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This experiential course explores the concepts underlying mindful self-compassion and their application to education. We will engage in various mindful self-compassion exercises to gain direct insight on the benefits these experiences can have on teacher well-being. From this gained insight, we will examine how mindfulness and self-compassion can be integrated into the curriculum and contribute to both children’s individual emotional well-being as well as to the creation of a positive learning community in the classrooms that we teach in.

This course will explore historical, theoretical, experiential, psycho-educational, research and clinical applications of mindfulness-based interventions and approaches. Some of the topics will include: Historical context, development of mindfulness as a psychotherapeutic intervention, overview of multiple approaches to mindfulness, key concepts, evidence-based applications in health and well-being, mindfulness in the context of systemic approaches to health, compassion- based practices and integration of mindfulness in daily living. The course will provide opportunities to experience a variety of mindfulness practices, applications and interventions.

This course provides an introduction to a variety of topics in cognitive development that are of contemporary interest. Major theories of cognitive development will be explored. We cover both classic and current experimental findings, and on how they address centuries-old debates surrounding the origin and nature of human knowledge. These topics currently include concepts and conceptual change in infants, core domains in conceptual development, the organization of action in infancy, the onset of symbolic functioning, memory development, the use of the imagination, theory formation as a model for conceptual change, and scientific reasoning.

This course examines the intersection of technology, social media and play during adolescence from a developmental and educational perspective. Topics include: social interaction, emotional development, gamification, collaboration, social media, and the role of technology in education. This course is designed to have students critically examine contemporary research to better understand the implications of technology on social emotional development, interaction, and learning in adolescence.

The aim of this course is to provide students with a basic understanding of child and adult psychopathology. In order to do this we will look at normative patterns in personality, behavior and emotions. We will treat the work in the epidemiology of childhood and adult disorders as central to our understanding of these disorders, and discuss the methodological issues involved in this type of approach that make it so useful to understanding etiology, course, treatment and prognosis. The diversity of functioning in the emotional and behavioral realm will be reviewed in order to understand issues of abnormal or pathological development. The way in which the social and cultural context interacts with genetic and constitutional aspects of the individual will also be considered. This will give us the basis for examining some of the most common disorders and understanding the dynamics of these disorders during childhood and into adulthood.

A course designed to permit the study (in a formal class setting) of a specific area of human development and applied psychology not already covered in the courses listed for the current year. The topics will be announced each spring in the Winter Session and Summer Session timetables.

This course will introduce students to basics of theory and practice of various brief assessment and intervention models used in counselling and psychotherapy with a focus on international contexts. Each class may include lectures, discussions of required readings, instructor demonstration of specific techniques, class role plays, practice of techniques with peers, as well as analysis and critique of clinical videos. Students will learn how to conduct a suicide risk assessment and will develop a solid understanding of the principles and components of crisis intervention and brief therapy strategies. Related ethical and professional practice issues will be addressed. Students will learn to compare and contrast as well as integrate these brief counselling models, and how and when to include crisis intervention in their work.

This course must be taken in conjunction with APD1203Y Practicum in Counselling. The two courses may only be taken by students enrolled in Counselling programs. All students must arrange their practica in consultation with the department's Coordinator of Internship and Counselling Services.

This course will review theories of social and emotional development, and then follow the child's social-emotional growth from birth through adolescence. Within the context of children's family and peer relationships we will consider the ways in which emotional and social experience becomes patterned, organized, and represented by the child and by others. We will examine the implications of these issues for problematic outcomes in families, daycares, and schools, and for prevention and intervention practices.

This program evaluation practicum course is designed to support students with an opportunity to work closely with faculty on a program evaluation project or an external project that 91±¬ÁÏ faculty is collaborating on. Students attend class seminars weekly where they discuss various evaluation approaches and debrief their practicum work. They are linked with a faculty member in the department or 91±¬ÁÏ and work on an evaluation project under the faculty’s supervision. Evaluation work includes attending team meetings, conducting a review of literature, participating in instrument development, data collection and analysis activities, and presenting results of their work in an end of term poster.

This course will provide the student with a better understanding of current theoretical and applied issues in reading in a second language (L2). A cognitive-developmental approach will be used to examine topics such as: the development of L2 basic reading and spelling skills, the role of L2 oral proficiency in reading, comprehension related processes, the role of background knowledge, text structure and cultural background, sources of individual and developmental differences, and reading disability. Students will be encouraged to develop their own research and/or applied questions/projects. The course will be conducted in a seminar format. A different topic will be discussed each week. Key issues pertaining to research methodology and data analysis will be addressed as needed.

