Family Therapy Programs Research Articles

Clinical and cognitive factors associated to insight in first psychotic episodes

IntroductionInsight is a field of interest in psychosis, due to its influence on the course and prognosis of the desease and as well as adherence to treatment.ObjectivesThe present work aims to evaluate the influence of cognitive and psychopathological variables on awareness of illness in first psychotic episodes.MethodsIt is a cross-sectional study of a sample of 26 patients with diagnosis of a first psychotic episode admitted in a Brief Hospitalization Unit, who have been evaluated using the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), the Screening for Cognitive Impairment (SCIP) and the Scale of Non-awareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD).ResultsA positive correlation was found between SUMD and negative PANSS (the worse insight, the greater negative psychopathology) and between the level of cognitive performance and the awareness of having negative symptoms (affective blunting, anhedonia and associability) and their attribution to the desease.ConclusionsThis findings suggest the importance of addressing awareness of negative symptoms from the first episodes in psychoeducational family therapy and rehabilitation programs, taking into account that this process is hindered by the cognitive dysfunctions.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

The Impact of Parental Relationship Dissolution on Children’s Problem Behaviors

The current study intends to investigate the processes behind the link between parental relationship breakdown and children's issue behaviors (both internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors). Family interactions are centered upon marriage, and parental marital conflict has an impact on how children develop. A number of studies have demonstrated that marital disagreement between parents may significantly affect kids' emotional and social growth, resulting in undesirable behaviors like internalizing or externalizing tendencies. Additionally, complex mechanisms like mediation and moderation that affect how parental marital conflict affects children's development also play a role in this problem. The consequences of parental marital conflict on children's development are mostly facilitated by children's cognitive-emotional processes and family dynamics. Children's perception, attribution, and coping mechanisms, in addition to parental support, parent-child communication, and the general family environment, all work together to have an influence on this. Additionally, this effect varies based on the kid and surroundings, including gender, age, personality, life experiences, social support, etc. Future studies must simultaneously examine how parental marital conflict affects children's cognitive development, including intelligence, academic success, creativity, etc., further explore how mediating and moderating mechanisms affect children, including parenting styles, teacher support, peer acceptance, etc., and integrate multiple mechanisms to provide strong support for the formulation of intervention programs, such as family therapy, parent-child training, and other programs.

A commentary on infant mental health knowledge within the training of family therapists

AbstractThis paper considers the role of academic training programs in the integration of family therapy and infant mental health (IMH) curricula. It takes the form of a conversation between senior academic staff of the Bouverie Centre in Australia and the special issue editors. Robyn Elliott and Colleen Cousins are family therapists, trauma specialists, and academics at the Bouverie Centre, La Trobe University. Robyn supervises the development and delivery of the Master of Clinical Family Therapy, accredited by the Australian Association of Family Therapy. Colleen is a psychologist and family therapist and coordinates the Graduate Certificate of Family Therapy program. They are in dialogue here with the special issue co‐editors, Jessica Opie and Jennifer McIntosh. We consider the degree to which current family therapy training holds the infant in mind, and approaches to deepening the future training nexus between IMH and family therapy.

Social Location, Power, and Disadvantage: Experiences of MFT Faculty

ABSTRACT The intersectionality of social identities is couched with status and power relations, creating both oppression and opportunity. Intersectionality explains the unique and challenging roles faculty of color play in showcasing their different identities within the dominant discourse. Using an approach of discourse analysis, we explored six stories of experiences being COAMFTE accredited graduates of Marriage and Family Therapy programs who became professionals. Further, we explored the intersection of their professional identities (e.g. clinicians, professors, supervisors, administrators), and how these intersected with their lived experiences of their social locations, while negotiating power, privilege, and disadvantage. These stories revealed three overarching discourses: subtle, contradictory, and discriminating messages, hidden and raw emotional experiences, and the strategies of the comeback. It is our hope that this discussion informs and provides examples for others as they practice within mental health and academia while navigating these roles within their own intersections. Systemic suggestions are also provided.

