TITLE 68: PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS
CHAPTER VII: DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL REGULATION
SUBCHAPTER b: PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS
PART 1375 PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR AND CLINICAL PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR LICENSING ACT
SECTION 1375.APPENDIX A COURSE DESCRIPTIONS



Section 1375.APPENDIX A   Course Descriptions

 

The following counselor education course content areas are defined and subject areas outlined; however, this is not an all inclusive list and many other courses may fall within each of the core content areas.

 

a)         Human Growth and Development:  Courses in this area cover one or more of the various stages of the human growth cycle and include information about theories of development  such as physical, personality, social, cognitive, moral and creative development, etc. Examples of acceptable courses include, but are not limited to, Human Growth and Development, Developmental Psychology, Child Psychology, Child Development, Adolescent Psychology, Adolescent Development,  Personality Theory, Life Span Development, Adult Development.

 

b)         Counseling Theory:  Courses in this area cover the major theories of counseling  psychotherapy.  Examples of acceptable courses include, but are not limited to, Theories of Counseling, Introduction to Psychotherapy, and overview courses in Behavior, Cognitive, Humanistic and Psychodynamic Theories.  These courses should be general theory courses.  A course devoted to one type of counseling/therapy would be considered a Counseling Technique core course.

 

c)         Counseling Techniques:  Courses in this area cover the theoretical foundations and professional skill training enabling the counselor to understand presenting problem, best practice recommendations, and effective intervention strategies.  Examples of acceptable courses include, but are not limited to, Rational Emotive Therapy, Behavior Modification, Marital/Couples Counseling, Crisis Counseling, Counselor Interviewing Skills, Pre-Practicum in Counseling, Introduction to Rehabilitation Counseling, Grief Therapy, Substance Abuse Counseling, Stress Management, etc.

 

d)         Group Dynamics, Processing and Counseling:  Courses in this area teach the theories, principles and techniques of group counseling and group psychotherapy.  Examples of acceptable courses include, but are not limited to, Group Counseling, Group Counseling and Dynamics, Group Therapy, Group Dynamics,  Theories of Group Practice, etc.  Courses that use a group format with a focus on the professional development of the counselor is not considered a group course.

 

e)         Appraisal of Individuals:  Courses in this area cover assessment of the various attributes of a person through standardized tests. The course also includes an overview of statistical procedures relevant to test standardization and interpretation.  Examples of acceptable courses include, but are not limited to, Individual Appraisal, Group Testing, Standardized Testing, Individual Intelligence Testing, Personality Assessment, Introduction to Psychological Measurements, Tests and Measurements, etc.

 

f)         Research and Evaluation:  Courses in this area cover statistical principles, research designs, methods, techniques and tools used in performing and interpreting research in counseling.  Examples of acceptable courses include, but are not limited to, Methods of Research, Statistics, Research Design, Research in Counseling, Research Techniques, etc.

 

g)         Professional, Legal and Ethical Responsibilities:  Courses in this area cover such topics as professionalism in counseling, federal and State laws relevant to counselors, and ethics with an emphasis on the Code of Ethics of the American Counseling Association.  Examples of acceptable courses include, but are not limited to, Ethics and Legal Issues in Counseling, Ethics and Legal Issues in Psychology, Ethics and Legal Issues in Psychotherapy, Ethics and Legal Issues in Professional Counseling, Ethics and Legal Issues in Rehabilitation Counseling, etc.

 

h)         Social and Cultural Foundations:  Courses in this area should include an overview of multicultural issues.  The course should not focus on only one cultural group or counseling population.  Courses in this area cover topics such as aging, culture, disability, ethnicity, race, religion/spirituality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status/partnership, language preference, and socioeconomic status.  Examples of acceptable courses include, but are not limited to, Multicultural Counseling, Cultural Differences in Counseling, Cultural Differences in Psychology, Cultural Differences in Rehabilitation Counseling, etc.

 

i)          Lifestyle and Career Development:  Courses in this area cover the lifelong processes and the influences that lead to work values, occupational choices, career path/patterns, decision-making style, and integration of  self- and career-identity with patterns of work adjustment.  The course is designed around the concepts of career development.  Examples of acceptable courses include, but are not limited to, Career Counseling, Career Development, Theories of Vocational Choice, Theories of Vocational Counseling, etc.

 

j)          Practicum:  Provides practical experience in counseling for the purpose of developing both individual and group counseling skills.  This course should include a minimum of 100 clock hours on-site, with a minimum of 40 hours of direct client contact.  These experiences allow students to perform some of the counseling activities that an employed Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor would be expected to perform.  Supervision is required on an ongoing basis during the practicum.  Practicum requirements  should not be confused with the internship requirements.

 

k)         Internship:  An internship should provide direct client experiences in assessment, individual counseling and group counseling, as well as opportunities to become familiar with a variety of professional activities other than direct service (e.g., referral sources, case histories and progress notes, data management, etc.).  The internship should provide an opportunity for a student to perform a variety of activities that a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor  would be expected to perform.  A minimum of 600 clock hours with a minimum of 1 hour per week of  supervision is required during the internship.  Examples of acceptable courses include, but are not limited to, Internship − Community Counseling, Internship − Mental Health Counseling, Internship − Art Therapy, Internship − Pastoral Counseling, and Internship − Rehabilitation Counseling.

 

l)          Psychopathology and Maladaptive Behavior:  Courses in this area cover general principles of etiology, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and cultural factors of mental and emotional disorders.  Emphasis is placed on mental status assessment and diagnostic categories as organized in the DSM-IV-TR (or current edition).  Examples of acceptable courses include, but are not limited to, Abnormal Psychology, Psychopathology, Diagnosis and Treatment Planning, Mental Health Rehabilitation Counseling.

 

m)        Substance Abuse:  Courses in this area cover chemical, psychological and social aspects of drug use, abuse and dependency, and effects on  the family. Counseling skills are acquired in the areas of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment intervention.  Examples of acceptable courses include, but are not limited to, Substance Abuse Counseling, Psychology of Drug Addiction, Drugs and Alcohol Abuse.  Psychopharmacology is not considered a course in substance abuse.

 

n)         Family Dynamics:  Courses in this area cover family systems theory and its applications, prevention approaches for working with families, and specific problems that impede family function.  Examples of acceptable courses include, but are not limited to, Family Therapy, Family Counseling, Family Systems Theory, and Family Dynamics.

 

(Source:  Amended at 35 Ill. Reg. 7586, effective May 13, 2011)