Counseling Minor
Katherine Cohen-Filipic, Associate Professor of Sociology, and Coordinator
The interdisciplinary counseling minor is a partnership between the Departments of Psychology and Sociology; open to all students at the College, it is designed to provide a broad perspective and background in the field of mental health. This interdisciplinary approach to the study of mental health acknowledges the complementary contribution of these two disciplines that explore individual behavior from differing perspectives. Through this combination of approaches, the minor allows students to develop a rich and complex understanding of the development of distress, and a variety of perspectives on assessment, treatment, and crisis intervention in applied settings. Students will also take two elective courses with the CNSL attribute. This attribute is used for courses from a range of disciplines that expand our students' exposure to problems of living (such as substance abuse, child welfare, mental health, hunger and homelessness), macro-level practice (including institutional/organizational, community organizing, policy and advocacy), and the experience of marginalized populations. The minor prepares students for diverse careers where a basic grounding in counseling skills and knowledge are valuable: counseling skills are, for instance, integral to human service, health care, and many business roles and functions.
Students need at least three semesters to complete the Counseling minor. To insure this, students must declare the Counseling Minor prior to earning 75 credits or before the end of the fifth semester at Ithaca College.
Requirements
Psychology and sociology majors may enroll in the minor. Sociology majors may count only two courses in the minor toward the sociology major. Psychology and sociology double majors may count two courses from the minor for each major for a maximum of four courses. Psychology majors also may count only two courses in the minor toward the psychology major.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| SOCI 21700 | Mental Health in Historical and Social Contexts | 4 |
| PSYC 32100 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 34200 | Family Therapy | 3 |
| or PSYC 40500 | Forms of Therapy | |
| SOCI/PSYC 40900 | Skills for the Helping Professional | 4 |
| Two courses with the attribute CNSL Counseling Elective | 6-8 | |
| Total Credits | 20-22 | |