Dual Program
Applications will open in the spring of 2024.
Dual Program
Applications will open in the spring of 2024.
You may enroll in both Foundations of Family Therapy and Live Clinical Supervision in the same year. These two courses taken concurrently are the Dual Program.
Stay tuned for our Annual Open House to learn more!
Foundations of Family Therapy:
This 30-week introductory course prepares mental health professionals with the foundation for more advanced training in couple and family therapy.
Family therapy has developed many effective and innovative ways to work with families, couples and individuals. The Ackerman Relational Approach (ARA) incorporates exciting new ideas and practices. In Foundations of Family Therapy, Trainees will learn the:
- History of the field of family therapy, as critiqued through a postmodern lens, with an emphasis on contemporary practice.
- Development of systemic thinking, and how it informs interviewing, hypothesizing, and clinical interventions.
- Interplay between the interior life of individual family members; the relational interactions of the family; and the influences of the larger social context.
- Importance of person of the therapist awareness in the assessment and treatment of families.
The course includes didactic presentations, discussions of reading materials, case presentations, experiential exercises as well as observation and discussion of videotaped therapy sessions conducted by experienced family therapists. Trainees learn theory and clinical concepts. They will also work on expanding their own identity development in respect to social contexts of power and privilege and integrate these elements into their current clinical work.
CE Contact Hours are not offered for this course.
Live Clinical Supervision
Using the knowledge of family systems gained from the Foundations of Family Therapy course, trainees in Live Clinical Supervision will participate on a family therapy treatment team and work with families with live supervision. In our online model, treatment teams use a virtual teletherapy platform to observe and work with family cases. In limited in-person model, treatment teams work with families in front of a one-way mirror.
Trainees will also explore their own family’s culture of origin and its effect on practice. This course includes review of live and video-recorded sessions to increase clinical skills and address relevant personal issues.
* Please note, Foundations and Live Clinical sections cannot be scheduled for the same day and time.
About Course Meetings
Ackerman courses are primarily held online. Select programs may be offered with an in-person learning model. Prospective trainees will indicate their preferred learning model at the time of application. Our standard refund policy applies.
What you Need to Apply:
- Read our Admissions Policies
- Completed Online Application Form
- Copy of Master’s Degree or transcript as proof of degree pending
- Record of Malpractice Insurance (Psychiatrists Only)
- Resume
- $100 Application Fee
- Personal Statement – Answer the Following:
- Q1: Please describe your interest (new or ongoing) in family therapy training, and why you wish to train at the Ackerman Institute for the Family?
- Q2: How do you understand the intersection of family therapy and social justice?
- Q3: How do you understand the importance of your social locations/identities in your role as a therapist?
- Q4: How do you envision your training in family therapy influencing your future work?
Personal statements may be a maximum length of two typed pages, uploaded as a single PDF or Word document.
Applications will be available in the spring of 2024 for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Dual Program Dates
60 classes, beginning September 2024.
All sections meet in Eastern Time (ET).
Foundations Sections:
Mondays | 9:30 am–12:30 pm
Mondays | 5:00 pm–8:00 pm
Live Clinical Sections:
Mondays | 1:00 pm–5:00 pm
Mondays | 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Tuesdays | 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Wednesdays | 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Thursdays | 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Dual Program Tuition
Tuition: TBA
Clinical Hours: Up to 10
Continuing education contact hours are not offered for this course.
About Tuition Fees:
The Ackerman Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on donors and earned revenue to work toward our mission. The full expense of training an Ackerman therapist is subsidized by the generosity of our donors. Your tuition fees cover only a small portion of this expense. We thank you for investing in your professional future and for supporting the Ackerman Institute for the Family.
Advertised tuition rates are for the current academic year and are subject to change annually.
View our Financial Policies.
Dual Program Eligibility
Applicants must hold a Master’s Degree in social work, marriage and family therapy, psychology, or other mental health profession. Recent graduates with pending degrees may submit transcripts as proof of completion.
A professional license is not required for this course.
Applicants are required to attend a remote, group interview with the Ackerman admissions committee.
Dual Program FAQ
Visit our Core Curriculum FAQ Page.
Read the Core Curriculum Admissions Policies