CATALOG DESCRIPTION

        An advanced clinically oriented class and lab experience in couples and family counseling.  This course will continue and advance the student's understanding of systems thinking and several currently practiced family therapy theories and techniques, while allowing the student to practice these skills in a laboratory setting.  A personal epistemology of family change will be explored, as well as developing an professional identification as a Couples and Family Counselor.

PREREQUISITES
 Couns. 420(415)

REQUIRED READING

Texts:

        Miller, S.D., Hubble, B.L., & Duncan, B.L. (1996). A Handbook of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc.
        McNamee, S., & Gergen, K.J. (Eds.). (1992). Therapy as Social Construction.  London:Sage Pub.

Articles: (suggested reading and possible handouts)

        Denton, W. (1990). A family systems analysis of  DSM-III-R.  Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 16, 113-125.
        Combrinck-Graham, L. (1989).  Family models of childhood psychopathology. In L. Combrinck-Graham (Ed.). Children in   Family Context , (pp. 67-89). New York: Guilford.
        Edwards, J.K., Heath, A.W., & Todd, T. C.  (1993). The relationship of family therapy to inpatient psychiatric care.  In M. Squire, C. Stout, & D.H. Ruben (Eds.) Current Advances in Inpatient Psychiatric Care: A Handbook. Westport, Ct: Greenwood Press.
        Hoffman, L.  (1985).  Beyond power and control: Toward a "second order" family systems therapy.  Family Systems   Medicine, 3(4), 381-396.

MODE OF INSTRUCTION
        Using the reflective team model, this class will be a seminar and lab experience where discussions of advanced theoretical and clinical issues perpertaining to couples and family counseling, and a beginning understanding of the interface between self and clients will occur.  Students will be placed into teams, and will work with  outside clients provided by other teams in the class.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course will prepare the student for an understanding of:

    1. Advanced systemic theory and thinking and practice.
    2. An in depth understanding of currently used family treatment models.
    3. A personal epistemology and style of a counseling change model.
    4. A professional relationship with the field.
    5. The writings of current major theorists.

Course work will include:
 
 1. Reading selected chapters from the texts and assigned journal articles, and being prepared to discuss them in class.
 2. Participation in role plays of family sessions as both client families and therapists/teams.
 3. Provide a live family for classmates to work with for at least 2-4 sessions.
 4. In teams, work with several families, and counsel one family as primary counselor.
 5. Prepare an assessment of the family you work with as primary counselor using the assessment device provided.
 6. Using one of several client satisfaction inventories,  students will contact one of his or her peers' clients and          assess the effectiveness of counseling.
7. Prepare a personal epistemology of your therapy change model.
8. Maintain Contact Logs of sessions in the client file.

Midterm Paper

 You are to watch a film (see list below for examples) and then describe it from a systemic perspective in a 5 page paper.
Parenthood,  On Golden Pond,  The Bird Cage, The Color Purple,  Radio Flyer,  The Bird Cage, The Joy Luck Club.

Final Examination

     You will each be required to prepare a "journal-ready" article about some subject related to family therapy and/or
systems, or prepare two publishable book reviews of books you have read on family counseling or systems other than the texts for course work in this sequence.

Grading

     Grading will be based on your participation, class presentation, and your article.  Following a true systemic model, a collegial and cooperative stance rather than a hierarchicle relationship is the aim between students and the teacher/fellow learner, as it should be in any good counseling situation.

Grades will be given as follows:

     A = Work that meets all of the requirements and
         expectations of the class, plus demonstrates
         scholarship and excellence.
     B = Work that meets all of the requirements and
         expectations of the class.
     C = Work below standards outlined above.
     F = Failure to comply with class assignments.
 

Clinical credits toward C/M & F Preparation

        Students successfully completing this course will have completed  at least 3 hours of clinical work with a couple or a family under live supervision, will have prepared 2 clinical assessments, and administered a client satisfaction inventory to demonstrate clinical effectiveness.
 



 

 1   - Introduction - Review of the field of family
    counseling.   Journals and Associations -                                                         Power Point Presentation

 2  - Bowen's Systemic Therapy -  your family of
       origin, and interface with clients.                                                                     Handout
      Bring in your own genogram.

