HUMS 1541 - Interpersonal Communications and Helping Relationships

Course Description

Students explore self-awareness as a foundational concept in the development of competent human service workers. The focus is on furthering self-knowledge and facilitating the development of self-reflection skills. Students will build personal awareness, self-understanding and effective interpersonal communication by examining aspects of self, such as motivations, emotions, values, attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, learning styles, personal styles, and self-concept.

Learning outcomes

• Acknowledge motivations, emotions, values, attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, learning styles, personal styles, self-concept, how we affect others and how others affect us.
• Develop personal awareness, self-understanding, and effective interpersonal communication.
• Attend to conscious use of self, and relationship building as they apply to helping relationships.
• Describe relevant concepts and major theories associated with the study of interpersonal communication.
• Apply basic communication skills (e.g., questioning, paraphrasing, summarizing) that can be used in interpersonal and helping relationships.
• Identify the key concepts related to group functioning and group roles.
• Notice and describe how social location and diversity influence their human service practices.

Course topics

• Module 1: Self-Development and Human Service Practice
• Module 2: Introduction to Interpersonal Communication
• Module 3: Interpersonal Communication and Perception
• Module 4: The Professional Skill of Listening
• Module 5: The Verbal Skills for Effective Listening
• Module 6: The Role of Nonverbal Skills for Effective Listening
• Module 7: Interpersonal Communication and Diversity
• Module 8: Interpersonal and Helping Relationships
• Module 9: Interpersonal Conflict
• Module 10: Group Work in Human Service Practice
• Module 11: The Conscious Use of Self

Required text and materials

Students are responsible for purchasing the required materials on their own.

• Beebe, S.A., Beebe, S.J., Redmond, M.V, & Salem-Wiseman, L. (2025). Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others. (9th Cdn Ed.). Pearson.
  Type: E-Textbook. ISBN: 9780137965694 / 9780137965816

Note: This item can be purchased directly from the following VitalSource link. 

Assessments

To successfully complete this course, students must achieve a passing grade of 50% or higher on the overall course, and 50% or higher on the Final Mandatory Project.

To apply this course toward the Social Service Worker Certificate, please confirm the program’s grade requirements.

Please note that for this course to apply to the completion of your Social Service Worker Certificate, you must obtain a C grade (60%), or higher, overall in the course.

Prerequisites

• Admission to the Social Service Worker Certificate program or Program Coordinator Permission

or

• Admission to the Human Service Diploma Program or Program Coordinator Permission.

Exclusions

• ECED 1340
• EDCS 1540
• HUMS 1540