Marriage And Family Therapy Training Research Articles

Faith Integration in Marriage and Family Therapy Education: A Delphi Study of the Learning Experiences of Students Enrolled in Christian Faith-Based MFT Graduate Programs

This study explored how students in Christian faith-based marriage and family therapy (MFT) graduate training programs are taught and learn to integrate their faith with the discipline of MFT. A Delphi method was utilized to develop consensus among a panel of students enrolled in faith-based MFT training programs regarding what teaching methods and subject matter are most useful to MFT students’ integrative education. The results of this study indicated several helpful means by which to educate MFT students in matters of faith integration and also highlighted various ways in which students learn to connect their Christian beliefs and practices to the profession of family therapy. In tandem with these results, a number of recommendations for teaching integration to students enrolled in Christian faith-based MFT graduate programs are also discussed.

A 20-Year Review of Common Factors Research in Marriage and Family Therapy: A Mixed Methods Content Analysis.

Introduced by Sprenkle, Blow & Dickey (1999), common factors in marriage and family therapy (MFT) have been discussed over the past two decades. Although the MFT common factors literature has grown, there are misconceptions and disagreements about their role in theory, practice, research, and training. This content analysis examined the contributions of the common factors paradigm to MFT theory, practice, research, and training over the past 20years. We identified 37 scholarly works including peer-reviewed journal articles, books, and chapters. Using mixed methods content analysis, we analyze and synthesize the contributions of this literature in terms of theoretical development about therapeutic effectiveness in MFT, MFT training, research, and practice. We provide commentary on the substantive contributions that the common factors paradigm has made to these areas, and we discuss the implications and limitations of the common factors literature, and provide recommendations for moving common factors research forward.

The development of marriage and family therapy in East Asia (China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong): past, present and future

The discipline of marriage and family therapy (MFT) has been established around the world. Inspired by theories and models developed in Western countries, professionals in East Asian countries over the last two decades have been dedicated to introducing the concepts of MFT to local mental health professionals. This paper presents an overview of the cultural background of East Asian cultures, a summary of MFT development in East Asia, and a discussion of key challenges to advancing MFT in East Asia. We provide recommendations to overcome these obstacles, including bridging the gap between MFTs in the West and East Asia, developing country‐specific MFT development plans, establishing accreditation and licensing regulation, increasing the public awareness of MFT, increasing collaboration among training institutes and the number of qualified MFT trainers and training locations, and developing culturally attuned MFT training and practices.Practitioner points Direct application of Western approaches to the East Asian context can be detrimental if therapists do not carefully examine the cultural differences and adapt accordingly A critical step in developing MFT in East Asia is to develop country/region‐specific plans including the recognition of the history, values, and distinctive features of Asian families

Marriage and Family Therapy Students’ Experience with Common Factors Training

With the increased empirical and theoretical support for common factors in the psychotherapy literature, marriage and family therapy (MFT) scholars have begun discussing the inclusion of common factors in MFT training. However, there is very little empirical research on common factors training or how to include common factors in MFT curricula. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate MFT students' experience with common factors training. Seventeen master's degree students who received training in common factors participated in the study. Data was comprised of participants' journal reflections and focus group interviews on their experience learning about common factors and how this influenced their work with clients. Participants' responses to the training were overwhelmingly positive and highlighted the ways in which studying common factors enhanced their confidence, understanding of MFT models, conceptual abilities, and clinical practice. Additional results and discussion about incorporating common factors in MFT training are presented.

Integrating Gatekeeping Practices into Core Competencies in MFT Training: Development of the Core Competency-Based Assessment Measure

Gatekeeping is an important topic in human-service professions. Faculty members in couple and family therapy programs are responsible for regulating student acceptance into marriage and family therapy (MFT) training, and student graduation from these training programs; thus, regulating entry into the profession. Core competencies in MFT were developed to describe the competencies of MFTs (Nelson et al., Journal of Marital and Family Therapy 33(4):417–438, 2007). The core competencies detail skills that MFTs must master within about 2 years post-master’s degree. We propose that core competencies are useful ways to assess student progress, and therefore, useful gatekeeping tools. In this paper, we present a student assessment measure called the Core Competency Based Student Assessment, which may be useful to faculty members as they take on a gatekeeping role.

Common Factors' Role in Accredited MFT Training Programs.

Common factors proponents discuss the benefits and methods of including common factors in marriage and family therapy (MFT) training; yet there are no empirical investigations of how common factors are incorporated into MFT curricula. The purpose of this study was to obtain a baseline understanding of common factors' role in MFT training. Thirty-one directors of COAMFTE- and CACREP-accredited MFT training programs responded to a survey about the inclusion of common factors in their training program, as well as the benefits, challenges, and students' reactions to common factors training. Findings show that common factors are regularly included in MFT training programs and have garnered largely positive responses. Additional results are discussed regarding the implications of common factors in MFT training.

