Course Description
Post-modern theories examining and intervening with individuals and families across the life span. Narrative therapy, collaborative language systems and solution-focused therapy will be presented. Discussion of how cultural contexts influence the constructs of race, class, gender, and sexual orientation and interpersonal power.
Athena Title
Contemporary MFT
Prerequisite
Permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students are expected to have a solid understanding of the postmodern family therapy approaches that will be covered this semester. They should be able to understand the underlying premises of the approaches, how the theorists view the therapeutic process, health and pathology, the process of change, and the techniques that facilitate this process. Students are also expected to be able to compare and to contrast the differing theories. It is also expected that students use this course to think about the way they will put their theoretical orientation into practice. We will be watching your clinical videotapes and/or role playing different ways to do family therapy. Students are encouraged to also think about the ways they can structure their clinical context to improve the chances of facilitating their goals.
Topical Outline
1. Introduction to Systems Theory/Modern vs. Postmodern 2. Postmodernism/Social Constructivism Overview 3. Performance and Postmodernism 4. Narrative Family Therapy 5. Solution Focus 6. Reflecting Team 7. Supervision 8. Collaborative Language System 9. Feminist-Informed Family Therapy 10. Multicultural Family Therapy
Syllabus
Public CV