Specialized study, under the direction of a staff member, focusing upon topics that are of particular interest to the student but are not included in available courses. While credit is not given for a thesis investigation proper, the study may be closely related to such a topic.

This course examines the principles and practices of feminist therapy, theories of female development and the psychology of women. Special emphasis is placed on relational theories. Specialized techniques and their application to specific and diverse groups of women will be reviewed.

An examination of the nature and consequences of child maltreatment. Theory and research in physical, sexual, and emotional abuse will be reviewed. Coverage includes recent therapeutic interventions and promising prevention initiatives. The objective of this course is to provide a knowledge base for more effective practice and inquiry.

This advanced course links scientific evidence regarding child development to one’s personal experience in childhood. This course provides students with opportunities to discuss current scientific findings regarding child development from personal perspectives, and thus to serve a forum for students to learn about scientific evidence regarding child development in a more meaningful and contextualized manner.

This course examines the connections between family systems and the educational system. Family-service connections with childcare and other services are also considered, with emphasis on early childhood. Particular attention is paid to the literature on parent-community involvement in education and related program and policy matters.

This is an introductory course intended to provide students an overview in the clinical application of evidence based practice in Family Therapy grounded in the systemic conceptual frameworks. Several family therapy models (e.g. Bowenian multi-generational Family Therapy, Milan Systemic Family Therapy, Strategic Family Therapy, Structural Family Therapy, Behavioral Family Therapy, Narrative Therapy) will be presented. The significance of family work in the clinical practice of psychology has gained substantial recognition in recent years. Family Psychology is accorded divisional status (Division 43) by the American Psychological Association (APA) and is classified as one of the clinical specialty areas by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP).

Presentation of models of group work processes, as well as of current theory applicable to group work in counselling. Students will be expected to develop a catalogue of skills and ideas useful in the school setting, and to develop communication skills essential to group work. For students enrolled in Counselling programs only.

A survey of standardized tests typically used by counsellors in schools, community colleges, and other settings. Topics included are: a review of the basic concepts in tests and measurement; criteria for evaluating educational and psychological tests; rationale underlying the development of various tests; and practice in administration of tests and interpretation of test results. Individual intelligence scales and projective techniques are beyond the scope of this course.

Quantitative and qualitative alternatives in the design and conduct of counselling research will be examined. Limitations on research from practical and ethical considerations will be addressed. Students will be introduced to library, computer, and consulting resources within 91±¬ÁÏ/UT. (Limited to Counselling Psychology for Psychology Specialists students.)

This course deals with current issues and research in particular areas of social and personality development. The focus of the course will vary from year to year and will include identity and personality formation, emotional influences on development, and moral development. As well as examining current research, we will consider the implications of this research for the contexts in which children are socialized and the developmental outcomes that result from different kinds of experience.

This course aims at preparing the counsellor for an expanded role in career guidance. It deals with all major aspects of career development. The topics covered are: social and economic context, theories of career development, the role of information, assessment of career development, career guidance programs, and recurring issues in career guidance. This course is limited to students in a U of T graduate degree program. Others by permission of instructor.

This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of emotion-focused psychotherapy. The theoretical underpinnings and historical development of emotion-focused psychotherapy will be presented along with the practical application of the approach to facilitate clients’ emotional processing in the session. Students will be introduced to different ways of working with emotion using empathic reflections, focusing, exploratory tasks, and chair-dialogues. The role of the therapeutic relationship will be emphasized and specific emotional processing tasks will be explored. Students will receive three hours of instruction once a week consisting of lectures, video presentations, demonstrations, and in-vivo exercises. Students are expected to engage in in-vivo counselling exercises with their peers during class time under the supervision of the instructor. By the second class, students will be expected to form small process learning groups within which they will have the opportunity to experiment with different roles as counsellor, client and observer to practice using emotion focused and experiential techniques.

This course will focus on the theories of career development and counselling techniques to deal with major career transitions. Topics will include mid-life career changes, career psychology of women, career planning and development in the workplace, relocation counselling, and retirement and leisure counselling. This course is limited to students in a U of T graduate degree program. Others by permission of instructor.

This course provides graduate students with an introduction to the topic of executive functions. The course enables students to better understand theoretical models of executive functions, executive function development, the associations of different domains of executive functions with social and scholastic functioning in school age children and youth, and recent findings related to the relations among executive functions, academic performance and achievement, and behaviour. In this course students will also develop an understanding of how various individual difference factors (e.g., language proficiency) as well as environmental contexts (e.g., classroom context) can impact executive function development. Finally, this course will explore diverse types of interventions designed to support students with executive function difficulties drawing on multitiered models of support.