PP 8050

Family & Couples Therapy

Spring 2009

INSTRUCTOR:

Justin McPheters

PHONE:

773-577-7439

EMAIL:


FAX:

ALT PHONE:

773-363-9009

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Guerin, P.J., Fogarty, T.F., Fay, L.F & Kautto, J.G. (1996). Working with Relationship Triangles: The one-two-three of psychotherapy. New York: Guilford Press. ISBN: 1-57230-143-0.

Johnson, S.M., et al. (2005). Becoming an emotionally focused couple therapist: The workbook. New York: CRC Press. ISBN: 0415947472

McGoldrick, M., & Hardy, K. V. (2008). Re-visioning family therapy. New York: Guilford Press. ISBN: 1593854277.

Minuchin, S. & Fishman, H. C. (1981). Family therapy techniques. Cambridge, MA: HarvardUniversity Press. ISBN: 0674294106.

This Course Requires the Purchase of a Course Packet: YES NO

PP 8050– Family & Couples Therapy

The AmericanSchool of Professional Psychology at ArgosyUniversity, Chicago Campus

Spring 2008

Tuesdays, 9:15 AM – 12:00 PM, Rm. TBA

Faculty: Justin K. McPheters, Ph.D., LMFT

E-mail:

Office Phone: 773-577-7439

Office Hours: by appointment

Dr. Justin McPheters is a licensed marriage and family therapist with a PhD in marriage and family therapy from Syracuse University. Justin is a former doctoral fellow in Families, Illness, and Collaborative Healthcare with the Chicago Center for Family Health and has experience working with couples, families, and individuals dealing with illness. Other areas of interest and experience include: pre-marital therapy, couples therapy, gender roles in marriage, intimacy in relationships, family of origin issues, men's issues, parenting concerns, and cultural differences in couples and families. Justin is married with three young daughters and resides in Hyde Park, where he also has a private practice.

Course Description

Theory and skill training in the assessment and treatment of couples and families are emphasized. Theories considered may include several family systems models (e.g., EFT, Structural, Bowen).

Course Prerequisites:None.

Course length: 15 Weeks

Contact Hours: 45 Hours

Credit Value: 3.0

Program Outcomes for the Doctoral and Master’s Programs in Clinical Psychology

The Doctoral program in Clinical Psychology at Argosy University Chicago Campus is an APA accredited program (APA, 750 First St. NE, Washington, DC20002, 202-336-5500). This program is designed to educate and train students so that they may eventually be able to function effectively as clinical psychologists. To ensure that students are prepared adequately, the curriculum provides for the meaningful integration of theory, training and practice. The Clinical Psychology program at Argosy University Chicago Campus emphasizes the development of attitudes, knowledge, and skills essential in the formation of professional psychologists who are committed to the ethical provision of quality services. Specific objectives of the program include the following:

  • Goal 1: Prepare professional psychologists to accurately, effectively, and ethically select, administer, score, interpret, and communicate findings of appropriate assessment methods informed by accepted psychometric standards and sensitive to the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.
  • Objective 1a: Accurately and ethically administer and score various psychodiagnostic instruments.
  • Objective 1b: Accurately interpret and synthesize assessment data in the context of diversity factors, referral questions, and specific objectives of the assessment, and organize and communicate results in writing and orally.
  • Objective 1c: Examine psychometric properties of psychological assessment instruments, and use that knowledge to evaluate, select, administer, and interpret psychological tests and measures appropriate for the client, the referral question, and the objectives of the assessment.
  • Goal 2: Prepare professional psychologists to select, implement, and evaluate psychological interventions consistent with current ethical, evidence-based, and professional standards, within a theoretical framework, and with sensitivity to the interpersonal processes of the therapeutic relationship and the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.
  • Objective 2a: Synthesize the foundations of clinical psychology, including psychopathology, human development, diagnosis, diversity, ethics, and various therapeutic models in clinical applications.
  • Objective 2b: Select, plan, and implement ethical and evidence-based interventions with sensitivity to the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.
  • Objective 2c: Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes to effectively implement and participate in psychological consultation and supervision.
    Objective 2d: Demonstrate personal development and self-reflective capacity, including growth of interpersonal skills, and therapeutic relationships.
  • Goal 3: Prepare professional psychologists to analyze the complexity and multidimensionality of human diversity, and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to understand diverse worldviews and the potential meaning of social, cultural, and individual differences for professional psychological services.
  • Goal 4: Prepare professional psychologists to examine the historical context and the current body of knowledge of biological, cognitive, affective, developmental, and social bases of human functioning.
  • Goal 5: Prepare professional psychologists to critically evaluate the current and evolving body of scholarly literature in psychology to inform professional practice.

