature. Engaging with nature allows clients to experience a wide range of whole-brain whole-body experiences, which can promote a unique set of coping skills, including empowerment, strength, and confidence. Other dimensions of trauma, resilience, and their relationship with nature are explored within a decolonizing ecotherapy perspective, addressing issues of access, opportunity, privilege, and oppression.
Prerequisites: ESA 500.
Credits: 1 semester hour.
ESA 504 Ecotherapy and Ancestral Wisdom
Content: Drawing from the assumption that the past is alive within us, and thus, much of the pain and chaos in our individual and collective lives began before our birth, this course examines how we can transform inherited burdens and heal complex intergenerational legacies in lasting ways. Students will learn to safely partner with their healed and wise ancestors to resolve intergenerational issues involving interpersonal issues and larger systemic issues such as Earth disconnection, sexism, colonialism, racism, and other forms of oppression. Topics covered include what our ancestors do differently, that we can get back in everyday life, the special roles queer folks have played as shamans, priests, and spiritual guides in Indigenous societies, how to integrate and honor ancestral cultural wisdom and address cultural appropriation, relationships with space and sense of place, and human rewilding.
Prerequisites: ESA 500.
Credits: 1 semester hour.
ESA 505 Rituals and the Other Than Human World
Content: Incorporating creative rituals into a therapeutic journey enables us to address specific issues in more expansive ways, generating a new narrative that integrates human and non-human relationships and provides inspiration for a new vision of the future. In this course, students will learn how to create rituals to mark transitions in the life cycle, turning them into transformations, celebrate life and relationships, honor losses, and be respectful of social location issues. Key topics include why meaningful rituals and ceremonies are needed in our lives, creating sacred spaces, milestones, and rites of passage, rituals as trauma interventions, healing, release, and celebration, and infusing traditional rituals with new meanings, and elements of preparation for an individual or group ritual, with particular attention to safety for queer and BIPOC participants in group settings.
Prerequisites: ESA 500.
Credits: 1 semester hour.
ESA 598 Topics in Eco-Soma-Arts
Content: This course provides an opportunity for students to do an in-depth exploration of specialized topics or practices related to ecotherapy, somatic interventions, and expressive arts in therapy. Course focus and format vary given year and instructor. Topics have included the human-animal bond, the plant-human bond, and creative interventions.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1 semester hour.