Course

Counselling Theory and Practice II

Faculty
Applied Community Studies
Department
Social Work
Course code
SOWK 3122
Credits
3.00
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
18
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Lab
Course designation
None
Industry designation
None
Typically offered
To be determined

Overview

Course description
This course offers students the opportunity to explore strengths-based, best-practice approaches for counselling individuals, with an emphasis on anti-colonial and anti-racist frameworks. Building on the foundational concepts of SOWK 2122, this course includes evidence-based approaches such as cognitive behavioural counselling, brief counselling, crisis intervention, and motivational interviewing. Through an inclusive, culturally responsive lens, students will develop skills to engage with clients’ individual, systemic, cultural, and spiritual differences, deepening their ability to provide compassionate, empowering, and socially just support.
Course content

Course content will be guided by research, empirical knowledge and best practices. The following values and principles, consistent with professional standards, inform course content.

  • Effective practice acknowledges the influence of environmental factors, integrates principles of social justice, and recognizes the interconnectedness between individual well-being and broader systemic and ecological issues.
  • Effective social workers are informed by evidence-based research and approaches.
  • Proficient social workers have the capacity to be versatile and draw on an eclectic variety of counselling approaches.
  • Understanding individual and cultural differences is an essential element of professional practice.
  • Professional development requires an ongoing commitment to developing self-awareness, making oneself available for feedback, and monitoring and evaluating one’s competence, as well as utilizing supervision, professional literature, and training opportunities.
  • Communication and counselling skills are practiced in the context of the Social Work Code of Ethics.

 

 

Learning activities

Lecture
Role playing
Small group discussion.

 

Means of assessment

This course will conform to Douglas College Evaluation Policy regarding the number and weighting of evaluations. Other means of evaluation may include a combination of:

  • Papers
  • Case study analysis
  • Role-play demonstrations
  • Exams

Evaluations will be carried out in accordance with Douglas College Evaluation Policy and will include both formative and summative components. Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation in a course as part of the student’s graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the Instructor Course Outline.

 

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  1. Use foundational counselling skills to effectively support clients in diverse practice settings.
  2. Apply evidence-based social work counselling practices.
  3. Explain critiques of western counselling models and their impact on marginalized populations.
  4. Demonstrate relationships rooted in empathy, cultural humility, and reciprocity.
  5. Use alternative ways of healing into counselling practice, promoting culturally responsive care.
  6. Demonstrate reflexive practice skills to assess and integrate multiple approaches in work with diverse individuals, families, and communities.
  7. Describe de-escalation strategies.
  8. Demonstrate an understanding of the goals of crisis intervention and the skills to intervene in suicide risk situations.
  9. Demonstrate motivational interviewing skills, cognitive behavioural counselling skills, brief counselling, effective mediation  skills, and knowledge of strategies for engagement. 

 

Textbook materials

Texts such as the following, the list to be updated periodically:

A Practical Guide For Counsellors: Co-Creating Safe and Culturally Responsive Relational Spaces by G.Ko, M.Anderson, S.Collins, and Y.
Yasynskyy (Eds.), 2023. Copyright 2023 by Counselling Concepts. CCBY-NC-SA4.0.

  

Requisites

Prerequisites

SOWK 2122

Corequisites

None

Equivalencies

None

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers

These are for current course guidelines only. For a full list of archived courses please see https://www.bctransferguide.ca

Institution Transfer details for SOWK 3122
Simon Fraser University (SFU) No credit

Course Offerings

Fall 2025

CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
35
Currently enrolled
0
Remaining seats:
35
On waitlist
0
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1012
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
10:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. B
Room
B2320
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
10:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. B
Room
B2168
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
10:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. B
Room
B2320
Times:
Start Time
10:30
-
End Time
12:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. B
Room
B2168
Times:
Start Time
10:30
-
End Time
12:20
Section notes

SOWK 3122 001 is restricted to BSW students.