The Master’s Program in Clinical Psychology has been designed to educate and train students to enter a professional career as MA level practitioners.ArgosyUniversity, Chicago Campus provides students an educational program with all the necessary theoretical and clinical elements that will allow them to be effective members of a mental health team. The program introduces students to basic clinical skills that integrate individual and group theoretical foundations of applied psychology into appropriate client interactions and intervention skills

In addition, the Program offers excellent preparation for those considering application to the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology.

Course Objectives

1. Students will be able to conceptualize human health problems and resolutions from a systemic perspective. (Therapeutic Interventions)

2. Students will demonstrate both theoretical and clinical knowledge of 3 schools of family therapy. They will be able to relate them to the family life cycle in diverse ethnicity, religious, social class, disability, and sexual orientation. (Therapeutic Interventions, Diversity)

3. The students will demonstrate clinical and assessment skills working with families in a clinical setting. (Therapeutic Interventions, Relationships)

  1. Students will be able to identify the interface between family of origin issues and client family issues. (Therapeutic Interventions, Diversity)

Required Readings

Books:

Guerin, P.J., Fogarty, T.F., Fay, L.F & Kautto, J.G. (1996). Working with Relationship Triangles: The one-two-three of psychotherapy. New York: Guilford Press. ISBN: 1-57230-143-0.

Johnson, S.M., et al. (2005). Becoming an emotionally focused couple therapist: The workbook. New York: CRC Press. ISBN: 0415947472

McGoldrick, M., & Hardy, K. V. (2008). Re-visioning family therapy. New York: Guilford Press. ISBN: 1593854277.

Minuchin, S. & Fishman, H. C. (1981). Family therapy techniques. Cambridge, MA: HarvardUniversity Press. ISBN: 0674294106.

Readings to be distributed:

Bowen, M. (1985). Family Therapy in Clinical Practice. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN: 1-56821-011-6 – selected chapters.

Charles, R. (2001). Is There Any Empirical Support for Bowen’s Concepts of Differentiation of Self, Triangulation, and Fusion? The American Journal of Family Therapy, 29, 279-292.

Hall, M. (1981). The Eight Processes. In: The Bowen Family Theory and Its Uses. New York: Aronson.

McGoldrick, M. & Gerson, R. (1986). Genograms in Family Assessment (selected chapters). New York: W. W. Norton & Co.

Nichols, M.P. & Schwartz, R.C. (2006). The Fundamental Concepts of Family Therapy. In: Family Therapy: Concepts and Methods (7th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Satir, V. (2000). The Therapist Story. In: The Use of Self in Therapy (2nd ed). New York: Haworth Press.

Other readings may be distributed throughout the course of the semester.

General Goals and Expectations

My goals and expectations for you:

My goal for all of you taking this course is for you to, at the end of this course, acquire skill and knowledge in the area of family and couples therapy, know what it means to “think systemically,” and have an understanding of the breadth of theories and approaches that fall under the umbrella of family and couples therapy. This course will not and cannot be an exhaustive review of the entire field of family and couples therapy, but it will give you a good beginning sense of the range, content, and methodology of this area of practice.

To best achieve these goals I expect that you will come to class prepared to critique and analyze the class material and readings. I would like you to consider the possibility that no assumption is beyond question, that no theory should escape critical scrutiny. I think that you will find that as we view the course material with a critical eye, it will be fun, intellectually fulfilling, and beneficial to your training as clinicians. While there will be times during the courses where I will lecture on the material to provide you with background, this is, first and foremost, a graduate seminar. As such, I encourage and expect active engagement during class. The experiential nature of the class and the role-plays will require you to be an active participant (even when you are just observing the role plays of others) to fulfill the course requirements. Given the length of time for each class session, we will never have a class where you will just be sitting and listening to me talk for the entire time.

Finally, I expect for each of you to make an effort throughout the course to make your needs, concerns, and any other feedback that you might have known to me. This course, like many things in life, is a work in progress, and I am open to your thoughts and suggestions about what is and is not working for you and your learning. Most importantly, I need to know if you have special needs or circumstances that are impacting your performance or completion of work for the course. I am willing to be flexible and accommodating of special circumstances, but can only reasonably do so if you keep me informed about what it is that you need.

What you can expect of me:

I am committed to making this course not only educational and a good training experience, but a fun and positive experience as well. To that end, just as I expect for each of you to make efforts over the course of the semester to communicate your needs and concerns to me. In addition to the time that we spend together in class, I do my best to make myself available to you for help and consultation outside of class time.

Besides my availability and interest in getting to know each of you, you can expect that I am interested in your feedback and input about the course, and I am open to comments, both positive and negative, about how your experience is going. I cannot guarantee that I will be able to resolve every complaint in the way that you might hope, but I can guarantee that I will listen to your concerns and make every effort to find a satisfactory resolution.

