In-Depth Research on a Counselling Theory or Practice

• Value:40% of final grade.
• Dueby the end of Unit 5.
  Note: Although for time management purposes it is strongly recommended students submit their assignments by the end of Unit 5 in their local time zones, submissions will be accepted, without penalty, until 3:59 a.m. Atlantic Time, on the following day
• Instructions

The final paper for this course is meant to give students an opportunity to conduct more in-depth research on a topic of their choice.  Students are encouraged to select a topic (from any theory or theories studied in this course) in which they have an interest.

The research for the paper will involve consulting pertinent materials including and going beyond the required readings (peer-reviewed journal articles, books published by experts in the field, official websites). The paper should consist of approximately 2500 words, (i.e., 10 double-spaced typed pages, Times New Roman font size: 12), excluding the reference page and the title page. Please, format your assignment in Word (files with extension .doc or .docx), or Rich Text Format (files with extension .rtf).

In this course, students have three options concerning their choice of topic for the final paper.  Depending on their area of interest or the area of practice that they envisage in their professional life, students can choose a topic from one of following three options:

As the purpose of the paper is not to rehash or summarize the textbook information, students who select this kind of topic will need to narrow down the scope of their research to one particular aspect of a counselling approach. Within a specific approach to counselling, students can focus on the more philosophical and theoretical underpinnings, or on the more practical or applied aspects of that theory, such as techniques and specific interventions.  Here are some examples of possible titles that would fall under this category:

• Exploring Ego Defense Mechanisms in Psychoanalysis
• The Use of Drawings and Metaphors in Therapy: A Jungian Approach
• Applying Adlerian Principles of Lifestyle Assessment to Group Therapy
• Outcome Research on Person-Centred Counselling and Psychotherapy
• Existential Therapy and Asian Thought
• Therapeutic Principles of Psychodrama
• A Feminist Critique of Gestalt Therapy

Again, narrowing down your topic, you may consider two constructs or sets of constructs proposed by two different theories, which lend themselves to comparing and contrasting.  Here are some examples of possible titles that would fall under this category:

• Insight and Empathy: A Comparison of the Psychoanalytic and the Rogerian Approaches to Counselling
• Similarities and Differences between Psychodynamic Mechanisms of Defense and Gestalt Boundary Disturbances
• Stages of Psychological Development: A Comparison of Freud and Erikson
• Transference and Countertransference in Psychodynamic Approaches to Counselling

Students can select a recent book in the field of counselling psychology (published within the last 5 years) and write a book review that is both informative and critical.  Students who choose this option for their final paper must consult with the professor in order to make sure that the publication they would like to review is indeed related to counselling theories and their application, and thus pertinent to this course. Students can familiarize themselves with the writing style typical of book reviews by browsing through professional (peer-reviewed) academic journals in the field of counselling and psychotherapy, and by reading as many book reviews as possible.