 3  - Structural Theory                                                                                             Handout

 4  - Structural Family Therapy                                                                               Handout
      practice sessions with peers

 5  - Structural Family Therapy                                                                               McNamee, S., & Gergen, I
      practice sessions with peers

 6  - Strategic Theory                                                                                               McNamee, S., & Gergen, II
       Developing the   team                                                        

 7  - Strategic Family Therapy                                                                                 McNamee, S., & Gergen, III
      practice sessions with peers

 8  - Strategic Family Therapy                                                                                 Miller, et al. I
      practice sessions with peers
            Mid Term Due

 9  - Solution Focused Theory                                                                                  Miller, et al  II
      live- oh my gawd - family sessions

10  - Solution Focused Family
      Therapy live sessions                                                                                           Miller, et al  III
 
11  - Constructivist Theory
      live family sessions

12  - Narrative Family Therapy                                                                                 Hoffman, 1985, 1990
      live family sessions

13  - Family Therapy Consultation                                                                              Edwards, Heath, &
      and Supervision                                                                                                      Todd, 1993.
      live family sessions

14  - Personal Epistemology
      due. Final Papers due.

15 -  Final class
 


 
 

Family Surname(s) ______________________________ Date ____________

Therapists _________________________   ___________________________

Team _________________________     _______________________________

          _________________________     _______________________________
 

I.  -  THE SETTING

 A. Members of the system (family members, extended family, institutions, helpers -- include peoples ages, and               occupations).
 

 B. Who is the "customer"?  (Who is most motivated to change?)
 

 C. Who will be coming to therapy sessions?
 

 D. What is the presenting problem?
 

II. - THE PROBLEM

 A.  What is the problem to be worked on in therapy?  (The most important difficulty which brings client(s) to therapy             NOW?

 B.  Describe the behaviors that have maintained the problem.

   1. utopian, denial, paradox or more of the same wrong solution?

   2. What solutions have been tried?

   3. How have other helpers/therapists failed?

 C.  What is the minimal change in behavior which would  indicate to the client that a definite step forward would      have been made (the goal)?

     Do you have a private goal?
 

III. - THE CLIENT'S LANGUAGE

 A. How does the client explain (punctuate) the situation?

 B.  What rules/values does the client attribute to self and the world?

 C.  What words, myths, or metaphors does the client use?
 

IV. - INTERVENTIONS
 
 Using the information in the other sections, what interventions might create second-order change?

 A.  In what ways can the problem be reframed?

 B.  What therapeutic paradox could be formulated?

V. - CLIENT RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION

 A. Immediate response

 B. Observed or reported response at next session.                (disqualifications and/or behavioral change)
 
 


 

Now that you have had the opportunity to be part of the wellness clinic, would you mind giving us your feedback about the experience?  Try and make your feedback reflective of your whole family.
 

1.  We felt positive about this experience.    Yes ____  No ____

2. On a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest, rate your        feelings about this experience.

  1 not helpful    2         3           4           5 very helpful

3.  The student counselor was very helpful  Yes ____  No ____

4.  On a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest, rate your feelings about the team experience.

  1 not helpful    2         3           4           5 very helpful

5.  I would do this wellness check up again.   Yes ____  No ____

6.  Please give us your thoughts or ideas

 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Thank you very much.
 
 


 

        Please help us improve our services by answering some questions about the services you have received.  We are interested in your honest opinions, whether they are positive or negative.  Please answer all of the questions.  We also welcome your comments and suggestions. Thank you very much.  We appreciate your help.
 
 

1. How would you rate the quality of service you received at .....

                     Excellent       Good         Fair         Poor

2. Did you get the kind of service you wanted?
 

3. To what extent have our services met your needs?
 

4.  If a friend were in need of similar help, would you recommend the ....to him or her?
 

5. How satisfied are you with the amount of help you received?
 

6. Have the services you received helped thy to deal more effectively with your problems?
 

7. In an overall, general sense, how satisfied are you with the service you received at ....?
 

8. If you were to seek help again, would you come back to the ....
 
 

Attkisson, C.& Zwick, R. (1983).  the client satisfaction questionnaire: psychometric properties and correlations with service utilization and psychotherapy outcome.  Evaluation and program Planning, 5, 233-237.
 


 

                                                                        CONTACT LOG

Counselor(s)____________________________________                Client _______________________________

Entry # ________                    Date: _____/______/______                Time:_______________________________

Contact Type:  Diagnostic Interview ______            Individual Therapy________    Family Conjoint______________
                        Phone contact___________            Clincal Supervision_________

With whom:________________________________________________________________________________

Failure to keep scheduled appointment:  Yes_______

Issues worked on:___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
 

Progress toward treatment goals:________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Significant changes in symtoms/goals:_____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________