Course Requirements and Assignments

Please note: A syllabus is a work in progress and is subject to revisions and changes. However, any changes that I make will not be arbitrary or a surprise to you, but rather will be discussed and explained.

1. / Attendance/class participation – Regular attendance and class participation is expected of everyone in the class. You should come to class prepared to discuss the assigned readings in a thoughtful manner. You will notice that participation comprises a significant portion of your course grade. This is because your active participation in discussions and activities (especially role-plays; see #2 below) will help you to get the most out of this class. You will be evaluated on the quality of your class participation AND your capacity and willingness to try different interventions linked to the theory in the role plays.
I do also expect everyone to actively participate to the best of their ability. For those of you who know that you are uncomfortable with talking in class, please make a point of making some time to come and meet with me so we can work together on ways for you to become more involved in our group discussions. I do consider active listening to be a component of participation as well, so even when you are not actively talking in class, you are expected to be actively engaged in listening to the comments and thoughts of others.
Due to the experiential nature of this class absences will lower your grade.Please contact me in advance if you must miss a class.Absences require you to submit a 2-page reaction paper the following week on the content of the missed class session (based on the readings).More than two absences for any reason will jeopardize your ability to pass the course.
(Assesses course objectives 2 & 3.)
2. /

Role Play & written reflections – “Doing Family Therapy” – Each student is required to “be the therapist” in class role-plays on two occasions. Over the first couple of classes, we will work as a group to design a “family” that will be the basis of the role plays for the length of the course. You will be divided into three groups of 4-5 students. We will have role plays nine times over the course of the semester (each time using our “family”), so each group will go 3 times; you will serve as therapist on two of those three occasions for a 15-minute stretch, and will also play the part of family members on other occasions. The ten or so students who are not role-playing during a particular class will serve as the “observing team,” assigned to give feedback and suggestions to the therapists “in vivo”. (This is a traditional supervision model in family therapy training.). Role plays will typically happen during the second part of class (usually for the last hour or so).

In designing the families during the first few classes, you and your group will develop a family history and presenting problem (the rest will be improv!). In these role plays we will practice systemic interventions and conceptualization of theories addressed in class and in the readings. The instructor and your fellow students will serve as the “observing team” and will provide consultation throughout the role play time.

