TERM PAPER GUIDELINES

This paper is intended to help you to integrate the material we have covered in the course and I encourage you to consult this outline frequently for details. Plan ahead so that your paper will be turned in on time. Your paper is to be submitted to turnitin.com.

Your paper will consist of several parts:
1. Describe your integrative approach to counseling
In this section you are to discuss your personal theoretical orientation to counseling. It should address such issues as:
• the key concepts of your approach
• how you view your role as a counselor
• your therapeutic goals and how you would decide upon those goals
• relationship issues
• techniques that you would employ
• how you would address issues of cultural diversity
During your readings and while watching the videos, most of you have found that you liked some theories and techniques more than others. You are to select one theory (the one that comes the closest to your beliefs) and then branch out to others. Then, pick a particular issue, topic, or population that interests you and will allow you to express you approach in addressing it. Be sure to explain why you selected that particular theory. This part of your paper, should be about 5-7 pages in length. Chapter15 & 16 include issues that you may want to address.
2. How these theories apply to you on a personal level
Identify some of the ways that the various theories can teach you something about yourself personally. What specific ways can certain aspects or concepts of the different theories contribute to your self-understanding? How do the theories you studied have application not only to working with counseling clients, but to assist you in your own personal development? Identify a few specific personal applications of at least six of the theories. This part of your paper should be about 4-5 pages in length. Give reasons for your views rather than unsupported statements. When you take a position, provide reasons for your position. It is better to cover fewer issues in greater depth rather than trying to cover more in a superficial manner.
3. Integration and Application
Your paper should emphasize the integration of perspectives and an application of them in a practical way. Rather than merely writing about a theoretical issue, you are to discuss how this issue would be reflected in a practical setting. This is also intended to have a personal and meaningful experience, so think about a particular population with whom you expect to work e.g. perhaps working with the elderly, or adolescents, or in corrections, etc.
4. Supporting material
Since you will be integrating several approaches you are to cite at least 5 primary references that support the effectiveness of those interventions. You do not have to use 5 for each of the theories you use, but a total of five sources. Textbooks and other secondary sources may be used to supplement the five primary sources.
Length: There is no specified length. It has been my experience that whenever a minimum length is specified, students tend to focus on that number of pages and write to fill the space. One of the purposes of this exercise is to help you to learn a scientific paper; one that is written clearly and concisely. Having said that, this is a third year course, and given the requirements, it is hard to imagine that it could be done in less that 12-15 pages of text (the text does not include the title page, abstract or references). The description of your approach will probably be 4-5 pages and at least 8-10 pages of your integration and application.
Format: The paper is to be written in APA style.
Expression: One of the characteristics of writing in a scientific format is the use of paraphrasing. APA formatting (and your instructor) discourage the use of quotations. The goal is to understand the material that you have read and then to summarize and express it in your own words while giving credit to the original author(s). Merely changing a few words around and still expressing the author’s point is called relexification is NOT considered paraphrasing.
Submission: Your final draft should contain a title page, abstract, and references in addition to the text.