Marriage and Family Therapy Students’ Views on Including Weight Bias Training into Their Clinical Programs

Discussions about diversity rarely focus on overweight, obesity, and bias about body size (i.e., weight bias). These discussions allow students to develop self-awareness about how their biases can affect their clinical work, as well as the challenges and subsequent bias clients may face in their everyday lives and from clinical providers. One consequence of the rising prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States is the increase in the level of weight bias and discrimination towards individuals who are overweight, which has been documented among mental and healthcare professionals. Thus, it is imperative that training programs integrate weight bias as a part of diversity training. The authors will review weight bias in mental and healthcare professions, and describe several trainings focused on self-awareness about weight bias. The purpose of this study was to pilot and evaluate a training program for marriage and family therapy (MFT) students about developing self-awareness around weight bias and working with clients who are overweight. Following the program, focus groups were conducted to explore participants’ experiences, learning, and feedback on the content and delivery method. Focus Group methodology was used to guide the analysis process. Four themes emerged: training program feedback, challenges for the MFT field, self-of-therapist, and etiology of weight loss/gain. Implications for MFT training programs are discussed.

International Relevance and Applicability of United States-Based Marriage and Family Therapy Training in Turkey

This study involved a qualitative examination of Turkish marriage and family therapists’ perspectives with respect to the relevance and applicability of their United States (US)-based marriage and family therapy (MFT) training in Turkey. Eleven Turkish participants, who received their master’s and/or doctoral MFT education in the US and were practicing MFT in Turkey, were interviewed. The participants specifically discussed the transferability of the US-based coursework, practicum/internship, and supervision to their practice in Turkey. Seven themes emerged from the interviews: (1) Universality, (2), Ethical and Legal Issues, (3), Coursework, (4) Clinical Experience, (5) Supervision of Clinical Experience, (6) Culture and Diversity, and (7) Modification of Therapeutic Approaches. Data indicated that the participants perceived their clinical MFT training in the US to be transferable to Turkey, albeit with some necessary modification of therapeutic approaches. The limitations of the study and the implications for US-based MFT programs and international practitioners are discussed.

Targeting Threats to the Therapeutic Alliance: A Primer for Marriage and Family Therapy Training.

Although theory and research highlight the importance of the client-therapist relationship, marriage and family therapy (MFT) training has historically centered on specific models, consisting of proprietary language and techniques, instead of common factors like the therapeutic alliance. In this article, we begin by making an argument for explicitly focusing on the therapeutic alliance in MFT training programs. Next, we highlight common alliance threats experienced by both faculty members and student therapists. We then integrate research-informed principles with clinical wisdom to outline specific recommendations and concrete skill-building exercises for MFT educators and supervisors to use with their students to address these threats and advance training on the therapeutic alliance.

Competency‐Based Training: Objective Structured Clinical Exercises (OSCE) in Marriage and Family Therapy

The field of marriage and family therapy (MFT) has recently engaged in the process of defining core competencies for the profession. Many MFT training programs are adapting their curriculum to develop more competency-based training strategies. The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is widely used in the medical profession to assess clinical competence. These examinations involve using simulated clinical situations as a tool in conducting summative evaluations of trainee competence. This article describes an adaptation of the OSCE procedures for competency-based training of MFT students. Instead of using the procedures as a summative examination as is typical in medical education, this article proposes how to use them as formative exercises in the development of student competence. The development of the OSCE is discussed, including "blueprinting," focused competencies, procedures, and feedback protocols. The article concludes with suggestions of how to continue the development of the OSCE for evaluation in MFT education.

A Butterfly Effect: The Impact of Marriage and Family Therapy Training on Students’ Spouses

This qualitative study examines the impact of marriage and family therapy (MFT) training on the marriages of trainees. Analysis of data from 18 spouses of alumni from a training program in an evangelical Protestant seminary found participants reporting mostly negative impacts related to time and finances, both negative and positive impacts related to role changes and adjustments, and mostly positive impacts related to marital communication. The additional contribution of this study has to do with the report of an overwhelmingly positive impact of systemic, integrative MFT training on the student's faith as observed by their spouse and on the spouse's own faith.

Family Therapy Education and Higher Education Administration Policy: Facing New Challenges

Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) education programs are not immune to the financial pressures associated with providing quality educational programs. In this article, the author discusses the current higher education economic environment, explores contemporary trends in higher education management, and considers their effect on MFT educational programs, an area that is virtually unaddressed in the literature. Finally, the author describes how one MFT training program is responding to the challenges brought forth by the fiscal complexities embedded in the contemporary higher education economic environment. The discussion offers useful and practical administrative policy information to MFT educational programs and their leaders.