Implementing the Satir Model-Focused CFT Program in Türkiye

ABSTRACT This article provides a perspective on implementing the Satir Model-Focused Couple and Family Therapy Program in Türkiye and how the first author of this article Sibel Erenel (SE), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, AAMFT approved supervisor, has tailored the program and the Institute. The program’s main features and uniqueness are explained, as well as the program’s focus on competency-based training using one major model. Furthermore, how the program aligns with international competencies is discussed. The article highlights the program’s 18 years of growth in the region and the Institute’s expertise, which adds credibility to the future implications and recommendations for new program developers. Overall, this article offers a comprehensive understanding of establishing Satir Human Development and Family Therapy Institute and how (SE) launched a competency-based, Satir Model-Focused Couple and Family Therapy Certificate Training Program in Türkiye, where couple and family therapy was in its infancy. Therefore, this article is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the practical application of Satir Transformational Systemic Therapy Training and CFT.

The Lived Experiences of Anti-Semitism Encountered by Jewish Students on University Campuses: A Phenomenological Study

<i>Campus climate informs student encounters on university campuses. Research indicates that discriminatory campus experiences impact the social, emotional, professional, and academic development of students. Although many studies discuss inequity among marginalized student groups, institutional Anti-Semitism is minimally discussed in scholarship. The current qualitative phenomenological study contributes to this literature gap by providing insight into the lived experiences of Jewish students in Counseling and Couple and Family Therapy programs who encountered Anti-Semitism at a public university. The guiding research question for this study was: What are the lived experiences of Jewish students who encounter Anti-Semitism on university campuses? Data collection involved online semi-structured interviews of participants and was followed by data analysis processes of thematic analysis and cross-case synthesis. Results indicated that being Jewish on campus includes four main challenges of (a)</i><i> experiences of disclosing, externalizing, or embodying Jewish identity, (b) experiences of Anti-Semitism, (c) exclusionary experiences within multicultural education and courses, and (d) exclusionary experiences within social justice advocacy and minority status. </i><i>Findings prompt future utilization of historical trauma informed instructional models and intergroup contact interventions within research and teaching in Counseling and Couple and Family Therapy programs.</i>

"I was simply trying to make it through the day": A collaborative autoethnography of couple/marriage and family therapy program directors in a diversity and anti-racism peer consultation group.

The COVID-19 pandemic and widely depicted incidents of racial injustice in the United States caused marked stress and shifts in society in 2020, leading to an acceleration of discussions related to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) in family-oriented mental health professions, including through training. Despite the consequential role leaders of academic programs play in overseeing didactic and clinical training, little research has examined approaches for supporting academic leaders in promoting DEIJ in family science-related academic training programs. In this collaborative autoethnography, we, six participants in a diversity and anti-racism peer consultation group for leaders of couple/marriage and family therapy (C/MFT) programs, present our experiences participating in the group over the past two years. At the start of the group, many of us were experiencing profound isolation and stress due to intensified responsibilities subsequent to the COVID-19 pandemic and broadcast depictions of racial injustice. We experienced the group as a safe, inclusive space to grow personally and professionally, which subsequently inspired us to make changes in our programs. We also recognized the need for greater infrastructure to support program directors in developing DEIJ leadership skills. Future directions for research include examining experiences and outcomes of director-initiated DEIJ change, as well examination of DEIJ-focused peer consultation groups among family systems-oriented academic leaders of diverse disciplines and nations.

Deliberate practice in systemic family therapy, ByAdrian J.Blow,Ryan B.Seedall,Debra L.Miller,Tony Rousmaniere, Alexandre Vaz: American Psychological Association.2023. $39.99 (paperback).

