Advanced Principles of Critical Thinking and Inquiry

Course Overview

The course is divided into three units:

• Unit 1: Foundations of Critical Thinking
• Unit 2: Critical Thinking Tools
• Unit 3: Applications of Critical Thinking in Counseling

Each unit has course materials for you to study and a term paper for the assessment. There are several topics to choose from for the term paper. Ensure that you thoroughly study the materials and follow the assessment instructions for each unit.

Term Paper Submission Guidelines

All term papers should be between 1,000 to 1,200 words. You are expected to submit your term paper as a Word document (.doc or .docx).

Assessment Guidelines

While preparing the term paper, ensure that you adhere to the following guidelines:

• Use Times New Roman font, size 12 with double spacing throughout.
• Write in clear and scholarly language, and support your arguments with references from the course materials and other academic sources.
• Ensure proper formatting, including title page, introduction, main content, and conclusion.
• Use at least two additional scholarly sources beyond the provided study guides.
• Reference all sources using an appropriate academic citation style (e.g., APA, MLA).
• Submit your completed paper in .docx or .doc format through your submission portal.

Unit 1: Foundations of Critical Thinking

Course Materials

The following study guides and materials will be used in this unit:

• Introduction to Critical Thinking
• What Is Critical Thinking?
• Critical Thinking – Applications
• Critical and Creative Thinking

Term Paper

Choose ONLY ONE (1) out of the following topics:

1. The role of critical thinking in evaluating ethical dilemmas in Christian Counseling.
2. Combining critical and creative thinking to develop effective counseling strategies.
3. Managing counselor bias during counseling sessions through critical thinking.
4. The risks of relying on intuition alone without structured critical thinking in Christian Counseling.

Unit 2: Critical Thinking Tools

Course Materials

The following study guides and materials will be used in this unit:

• The Parts of Thinking
• The Standards for Thinking
• Strategic Thinking I
• Strategic Thinking II

Term Paper

Choose ONLY ONE (1) out of the following topics:

1. How the parts and standards of thinking intersect in the context of strategic thinking, and its effects on decision-making for Christian counselors.
2. The Standards for Thinking and its relationship to strategic planning and critical analysis in counseling.
3. Navigating complex client scenarios through critical thinking, ensuring decisions are not only logically sound but also ethical and practically viable.
4. Developing a Strategic Intervention Plan for a Client Facing Spiritual and Emotional Crisis, using the parts of thinking to analyze the client’s issues.

Unit 3: Applications of Critical Thinking in Counseling

Course Materials

The following study guides and materials will be used in this unit:

• Philosophical Counselling: An Introduction
• Philosophical Counselling: Foundations and Functions
• Key Concepts in Philosophical Counseling
• Prolegomena to a Critical Thinking Therapy

Term Paper

Choose ONLY ONE (1) out of the following topics:

1. A Comparative Analysis of Philosophical Counseling and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and Their Implications for Christian Counseling.
2. Integrating Philosophical Counseling and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy to Enhance the Efficacy of Counseling.
3. Strengths and Limitations of Philosophical Counseling vs. REBT in addressing clients’ value systems, existential concerns, and deeper cognitive issue.
4. Helping a Client Overcome Perfectionism Through Value Clarification (Philosophical Counseling) and Cognitive Restructuring (REBT).