Qualitative Inquiry and Family Therapist Identity Construction Through Community-Based Child Welfare Practice

The Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) field has discussed how to emphasize broader sociological contexts in family therapy practices (Hardy, 2001; Johnson, 2001; Sluzki, 2001) and education (McDowell & Shelton, 2002). As a way to bridge perceived fragmentation between MFT education and intensive clinical practice within larger sociological contexts, this article describes our experiences as five MFT therapist-interns and one clinical faculty (practicing as both therapist and supervisor) facilitating the Families in Transition (FIT) program, a community-based family reunification program offered through an accredited MFT training clinic. Qualitative action research methods (Greenwood & Levin, 2005) synthesizing feminist autoethnography (Allen & Piercy, 2005; Holman-Jones, 2005; Richardson & St. Pierre, 2005) were used to present an illustration of our struggle of knowing how to act as MFTs in the real-world context of child welfare.

What’s Wrong With These People? Clinicians’ Views of Clinical Couples

Marriage and family therapy (MFT) faculty and graduate students rated the "typical" or predictable behaviors of husbands or wives coming for therapy using the Georgia Marriage Q-sort. Scores were compared with previously published scores for both "ideal" couples (i.e., showing positive behaviors, attitudes, and problem-solving skills) and a sample of 136 nonclinical, community couples. A review of correlations between MFT raters' scores for clients and the scores for "ideal" or actual community husbands or wives indicated that clinicians have negative views of both clinical husbands and wives. Such negative views of clinical husbands and wives are particularly marked in scores by MFT faculty. MFT students had a similarly negative view of clinical husbands, but such views were not evident for clinical wives. Recommendations for MFT training and implications for future research are discussed.

Integrating Spirituality into Family Therapy Training: An Exploration of Faculty Members’ Beliefs

The purpose of this study was to explore the beliefs and attitudes of marriage and family therapy (MFT) faculty as they relate to the appropriateness of addressing spirituality in the context of therapy and training of future MFTs. Ninety-three MFT faculty members at masters and doctoral level programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Marriage and Family Therapy Education completed the electronic survey for this study. The results indicate that the majority of MFT faculty members believe that spirituality is important in their personal lives, in their clinical work, and in MFT training. The findings of the current study are similar to previous studies of clinical and student members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

The WebQuest: An Illustration of Instructional Technology Implementation in MFT Training

This teaching case illustrates the innovative application of an instructional technology modality, the WebQuest, in family therapy training. It describes what a WebQuest involves, and how it can be used as a tool for developing critical thinking and application of contemporary marriage and family therapy (MFT) theory to social and global issues. The authors discuss the results of the survey and focus groups conducted to assess the value of this assignment from the students’ perspectives. Results indicate that its application in a family therapy theories course fostered students’ awareness of global issues impacting family life, integration of family therapy theories to serve children and families, creativity in developing their own intervention models, and ability to discuss and integrate knowledge from different knowledge bases and perspectives.

Values in Family Therapy Practice and Research: An Invitation for Reflection

Values have been shown to be a pervasive part of both marriage and family therapy (MFT) clinical practice and research. Yet, many therapists and researchers remain unclear about how values affect their work. This article examines the influence of Western philosophical assumptions and therapy traditions in light of current understandings of values in therapy. The influence of values in MFT research processes is similarly examined. Implications for how family therapy professionals can be more reflective and sophisticated in their understanding of values in clinical practice and scientific inquiry are discussed. Suggestions for addressing values in MFT training also are given.

INTEGRATING RESEARCH AND CLINICAL TRAINING IN MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY TRAINING PROGRAMS

The future of the profession and practice of marriage and family therapy (MFT) rests with those who promote the integration of research and clinical practice. The Boulder scientist-practitioner model is useful in conceptualizing MFT training, but it is not the perfect solution. Four MFT programs (two master's and two doctoral) are featured in this article for their work in integrating research and practice. Helpful strategies presented include: Encouraging students to question the therapy process; integrating research in the curriculum and supervision; discussing the positives and negatives of empirically supported treatments; focusing on change; and developing creative classroom experiences to use within the scientist-practitioner model.

Issues of Language and Culture in Family Therapy Training

Recent census data indicate continued growth in immigration trends as American society becomes increasingly diversified. Marriage and family therapy (MFT) training programs are also experiencing a growth in the number of immigrant students. As such, issues of language and culture play a progressively significant role in the MFT training process. The purpose of this study was to examine client, trainee, and supervisor feedback concerning the experience of therapy with non-native English-speaking trainees. Several themes emerged from the written and oral responses of participants. Implications for training and future directions for research are discussed.

Exploring the Racial Experience of Therapists in Training: A Critical Race Theory Perspective

This qualitative study focused on the experiences of students of diverse racial and national origins in order to construct knowledge about race and racism in marriage and family therapy (MFT) education. Research was completed with a critical race theory (CRT) interpretive lens. Themes of racial awareness, racism, strength and resistance, and creating kinship resonated with literature on critical multicultural education and were consistent with tenets of CRT, including acknowledging racism and recognizing the impact of multiple intersecting identities; interrogating socially constructed, dominant-culture knowledge; valuing voices from marginalized locations; and commitment to social justice. Implications for MFT training and practice are discussed.