Journal of Marital and Family TherapyEarly View BOOK REVIEW Deliberate practice in systemic family therapy, By Adrian J. Blow, Ryan B. Seedall, Debra L. Miller, Tony Rousmaniere, Alexandre Vaz: American Psychological Association. 2023. $39.99 (paperback). Emma Clayton BS, Corresponding Author Emma Clayton BS clayte1@unlv.nevada.edu orcid.org/0009-0008-2135-682X Couple and Family Therapy Program, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Correspondence Emma Clayton, BS, Couple and Family Therapy Program, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA. Email: clayte1@unlv.nevada.eduSearch for more papers by this author Emma Clayton BS, Corresponding Author Emma Clayton BS clayte1@unlv.nevada.edu orcid.org/0009-0008-2135-682X Couple and Family Therapy Program, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Correspondence Emma Clayton, BS, Couple and Family Therapy Program, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA. Email: clayte1@unlv.nevada.eduSearch for more papers by this author First published: 24 March 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12638Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Early ViewOnline Version of Record before inclusion in an issue RelatedInformation

The effect of intervention of the developed attachment-based family therapy program in improving the relationship of depressed and anxious adolescents with their parents

The effect of intervention of the developed attachment-based family therapy program in improving the relationship of depressed and anxious adolescents with their parents

A comparison of classroom-based and online multicultural training course within a marriage and family therapy training program.

This study contributes to an emerging area of research on online learning within marriage and family therapy training programs while responding to the need for research on the effectiveness of multicultural training marriage and family therapists receive. Using 32 students in a marriage and family therapy program and a pretest-posttest design, this study focused on student outcomes across a classroom-based multicultural training course and an online section of the same course. Support was found for the effectiveness of each instructional modality in delivering multicultural training. Findings also indicated that student gains did not significantly differ across students in the two course sections. This is the first study to provide evidence that online learning does not compromise the effectiveness of multicultural training for marriage and family therapists and adds evidence to the claim that the multicultural training marriage and family therapists receive is effective in achieving its aims.

Heart and mind of hypnotherapy: Inviting connection, inventing changeFlemons, D. (2022). W.W. Norton. ISBN‐10:039371439X, 266 pp., $35.

Journal of Marital and Family TherapyVolume 49, Issue 2 p. 519-520 BOOK REVIEW Heart and mind of hypnotherapy: Inviting connection, inventing change Flemons, D. (2022). W.W. Norton. ISBN-10:039371439X, 266 pp., $35. Martha Laughlin PhD, LMFT, Corresponding Author Martha Laughlin PhD, LMFT [email protected] orcid.org/0000-0003-0039-863X Family Therapy Program, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia, USA Correspondence Martha Laughlin, PhD, LMFT, Family Therapy Program, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA, USA. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author Martha Laughlin PhD, LMFT, Corresponding Author Martha Laughlin PhD, LMFT [email protected] orcid.org/0000-0003-0039-863X Family Therapy Program, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia, USA Correspondence Martha Laughlin, PhD, LMFT, Family Therapy Program, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA, USA. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author First published: 21 September 2022 https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12612Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. Volume49, Issue2April 2023Pages 519-520 RelatedInformation

“We Don’t Ever Give Up, We Just Find a Different Way In”: An Interview with Dr. Katherine Hertlein, Ph.D. on Feminism and Women in Academia

ABSTRACT Katherine Hertlein, Ph.D. has been actively working in the field of Marriage and Family Therapy for over 20 years. She currently serves as a professor in the Couple and Family Therapy Program at the University of Nevada Las Vegas where she also served as program director from 2012 to 2018. She has been widely published and currently serves as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy. Her research addresses the effects of technology on couples and families as well as sexual health in couples. This interview explores the early foundations of Dr. Hertlein’s work and development as a feminist scholar. She reflected on her early experiences in the field of family therapy and her hopes for the future of academia in terms of feminism, equity, parity, and advocacy.

