PSY 315: Final Project Guidelines and Grading Guide
Overview
The final project for this course is the creation of a therapy plan. Students will select a case study and design a therapy plan using one of the theoretical
orientations covered in the course. The final product represents an authentic demonstration competency because students will be able to apply their counseling
knowledge in a real-world manner. The project is divided in to two milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold
learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three and Five. The final product will be submitted in Module
Seven.
Objectives
To successfully complete this project, you will be expected to apply what you have learned in this course and should include several of the following course
objectives:
1. Explain the theory, process, and techniques of helping
2. Apply knowledge about the personality theory; the APA ethical code; and social and ethical issues/concerns related to the field of counseling
3. Practice effective attending skills and helping responses
4. Express the core conditions for effective helping: empathy, positive regard, and genuineness
5. Apply theory and learned techniques in role-played helping situations
6. Demonstrate critical, analytical, and self-assessment skills
Main Elements
For this assignment, you will choose one of the following theoretical orientations as well as corresponding concepts to treat the case study:
Psychoanalytic Therapy using concepts such as structure of personality, the unconscious, role of anxiety and ego-defense mechanisms, and stage of
development. Include the role of transference and countertransference in the therapy process. Some techniques that can be included are free
association, interpretation, dream analysis, and analysis and interpretation of resistance and transference.
Adlerian Therapy using concepts such as social interest, birth order, subjective view of reality, unity of personality. Include the lifestyle assessment as well
as the role of the family constellation and early recollections in a lifestyle assessment. Also, include the four phases of the therapeutic process.
Existential Therapy using concepts such as self-awareness, freedom and responsibility, intimacy and isolation, meaning in life, death anxiety, and
authenticity.
Person-Centered Therapy using concepts such as acceptance, self-actualization, openness to experience, clarification, self-trust, reflection, internal locus
of evaluation, congruence, growth-promoting climate, incongruence, actualizing tendency, genuineness, unconditional positive regard, and here-andnow experiences.
Gestalt Therapy using concepts such as here-and-now, awareness, dealing with unfinished business, contact and resistance to contact, body language,
and the role of experiments in therapy the dialogue experiment, playing the projection, “why” questions, reversal technique, the rehearsal experiment,
staying with the feeling, empty chair technique, introjection, integration of polarities, projection, blocks to energy, catastrophic expectations, impasse or
“stuck point,” here-and-now experiencing, projection screen, figure-formation process, boundary disturbance, and language that denies power.
Behavior Therapy using concepts such as systematic desensitization, behavior modification, biofeedback, classical conditioning, operant conditioning,
cognitive trend/processes, target behaviors, self-management, reinforcement techniques, self-directed behavior, homework, observational learning,
behavioral diary, imitation, self-contracting, goal setting, contingency contracting, relaxation training, social reinforcement, social learning, behavior
rehearsal, exposure therapy, modeling, assertion training, feedback, in vivo desensitization, flooding, eye movement desensitization and stress
inoculation reprocessing (EMDR), extinction, functional assessment, positive punishment, and negative punishment.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy using concepts such as internal dialogue, irrational beliefs, coping-skills program, cognitions, stress inoculation, unconditional
“shoulds,” absolutistic “musts,” self-observation, faulty assumptions, automatic thinking, self-evaluating, self-sustaining, simple preferences, schema
restructuring, emotional disturbance, cognitive distortions/errors, autosuggestion, schema, self-repetition, “family schemata,” blame, arbitrary
inferences, anxiety, A-B-C theory, cognitive triad, Socratic questioning, full acceptance or tolerance, cognitive homework, therapeutic collaboration,
disputing irrational beliefs, overgeneralization, changing one’s language, magnification and minimization, rational-emotive imagery, personalization, role
playing, labeling and mislabeling, shame-attacking exercises, polarized thinking, alternative interpretations, and self-instructional therapy.
In the paper, you will address all of the following:
Identify a case study that you would like to design a therapy plan for.
Discuss how this case study would be addressed in therapy according to your chosen theoretical orientation. Be sure to include specific concepts related
to your chosen theory. Avoid broad, general concepts that are not related to a specific theory.
Identify possible goals and interventions appropriate for the chosen orientation.
Format
Milestone One: Submit Case Study and Theoretical Orientation
In 3-3, you will submit a general description of patient and his or her issue, as well as the theoretical orientation chosen to address the issue. The format should
be 1-2 pages and will not be graded separately; use the Final Project Rubric to structure feedback.
Milestone Two: Submit Outline of Final Project
In 5-3, you will submit an outline for the Final Paper. The format should be 1-2 pages and will not be graded separately; use the Final Project Rubric to structure
feedback.
Final Submission: Client History and Therapy Plan
In 7-3, you will submit the Final Paper: Client History and Therapy Plan. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the main elements of the final
product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded using the Final Project Rubric (below).
Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Written components of projects must follow these formatting guidelines when applicable: double spacing, 12-point Times New
Roman font, one-inch margins, 6-8 pages, and discipline-appropriate citations.
Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Main Elements Includes almost all of the main
elements and requirements
and cites multiple examples to
illustrate each element
Includes most of the main
elements and requirements and
cites many examples to illustrate
each element
Includes some of the main
elements and requirements
Does not include any of the
main elements and
requirements
25
Inquiry and Analysis Explores multiple issues
through extensive collection
and in-depth analysis of
evidence to make informed
conclusions
Explores some issues through
collection and in-depth analysis
of evidence to make informed
conclusions
Explores minimal issues
through collection and
analysis of evidence to make
informed conclusions
Does not explore issues
through collection and
analysis of evidence and does
not make informed
conclusions
20
Integration and
Application
All of the course concepts are
correctly applied
Most of the course concepts are
correctly applied
Some of the course concepts
are correctly applied
Does not correctly apply any
of the course concepts
10
Critical Thinking Demonstrates comprehensive
exploration of issues and ideas
before accepting or forming an
opinion or conclusion
Demonstrates moderate
exploration of issues and ideas
before accepting or forming an
opinion or conclusion
Demonstrates minimal
exploration of issues and
ideas before accepting or
forming an opinion or
conclusion
Does not demonstrate
exploration of issues and ideas
before accepting or forming
an opinion or conclusion
20
Research Incorporates many scholarly
resources effectively that
reflect depth and breadth of
research
Incorporates some scholarly
resources effectively that reflect
depth and breadth of research
Incorporates very few
scholarly resources that
reflect depth and breadth of
research
Does not incorporate scholarly
resources that reflect depth
and breadth of research
15
Writing
(Mechanics/Citations)
No errors related to
organization, grammar and
style, and citations
Minor errors related to
organization, grammar and style,
and citations
Some errors related to
organization, grammar and
style, and citations
Major errors related to
organization, grammar and
style, and citations
10
Total 100%
Reference
Mayo Clinic (2019) Cognitive behavioral therapy. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cognitive-behavioral-therapy/about/pac-20384610
University of Rochester Medical Center (2019) Journaling for Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentID=4552&ContentTypeID=1
WebMD (2005) 1 in 10 Americans Experience Depression. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/depression/news/20051004/1-in-10-americans-experience-depression
Healthy Place (2015) Adult Coloring Books Help Relieve Anxiety and Depression. Retrieved from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/livingablissfullife/2015/11/adult-coloring-books-help-relieve-anxiety-and-depression
NIH (2018) Outcomes of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Interventions Provided by Unlicensed Professional. Retrieved from https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01075672
Boyes, A. (2016) Breathing Techniques for Anxiety. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-practice/201607/breathing-techniques-anxiety
