A Short Course in Family Therapy: Translating Research Into Practice

Abstract

This article outlines a graduate-level, one-time-only family therapy course that prepares counseling trainees to be competent at entry-level family therapy in the United States. The approach outlined addresses the training concerns of programs that significantly emphasize individual-focused paradigms and that have limited time to train counseling trainees in family therapy. The pedagogical model draws from the empirically supported brief strategic family therapy model, family process research, relational psychotherapy, and integrative psychotherapy approaches. This article highlights the importance of preparing trainees to develop a strong understanding of how families function before they delve into family therapy treatment. It also highlights the ease at which empirically supported interventions can be integrated into a family therapy course. Although anecdotes and teaching evaluations indicate that the model fits well for trainees, the model needs to be tested for its long-term utility in clinical settings and it needs to be expanded to couples counseling.