Magnitude of medicolegal issues among people who inject drugs in New Delhi: A cross-sectional study

Besides posing a significant health burden, people who inject drugs (PWID) are also implicated in violence, acquisitive crimes, accidents, and suicides. This cross-sectional, observational study was conducted from November 2016 to March 2018 at a tertiary care centre of New Delhi.The data on medicolegal issues and their characteristics were collected through an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire from PWID receiving opioid substitution therapy (OST), and statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and chi-square test. Out of 100 male PWID, nearly half of PWID (n=48, 48%) were involved in criminal activities. Among the population of PWID with criminal activities, acquisitive crimes were the most common (n=37, 37%) type of crime committed. About 29 (29%) PWID revealed suicidal ideations, 12 (12%) attempted suicides, and about one in five (n=21, 21%) PWID had nonsuicidal self-injuries (NSSI) in the preceding year. A statistically significant association was observed between the history of injecting drug use in the preceding three months with the criminal activities of the user (%2=3.853; p=.050). Acquisitive crimes were significantly associated with homelessness (x2=5.884; p=.015). The evidence from the present study suggests that acquisitive crimes, suicidal ideations, and self-harm are highly prevalent among PWID. Efforts should be focused on strict adherence to OST with effective psychiatric counselling, family therapy, and social assistance programs to mitigate PWID's medicolegal issues at large.

Using systemic interventions to reduce intimate partner violence or child maltreatment: A systematic review of publications between 2010 and 2019.

This systematic review seeks to understand the effectiveness of systemic interventions to reduce Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) or child maltreatment published between January 2010 and December 2019. We found nine studies reviewing systemic interventions for IPV and 12studies reviewing systemic interventions for child maltreatment. In our discussion, we added relevant articles published before 2010 to determine the overall state of the evidence for these interventions. We determined that parent training programs with in vivo coaching components for child maltreatment meet the criteria for well-established interventions. Relationship education approaches are probably efficacious. Parent education and family therapy programs to reduce child maltreatment, and cognitive behavioral couples treatment to reduce IPV are possibly efficacious interventions. Programs based on "naturalistic" couples therapy for IPV are experimental interventions. This review also highlights limitations in this research in addressing the needs of marginalized couples and families.

Couple and Family Therapy Students’ Experience of Transitioning to Teletherapy and Telesupervision in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of students enrolled in COAMFTE-accredited Couple and Family Therapy programs who transitioned to telehealth and telesupervision during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using Likert scales and free response prompts, 77 graduate students provided insight into how their academic programs and external internships prepared them for the transition. Results indicated webinars, articles, and additional supervision were the most frequently used training methods. Many participants reported feeling supported by their academic program and external internship supervisors, particularly through well-being check-ins, candid and open discussion, and increased availability of supervisors. A smaller proportion of participants experienced a lack of communication from leadership, leading to feelings of disorganization and isolation. These results highlight specific ways supervisors and instructors can support students in times of transition and crisis. Recommendations regarding communication with students and engagement of interns for academic programs and external internship sites are provided.

Teletherapy in Training: A Trying and Transformative Experience

Recent changes in federal and state laws, largely brought on because of the novel coronavirus, have underscored the need for revolutionizing the clinical training experience for Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) programs and their implementation of telehealth services. This article addresses the current telehealth training in MFT programs, featuring the process of teletherapy training at Nova Southeastern University's (NSU) Department of Family, including adaptation to current policies and procedures. This study utilized semistructured interviews with eight graduate- and post-graduate–level MFT students at NSU who received telehealth training prior to participating in a teletherapy-based clinical practicum at NSU's Brief Therapy Institute. The emergent themes from the analysis included crisis management, flexibility, and self-care. Lastly, we discuss the implications and limitations of our study and suggest areas of future research. The information provides knowledge on necessary training topics and expands the literature on teletherapy.

Recruiting and training multilingual family therapists: A content analysis of COAMFTE-accredited marriage and family therapy program websites.

