The word didactic comes from the Greek “didactico,” which means teaching in action. The didactic experience is focused on the student’s professional development and exploring the self as a therapist. This includes all aspects of the student’s personhood. The attitudes, beliefs, values, identity, self-concept, private logic, and self-awareness are some of the aspects that make up who the student is as a therapist. The development of therapeutic skills and sensitivities is a continuing, lifelong challenge. The heart of the therapeutic art is best learned by experience. This learning is accelerated when the student’s personal experiences are explored with deliberate reflection and constructive feedback.

Didactic Instructors:

Jana Goodermont
Joseph Noble
Doug Pelcak
Jere Truer
Amy Wold
 

Individual Didactic Experience 

The individual didactic experience is focused on exploring oneself as a therapist with a didactic instructor. Utilizing the Adlerian lifestyle process, the students will learn about their goals, private logic, blind spots and how these may affect one’s work as a professional.

  • The student’s advisor will determine when a student should register for 528 Individual Didactic. Biographies for the didactic instructors can be found on the website.
  • Once you have determined who you would like to work with, register yourself with the instructor during registration. You can only register for 528 during registration. Once registration closes, you will need to wait to register until the next open registration.
  • Confidentiality is strictly maintained. The only report didactic instructors provide to AGS is that the student has completed 10 sessions and has therefore, passed the class.
  • If students request mentoring or supervisory experiences from their didactic instructor, these services may be provided once the student graduates.
  • If students request therapeutic services from their didactic instructor, these services may be provided one year after the student has separated from AGS unless other arrangements are made and approved by AGS.
  • Required prerequisites: 503: Introduction to the Counseling Profession and 525 and Essential Interviewing Skills.

Students have one year to complete 528. Within the year, there cannot be more than two semesters between didactic sessions. Students will need to re-register for 528 if one year has passed since they originally registered or if two semesters have lapsed since the student’s last didactic session.

** The fee for 528 is $750 (10 sessions at $75/hour). Less than 24 hour cancellation notice will be billed at $75 per hour. Excessive cancellations and/or missed appointments may result in not passing the class and having to start over. The fee for 529 Group Didactic is the cost of one credit.

Group Didactic Experience

The Group Didactic Experience provides students with an opportunity to increase their understanding and skills in the areas of interpersonal and small-group communication. While the focus is on one’s professional development, one’s personal thoughts, feelings, emotions, and values are the essential elements of this experience. The group comes together in a setting that is safe as well as challenging, a setting in which constructive feedback is encouraged. As members of this didactic group, students are expected to participate with openness, candor, and courage. Students register for the experience after they have completed 5 Individual Didactic meetings. Couples and/or family members may not participate in the same group didactic.

  • Due to the limited number of students per group didactic session, anyone wishing to withdraw from 529 must do so within 30 days of the first didactic session. Failure to withdraw 30 days prior to the first session will result in zero tuition refund.
  • Students will be provided with a variety of exercises that may include large-group, small-group, and individual work. Using their lifestyle knowledge, students will have the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of how they relate to themselves as therapists, to the group members, and how group members respond to their participation.
  • The nature of this group experience is focused on learning through participation in the group process.  Students are required to attend all meetings for 529 to receive a pass for the course. Failure to attend the entire experience will result in an NC for 529.
  • Required prerequisites: Five sessions of Individual Didactic