You will need to audiotape or videotape all your practice work during the time when you are serving as therapist and review your tapes. Based on your review, you will provide a brief synopsis of your strengths and growth areas in working with your family, as well as how you are able to stay congruent with your theory (approximately 2 pages); the theory that you use during a particular role play will be linked to the calendar of the course (so, for example, the first role plays will use Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy). See addendum #1 for the format of this assignment. You will submit these reflections for each role play where you serve as a therapist (two times during the semester), and they will be due one week after the class in which you serve as the therapist in the role play.
While I recognize that role playing in front of the entire class, particularly being “on the spot” as the therapist may be anxiety-provoking, I encourage you to remain open to this sort of experiential learning and also to remember that the goal in these role plays is not to judge your skill as a therapist (after all, this will all be new to you!), but rather to facilitate your clinical development and provide you with opportunities to put into practice the theory we will be discussing, as well as to have the experience of consulting with others as you watch them practice this unique form of clinical work.
(Assesses course objectives 1, 2, 3 & 4.)
GROUP #1 ROLE PLAYS ON 2/3, 3/10, AND 3/24.
GROUP #2 ROLE PLAYS ON 2/10, 2/24, AND 3/31.
GROUP #3 ROLE PLAYS ON 2/17, 3/3, AND 3/17.
ROLE PLAY REFLECTIONS DUE ONE WEEK FROM DATE OF ROLE PLAY.
3. / Family Genogram and Reflection Paper – Complete an accurate genogram of your family. Include at these 3 generations (i.e., you, your parents, your grandparents).
Please identify the following on your genogram:
  • Names, dates of marriage/births/deaths/separations/divorces (month & year) cultural/ethnic/religious affiliations for all significant family members.
  • Other information like immigration, occupation, education, city/state of residence, illnesses, substance abuse, mental health. Add descriptive information that clarifies relationships as needed (e.g., drug use, in jail, etc.). Use a couple of descriptive adjectives for key family members (e.g., smart, cynical). You may create a “legend’ if additional explanation is warranted.
  • Show schematically the nature of key relationships (e.g., closeness, distance, conflicts).
  • Previous students have found that having interviews/conversations with family members around these areas provide new insight. I encourage you to contact siblings, parents, uncles/aunts, grandparents for corroborating information. Even responses to such requests can be very informative.
  • You may use a sheet of paper larger than 8.5” x 11” – most likely you will have to (posterboard is often helpful). The use of different colors for relational lines, etc. may enhance the presentation of the information. Please do not use pencil (smears too easily).
Additionally, you will be required to submit a paper of 6-8 double-spaced pages (APA style) describing the structure and culture of your family-of-origin from a Bowenian perspective. The paper should illustrate at least two of Bowen’s 8 intergenerational principles as applied to your family. The goal of the paper is to demonstrate an understanding of Bowenian theory of how family relationship patterns exist across generations. The paper should include a self-critique and identify “interface issues” from your family intergenerational history that you might have as a therapist working with families and couples. Issues related to gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, as well as specific types of presenting problems that interface with your family of origin should be addressed. In your paper, be especially sure to address patterns that stand out to you, and family strength and resilience (as well as problematic areas). Also, be sure to discuss what you learned/gained from the assignment. Remember that you are submitting a genogram as well, so you do not need to spend too much space discussing information already included on the genogram. We will discuss more specifics, i.e., the “how to” of genograms, in class.
References for this assignment available in the library:
  • McGoldrick & Gerson (1985). Genograms in family assessment.
  • Carter & McGoldrick (1999). The changing family life cycle.
  • Hall (1991). The Bowen family theory and its uses.
** This assignment is intended for both academic mastery of one form of family assessment and self-reflection. Please disclose only information that you feel comfortable sharing.
DUE 3/10.
See addendum #2 for grading criteria for this assignment.
(Assesses course objectives 1, 2 & 4).
4. / Group presentation – Groups of 3-4 will provide a multi-media, multi-method presentation (i.e., make use of film clips, PowerPoint, role plays, etc.). Each group will focus on important issues and topics pertinent to Family and Couples therapy. You will form your groups on the first day of class and have some opportunity to begin considering topic possibilities. Possible presentation topics might include (but are not limited to): sexuality, affairs, family violence, divorce/remarriage, and problems of school-age children. Presentation groups will be asked to provide a seminal article/chapter for the class to review the week prior to the presentation. Presentations should include handouts for the class (a summary of key points for people to “take away” with them, as well as references on the topic – this is in addition to the article/reading that you will distribute beforehand), and should be about 50-60 minutes in length.
Presentations should consider the topic from a cross-cultural perspective using a broad definition of culture that includes (but is not limited to) such factors as race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. In addressing this requirement, a source like the Re-visioning Family Therapy text, or other references that specifically reference issues of diversity, should be used in preparing the presentation.
To earn presentation points you must fulfill the following criteria:
• Take an active role in planning and presenting the activity.
• Design a presentation that is interactive. Try to avoid exclusively lecturing (providing some background is fine but talking “at” the class should not be the majority of the presentation); get the class involved! Be creative in coming up with ways to present your topic in an interesting and informative format. Ultimately, your presentation should be both substantive in terms of content (and include diversity issues), and creative in terms of format.
• The presentation should take about 50-60 minutes of class time,
• Be well-prepared and organized.
• Prepare an informative handout for the class that can serve as a useful resource and that is a “digest” of the critical elements of your presentation.
Your grade for the group presentation will be comprised of two components – an individual component which reflects your specific contribution to the group, and a group component, which is an overall group grade based on the overall presentation, where every member of the group gets the same grade.
I am available to groups to meet before their presentations to discuss their plans and ideas, and you are welcome to make use of me as a resource in designing your presentation,
GROUP PRESENTATION TOPIC DUE 2/24.
PRESENTATIONS IN CLASS ON 4/7 & 4/14.
See addendum #3 for presentation tips and addendum #4 for grading criteria.
(Assesses course objective 2).
5. / Take-home case conceptualization final & multi-theory case conference – On the final day of class, we will have a “multi-theory case conference.” This is an opportunity to engage in a similar type of task to what you will have to do for comps, as well as what you will need to do in your clinical work with families.
The week before the case conference (4/14), you will be presented with a case example, and will be assigned to use one of the theories presented in class (structural, Bowenian, EFT) to write a case conceptualization and treatment plan. You will have the ensuing week to work on your case conceptualization & treatment plan which needs to be brought to class, formatted and typed, on the final day (4/21). The following are the sections that need to be included: presenting problem and history of family interactions, family functioning, statement of problem from your theoretical position, critique of theory (i.e., where it falls short), how it addresses issues of diversity, goals of treatment, initial session, interventions/phases of treatment, and termination.
You will receive a grade for your case conceptualization. See addendum #5 for grading criteria for this assignment.
During our last class, with your written individual conceptualization, you will meet with the others who have been assigned the same theory, combine/integrate your ideas, and engage in a discussion/debate with groups assigned to the other theoretical perspectives.
CASE EXAMPLE DISTRIBUTED ON 4/14.
CASE CONCEPTUALIZATION DUE & MULTI-THEORY CASE CONFERENCE ON 4/21.
See addendum #5 for grading criteria.
(Assesses course objectives 1 & 2).

Grading