Course Syllabus

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ADC303: Introduction to Psychology and Counseling

Instructor & Contact Information

The People tab in Canvas provides information on the course instructor and you can  send a message to your instructor following these instructions. Faculty are expected to: 1) grade and return assignments, with feedback, within 7 days from the date of submission; 2) reply to your Canvas messages within 72 hours; 3) reply several times each week in total in the discussion forums (not to each individual student); and 4) demonstrate the core values of City Vision University.

Course Description

This course serves as the introduction to counseling theory from a Christian perspective. While many students resist “theory” and want to “get down to the practice,” a foundation in theory is critical. It is important for the Christian counselor to have a solid foundation in the principles of Psychology, Christianity, and the psychology of religion as they relate to understanding counseling and addiction. Recognizing various categories of mental health disorders in abnormal psychology and their relationship to substance use disorders will be addressed.

This course also serves as the introduction to human developmental theories which are foundational in understanding the implications of the age of a person when they experienced trauma and/or the onset of behaviors leading to addiction. This critical understanding allows students to confidently deal with the dissonant behaviors between chronological and emotional “age” of many clients beginning recovery. This course expands the lay leaders’ and clinicians’ understanding of significant concepts and the vital role of normal human developmental needs.

In addition, this course addresses the wide range of ethical issues inherent in all steps identified within the Scope of Practice for addiction professionals and found in recovery support services. The course examines issues which may arise during initial screening, during treatment planning, and as a client progresses through treatment implementation and moves into recovery. The issues discussed relate to professional obligations, interactions with family and the community, as well as the process of documentation. Throughout this course, the participant will be asked to relate various points to their own situations, consider the various perspectives presented, and develop an ongoing awareness of their choices, decisions and behaviors in light of a high ethical standard.

Course Outcomes

After completing this course, you will be able to:

  1. Describe the impact of emotions, thoughts & behaviors on whole person development
  2. Identify major theoretical aspects and steps of human development to gain insight into the origins of addictive behavior and implications during recovery
  3. Establish a basis for recognizing the stages of child, adolescent, adult, and religious development in clients through listing and defining these stages
  4. Understand the ethical foundations for addiction clinicians
  5. Establish ethical guidelines for the therapeutic relationship
  6. Consider both sides of controversial treatment methods and ethical dilemmas
  7. Review cultural, spiritual, gender and age related considerations in addiction treatment
  8. Understand how culture makes a difference in working with specific populations

Degree Program Outcomes

Degree outcomes are the overall skills and knowledge we expect you will have after successfully completing a degree program at City Vision University. This course supports the following program outcomes, marked with an asterisk (*).  After completing the degree, you will be able to do the following in each of the listed domains:

    1. Christian Integration. Integrate Christian principles and counseling theories in an ethical manner in both Christian and secular counseling environments.*
    2. Certification Exam Prep. Identify the key concepts needed to take a licensure exam either to apply to be a peer support specialist or certified addiction counselor.
    3. Case Management. Develop case management plans to help clients identify areas where they need help and connecting them with personal and community resources that will help them.
    4. Chemical Dependency. Describe foundational concepts of chemical dependency including a range of psychoactive drugs and how they work.
    5. Psychology. Describe the foundational concepts of psychology and apply that in both Christian and secular counseling environments.*
    6. Clinical Counseling Skills. Utilize foundational skills for clinical addiction counseling.
    7. Multicultural Counseling. Utilize effective methods to counsel diverse clients in both Christian and secular counseling environments.
    8. Specialized Skills. Apply knowledge and skills in specialized domains related to Addiction Counseling.

Required Texts

Students are required to purchase these texts before the first day of classes. 

Guidelines for Written Work

All written work must follow our Writing Format and Forum Requirements. You must read these to understand how to cite sources appropriately.

Critical Policies to Read for This Course

Note: These policies are critical for all students to read. In case of change, we have linked to the versions on our website to make sure you have the latest version.

Additional Policies:

This syllabus is subject to change without notice up until the first day of the semester. Last updated: March 18, 2022

Course Summary:

Date Details Due