LPF LPC study plan

Map every section of the ACA Code of Ethics to a one-page summary sheet, noting the standards most often tested (informed consent, confidentiality and its limits, multiple relationships, boundary crossings, termination, records, supervision, technology).

Draft a decision-making model for ethical dilemmas (identify the problem, consult codes and law, consider cultural context, consult a supervisor, document, evaluate) and apply it in writing to three short vignettes you write yourself.

Distinguish the roles of the five major professional bodies (ACA, NBCC, CACREP, state licensure boards, AMHCA) by listing what each regulates, accredits, or certifies.

Build a 20-item self-quiz on informed consent, confidentiality exceptions, and mandated reporting, and score yourself to find weak spots.

Compare at least six major theories (psychoanalytic, Adlerian, person-centered, existential, CBT, solution-focused) on view of human nature, key concepts, therapeutic goals, and techniques, using a filled comparison grid.

Demonstrate the core microskills in writing (reflection of feeling, paraphrase, summarization, confrontation, immediacy) by writing counselor responses to ten client statements and labeling each skill.

Explain the stages of the counseling relationship (initial, working, termination) and list two counselor tasks and one common pitfall for each stage.

Outline how you would structure a first session, including intake content, goal setting, and informed consent.

Integrate ethics into practice by writing responses to five vignettes where a counseling technique conflicts with an ethical standard (e.g., dual relationship, gift giving, self-disclosure).

Draft a treatment-planning template (problem, goal, measurable objective, intervention, timeline) and apply it to two self-written cases.

Explain the difference between assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning in the counseling process, and where each belongs in the first sessions.

Practice conceptualizing a client from two different theoretical orientations and note how the treatment plan changes.

Define and differentiate race, ethnicity, culture, acculturation, and worldview, and explain how each shapes the counseling relationship.

Compare at least four racial/cultural identity development models (e.g., Cross, Helms, Phinney) and identify the stage-specific counseling implications.

Identify barriers to service for at least three underserved populations and propose two concrete counselor actions for each.

Assess your own cultural self-awareness by writing a reflective statement on your biases, privileges, and areas for growth.

Sequence the major developmental stages (infancy through older adulthood) with two key tasks and one common counseling concern at each stage.

Compare at least three developmental theories (Erikson, Piaget, Kohlberg, Bowlby) and note what each contributes to counseling practice.

Describe how to adapt counseling for children and adolescents, including developmental limits on verbal disclosure and the role of play and family.

Explain the impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences on development and name two counseling implications.

Compare at least three career development theories (Holland, Super, Krumboltz) and explain how each informs career counseling.

Explain how to use career assessment tools (interest inventories, values clarification) and how to interpret results without overclaiming.

Describe the stages of group development (forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning) with two leader tasks per stage.

Identify group dynamics (cohesion, roles, norms, conflict) and write leader interventions for three common group problems.

Distinguish reliability from validity, and define the types of each with a concrete example.

Explain how to select and interpret standardized tests, including norms, standard scores, and the limits of interpretation.

Describe the research designs (experimental, quasi-experimental, correlational, qualitative) and the threats to internal and external validity.

Explain how to read a research article critically (sample, design, analysis, limitations) and apply it to one article you select.

Outline the DSM-5-TR criteria for at least six high-frequency disorders (depression, anxiety, bipolar, PTSD, substance use, personality) with one counseling implication each.

Explain the difference between clinical mental health counseling and other mental health professions, and describe the roles of a clinical mental health counselor in various settings.

Integrate ethics and clinical practice by writing responses to three vignettes involving diagnosis, crisis, and referral.

Review your weakest subtopics from weeks 1–7 and write a targeted 30-minute review plan for each.