Marriage and Family Therapy

The course is a survey of the historical development and principal conceptualizations of marital and family therapy goals.  Goals include an initial examination and comparison of various therapies currently employed in the field.

UPON COMPLETION OF THE COURSE, THE STUDENT WILL BE COMPETENT IN:

• Explaining the history and development of the marriage and family therapy field.
• Reviewing the Texas Family Code relating to marriage, divorce, child custody, and abuse issues.
• Classifying the theoretical approaches to understanding marriage and the family.
• Comparing traditional individual therapy with marriage and family therapy.
• Understanding the different theories of marriage and family therapy.
• Explaining the nature of divorce, re-marriage, and blended families.
• Describing assessment instruments utilized in marriage and family therapy.
• Defining the role of the therapist in the major theories of marriage and family therapy.
• Understanding the influence of each theory in the field of marital and family therapy.
• Defining the key terms and concepts in marital and family theory.
• Understanding the Code of Ethics for marriage and family therapists.
• Reviewing the current research on marital and family therapy in the United States.
• Understanding the role and process of supervision related to the training of marriage and family therapists.
• Understanding the role of gender in marriage and family therapy.
• Understanding the role of culture and ethnicity in marriage and family therapy.