Clinical Mental Health Counseling Electives

Courses offered: 

• Introduction to Play Therapy
• Parent-Child Play Therapy

 The topics covered in these courses include but are not limited to:

• Neuroscience and child development and their implications in play therapy
• Play therapy philosophies and skills
• Child-centered play therapy (CCPT; identified as an evidence-based intervention by The Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse, the Results First Clearinghouse [NREPP] and the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare [CEBC])
• Child-parent relationship therapy (CPRT; identified as an evidence-based intervention by The Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse, the Results First Clearinghouse [NREPP] and the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare [CEBC])
• Different play therapy theoretical orientations
• Play themes
• Diversity and multicultural issues in play therapy

Introduction to Play Therapy and Parent-Child Play Therapy courses will help students meet most of the educational requirements for the Registered Play Therapist^TM  (RPT) and School-Based Registered Play Therapist^TM  (SB-RPT) credentials issued by the Association for Play Therapy (APT). In addition,  Introduction to Play Therapy is accepted as equivalent to a significant amount of the educational requirements for the Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) certification, and Parent-Child Play Therapy is accepted as equivalent to all educational requirements for the Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) certification, both issued by the Center for Play Therapy (CPT). Students completing these courses are well positioned to gain further educational training and clinical hours in pursuit of a credential as an RPT or SB-RPT, as well as a certification as a Certified CCPT Practitioner and/or Certified CPRT Practitioner.

Through these courses, students learn how to use play therapy to work with young clients from diverse cultural backgrounds experiencing trauma, behavioral difficulties, social-emotional struggles and more. Learning how to work with parents and caregivers is another important aspect of these courses. 

Courses offered: 

• Disaster Response, Trauma, Crisis, and Grief Counseling (required for MA CMHC degree) 
• Cultivation and Implementation of Trauma-Informed Counseling in Community & Educational Settings

Students who take both courses* can attain a Rider University Certificate in Trauma Informed Counseling.

^{*Completion of the MA CMHC degree is also required for this certificate}

The topics covered in these courses include but are not limited to:

• Working with clients who have experienced loss, crises, disasters, and trauma-causing events
• Prevention, intervention, and postvention techniques
• Trauma-informed practice models, such as the Sanctuary Model
• Trauma-informed advocacy efforts

Upon completion of the Disaster Response, Trauma, Crisis, and Grief Counseling course, students earn a Red Cross Certificate for the Introduction Course: Disaster Mental Health: Introduction Disaster Cycle Services.*

^{*this training can be submitted to their local Red Cross for credit towards Disaster Mental Health Certification. In addition, this course gives students a foundation of knowledge and preparation so they are well positioned to seek postgraduate trauma training in pursuit of a certification as a Level 2 Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP-II).}

Course offered:

• Prevention and Intervention for Body Image and Disordered Eating

The topics covered in this course include but are not limited to:  

• The etiology of body image concerns and disordered eating
• Prevention strategies to assist clients in avoiding disordered eating attitudes and behaviors
• Intervention techniques to work with clients struggling with disordered eating or body image concerns, such as postmodern therapeutic strategies
• How issues related to spirituality intersect with disordered eating concerns
• How to work with family members and friends who may be close to vulnerable or struggling individuals

As part of this course, students may have the opportunity to complete training to become a facilitator for The Body Project, which is a prevention program targeting body dissatisfaction and disordered eating symptoms supported by empirical evidence. 

Course offered: 

• Introduction to Creative Arts and Specializations in Counseling

The topics covered in this course include but are not limited to: 

• Using creative arts (such as visual arts, dance/movement, music, humor and drama) in client care
• Theoretical roots of the use of creative modalities in counseling
• Experiential activities to learn to integrate these creative techniques in counseling

Course offered:

• Counseling Supervision: Issues, Concepts, and Methods

Completion of this course meets the educational requirements for the Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) credential.

Courses offered: 

• COAT 520 Sport Counseling and Psychological Skills Training
• COAT 521 Clinical Sport Counseling

These courses address the use of counseling skills, such CBT techniques, mindfulness exercises, and other theoretical approaches and strategies to assist athletes with mental health struggles and provide tools to improve athletic performance.

Students can attain a Rider University Certificate in Sport Counseling if they take these three courses*: COAT 520 Sport Counseling and Psychological Skills Training, COAT 521 Clinical Sport Counseling, and COAT 522 Assessment in Sport Counseling.

^{*Completion of the MA CMHC degree is also required for this certificate. MA CMHC students can only count COAT 520 and COAT 521 as MA CMHC program electives.}

Course offered:

• COUN 510 Approaches to Family Counseling

This course addresses family counseling and theories and strategies to address a range of concerns relevant to family functioning.

Students can complete an independent study in an area of interest, with faculty supervision. Previous examples of such projects include: mindfulness meditation and nonsuicidal self-injury.