This 30-week introductory course prepares mental health professionals with the knowledge base for systemic thinking and practice in couple and family therapy. The Foundations of Family Therapy course is a precursor to more advanced training in couple and family therapy at Ackerman.

The Foundations of Family Therapy course is grounded in the Ackerman Relational Approach (ARA). The ARA is a unique integrative approach that incorporates principles and techniques from various models of couple and family therapy that are consistent with Ackerman’s values, research, and innovative practices.

In the Foundations of Family Therapy course, Trainees will learn the following:

• History of the field of family therapy, as critiqued through a postmodern lens, with an emphasis on contemporary practices.
• Development of systemic thinking, and how it informs interviewing, hypothesizing, and conducting clinical interventions.
• Interplay between the interior life of individual family members, the relational interactions of the family, and influences of the larger social context.
• Impact of social identities/locations (e.g., race, racism, gender identity, class, sexual orientation, etc.) on families and family therapy.

This course is offered in-person and online. It includes didactic presentations, discussions of reading materials, case presentations, experiential exercises as well as observation and discussion of videotaped therapy sessions conducted by experienced practitioners of couple and family therapy.

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 called our Dual Program. Learn More.