Advanced Family Therapy

COU FX635 - Advanced Family Therapy

Credits: 3

This course is designed to strengthen students’ theoretical understanding and application of family counseling as well as highlight a framework for counselors and agencies working with families and communities. This course is designed to build upon the introduction to family therapy course (FX 510) with a focus on using family therapy models and counseling interventions with couples and families throughout the lifespan. Drawing on the theoretical concepts of Collaborative Therapy alongside various modern family therapy models, this course will help students to develop practices to ground their work, enhance professional development, and support therapeutic outcomes. The importance of diversity and difference will be addressed throughout the course, such as gender and power issues, social class, and other socio-cultural factors. Practice is provided through a variety of experiential activities such as role plays, exploration of fictional clients and case conceptualizations, as well as through looking inwards and self-reflecting through a systemic lens. Through these activities and assignments, students develop a conceptual understanding of family counseling practice, expand their repertoire of specific treatment skills and interventions, and utilize self-as-therapist to influence the therapeutic system. Prerequisite: FX510 Introduction to Family Therapy.