Course

Therapeutic Relationships in Mental Health

Faculty
Health Sciences
Department
Mental Health and Personal Support Work
Course Code
MHPS 1700
Credits
4.00
Semester Length
11 Weeks
Max Class Size
32
Method(s) Of Instruction
Lecture
Lab
Course Designation
None
Industry Designation
None
Typically Offered
To be determined

Overview

Course Description
The focus of this course is to prepare students to develop therapeutic relationships using communication skills such as empathy, warmth, genuineness, caring confrontation, and immediacy. Assessment, communication, and motivational interviewing skills will be discussed as they relate to individuals experiencing mental health and substance use challenges. Conflict resolution, problem-solving, and leadership skills are also presented. Group therapy and stress management theories and techniques will be discussed. Therapeutic use of self, self-awareness, and trauma informed approaches as critical elements of developing therapeutic relationships are the foci of this course. Students will practise communication skills with actors in communication labs.
Course Content

•    Self-awareness concepts:
    o    Values clarification
    o    Johari window
    o    Therapeutic use of self to promote client’s growth
    o    Boundaries and limit-setting
•    Therapeutic relationships:
    o    Types, phases, and strategies
    o    Rogerian approach to develop caring therapeutic relationships based on the development of trust with individuals experiencing mental health challenges
•    Trauma informed practices
•    Therapeutic communication skills:
    o    Listening and attending skills
    o    Nonverbal communication and proxemics
    o    S.O.L.E.R.
    o    Empathy, warmth, respect, and genuineness
    o    Caring confrontation and immediacy
•    Client focused problem-solving, interventions, and development of action plans
•    Conflict resolution:
    o    Identifying resistance
    o    Cycle of violence, and how/when to intervene on the continuum of violence
    o    Strategies to manage difficult situations
•    Stress management techniques
•    Risk assessment and interventions
•    Assessment and communication skills for various categories of mental health and substance use disorders
•    Empowerment and misuse of power
    o    Strategies to manage difficult situations: Diffusing, De-escalating, Debriefing
•    Concepts of Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)
•    Motivational interviewing skills
•    Application of interviewing and communication skills through structured lab interactions with “clients”

Learning Activities

In this course, students engage in a variety of learning activities such as lecture, group work, case studies, and team-based exercises.

Means of Assessment

Assessment will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. An evaluation schedule is presented at the beginning of the course.

This course is a graded course, not a mastery course.

Learning Outcomes

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

  1. Understand the importance of the therapeutic use of self during interactions with individuals experiencing mental health challenges;
  2. Understand the types, phases, and implementation strategies for developing therapeutic relationships;
  3. Demonstrate trauma informed approach in client interactions;
  4.  Demonstrate client-centered communication skills of active listening, attending, empathy, warmth, respect, genuineness, and beginning skills of caring confrontation and immediacy;
  5. Understand the problem-solving process in working with a client and/or multidisciplinary team;
  6.  Understand the concepts and skills of conflict resolution;
  7. Demonstrate an understanding of stress management;
  8. Demonstrate the theory and application of conducting a risk assessment;
  9. Demonstrate the various communication skills associated with the various categories of mental health and substance use disorders;
  10. Understand the concepts of power and empowerment and their effects on therapeutic relationships;
  11. Identify escalating behaviours and strategies to diffuse, de-escalate, and debrief;
  12. Demonstrate basic motivational interviewing skills.

 

Textbook Materials

Textbooks and materials are to be purchased by students. A list of required textbooks and materials will be provided for students at the beginning of the semester.

Requisites

Prerequisites

Students in the MHSU program are required to maintain a passing grade of 65% (C+) in all courses to progress in the program.

Corequisites

No corequisite courses.

Equivalencies

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.

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 MHPS 1700
There are no applicable transfer credits for this course.

Course Offerings

Winter 2025

CRN
17410
section details
CRN Days Instructor Status More details
Maximum Seats
32
Currently Enrolled
1
Remaining Seats:
31
On Waitlist
0
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. B
Room
B2020
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. B
Room
B2020
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
12:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. B
Room
B2020
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. B
Room
B2020
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1003
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. D
Room
D2016
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1008
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
12:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1009
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
12:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1008
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
12:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1009
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
12:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1002
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
12:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. D
Room
D1025
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. D
Room
D2024
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
14:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. D
Room
D2015
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
14:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1008
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
14:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1009
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
14:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. D
Room
D1026
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1003
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. D
Room
D1023
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. D
Room
D1023
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1003
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1003
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. D
Room
D1023
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1011
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1008
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1009
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1008
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1009
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. D
Room
D1019
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. D
Room
D1023
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1008
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1009
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
16:20