This 30-week, online, 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
• Impact of race, racism, gender identity and sexual orientation on families and family therapy

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.

Did you Know? You can accelerate your learning by enrolling in both Foundations of Family therapy and Live Clinical Supervision at the same time. This is our Dual Program. Learn More.