Among U. S. Limited English Proficiency (LEP) communities, language needs and preferences create significant barriers to accessing quality healthcare and contribute to growing physical and mental health disparities. To mitigate these barriers, it is critical to recruit and train a new generation of linguistically diverse providers, including marriage and family therapists (MFTs). This study examined how Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) program website content promotes a commitment to recruiting and training multilingual MFTs. The study sample consisted of all currently accredited programs (N=122) and included coding for the presence or absence of (a) an explicit commitment to multiculturally and linguistically informed training, (b) specialized multilingual training and supports, and (c) multilingual faculty involved in training multilingual students or engaged in related scholarship. Results indicate that a majority of MFT programs are communicating a commitment to multiculturally informed training, but the same is not true of linguistically responsive training.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Family Therapy Program Based on Attachment and Emotion on Anxiety Disorder and Behavior of Gifted Adolescents

PurposeThe aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of family therapy program based on attachment and emotion on anxiety disorder and behavior of gifted adolescents.MethodologyThe research method was quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest design with two experimental groups. From the statistical population of students studying in gifted schools in Tehran, 40 people were randomly selected and randomly assigned to two groups. The research questionnaire included Achenbach (1994) internalization problems. Family therapies based on attachment and emotion was applied for ten sessions of the research groups. Research data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance and SPSS software.FindingsThe results of repeated measures analysis of variance showed that the post-test scores of anxiety disorder and behavior in the attachment-based family therapy group were significantly lower than the emotion-based family therapy group (P10.001). Couple comparison also showed that the effect of attachment-based family therapy program on anxiety disorder and behavior is stable (p <0.01).ConclusionThe results showed that the effect of attachment-based family therapy was significantly greater than emotion-based family therapy. In addition, attachment-based family therapy has a significant and lasting effect on reducing the behavioral disorders of gifted adolescents. Therefore, in order to improve the mental state and especially the anxiety disorder and behavior of gifted adolescents, an attachment-based family therapy program can be used

Relational teletherapy experiences of couple and family therapy trainees: "Reading the room," exhaustion, and the comforts of home.

Couple and family therapists are increasingly using telehealth platforms to deliver services. Unfortunately, the literature on relational teletherapy is not well developed. This study sought to understand experiences of teletherapy with couples and families as it contrasts with individual clients and in-person therapy. We utilized a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to qualitative inquiry from data collected through open-ended questions on a web-based survey of graduate student trainees (n=66) in COAMFTE-accredited couple and family therapy programs. Thematic analysis identified the body-of-the-therapist and client as they exist (and are obstructed) due to technology for creating barriers and opportunities in translating CFT intervention to telehealth platforms. Relational teletherapy cultivated therapist creativity and exhaustion. It also made plain the need for systemic interventions with children and adolescents that engages their parents and home environments. Implications for CFT practice, training, and intervention research are outlined.

A Need of Further Training for Marriage and Family Therapy Students’ on Food Addiction and Related Eating Disorders

The purpose of this study was to explore Marriage and Family Therapy students’ perspectives regarding food addiction and associated eating disorders, as a clinical treatment issue. In a standard addictions course housed in a Marriage and Family Therapy program approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), 20 students completed a qualitative survey where they reflected on the topic of food addiction, Binge Eating Disorder, and Bulimia Nervosa, within the context of individual, couple, and family relationships. In the study four major themes emerged, which included (1) Defining Food Addiction, (2) Perceptions of Eating Disorders, (3) Conceptualizing Systemic Treatment, and (4) Experiences in clinical training. Clinical implications, recommendations for MFT education, clinical practice, and future research are discussed. Findings suggest that while MFT students in the study were well versed in conceptualized systemic treatment, it was of a general treatment and understanding using MFT theory, and not in relation to or specifically concerning food addictions and their connection or distinction from Binge Eating Disorder and/or other eating disorders found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, potentially impacting the level of skillfully and appropriately working with clients.