MFT Students’ Recount Experiences of Attending Phone and Online Overeaters Anonymous Meetings

The purpose of this study was to explore Marriage and Family Therapy students’ experiences attending Overeaters Anonymous (OA). Utilizing a qualitative survey administered in an addictions course at an institution located in a rural area of the United States, 18 marriage and family therapy (MFT) graduate students reflected on their participation in both online and telephone meetings. In this study, MFT students provided their perspectives regarding the feasible utilization of Overeaters Anonymous in clinical treatment, with an emphasis on the consideration of social support for clients who may reside in rural areas. Three major themes emerged which included (1) enlightenment through exposure; (2) OA as a viable adjunct to therapy; and (3) convenience and comfort. The study addressed recommendations for MFT education, clinical implications, and future research.     

Socializing Undergraduates to the MFT Field

In this article we outline the facilitation of a marriage and family therapy (MFT) course that introduces undergraduates to MFT theory, research, and professional development. We also examine students’ reports on the influence of the course relative to their development of graduate training aspirations and desired pursuit of MFT as a potential career. Additionally, students offered reflections about what most inspired their learning and attention towards MFT as a potential profession. Results indicate that the course aided students in career path discernment, preparation for MFT graduate program entrance, and socialization to develop future professional relationships with MFTs.     

Reentry Experiences and Professional Developments of International Marriage and Family Therapy Graduates in Taiwan

Reentry research has received much less attention than research on cultural adjustment in a foreign country, especially in the marriage and family therapy (MFT) field in the United States. Lack of research on international students’ job experiences and professional developments during reentry does not provide further information to evaluate the quality of MFT education in the United States. This study was intended to extend the reentry literature and specifically to understand personal and professional reentry experiences and cross-cultural transformation of MFT returnees in Taiwan. Thirteen participants were interviewed, and the resulting data was analyzed using constructivist grounded theory. Analyses results demonstrated macro contextual factors that situated unique personal and professional reentry phenomena for international MFT graduate in Taiwan. The returnees strived to explore their MFT identity and interpret cross-cultural differences by developing four coping strategies (e.g., not wanting to fit in, doing what you were supposed to do or could do, processing with others, and therapists’ multicultural awareness) that were associated with three conditions, such as personal networks linking to professional networks, supervision, and training in MFT. Findings suggested that reentry adaption was varied and fitting into Taiwanese society might not be the final goal for the returnees. Training implications in the MFT field were provided based on the findings.     

Spirituality and religion in training, practice and personal development

In the midst of a revitalized interest in spirituality and religion in Western societies, there has been reported a resurgence of activity regarding spirituality and religion in the mental health professions, including marriage and family therapy (MFT). Little is known, however, about the beliefs, behaviours, and training experiences of MFT graduate students. Therefore it is important to examine the training (education and supervision) needs in this area. For this initial study, a sample of US MFT graduate students were surveyed regarding their spiritual and religious attitudes and practices in their personal and professional lives. In most areas, graduate students were found to be similar to the previously published reports of practising professionals. In other areas, they report even more investment in spirituality and religion. The results of the survey suggest a need to include systematic attention to these areas in graduate training curricula and in the professional supervision process.     

Increasing Accessibility in Couple and Family Therapy Training: Incorporating Universal Design for Instruction

In the last three decades the number of US graduate students with disabilities has increased exponentially. Institutions of higher education have responded by developing and implementing multiple programs and initiatives to meet the needs of this population. One initiative, Universal Design for Instruction (UDI), is believed to have considerable promise. There is a lack of marriage and family therapy (MFT) literature on how to develop and implement pedagogical strategies for students with disabilities and diverse learning styles. Thus, UDI has the potential to enable MFT educators to increasingly foster inclusivity and provide accessible educational experiences for all students, including those with disabilities. When correctly incorporated UDI should diminish the need for individualized accommodations and increase the accessibility of courses and clinical training. We provide a synopsis of the history and philosophy of UDI and describe strategies for applying its nine principles to MFT education.     

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.     

Training Facilities in Marital and Family Therapy

This survey reports the results of a national survey of training programs in family therapy. Two hundred and forty-five programs responded to the survey questionnaire providing data for the development of a master list of training programs and a general assessment of the nature and magnitude of training efforts in the field. The survey included programs housed in diverse institutional settings. The data indicate the extent of growth and the increasing formalization of professional training in family therapy. A classification system is proposed for distinguishing among the major types of facilities providing family therapy training. Programs are compared in terms of the type, duration, and intensity of the training offered and the number of students enrolled.     

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.     

Treatment Efficacy of Multiple Family Therapy for Chinese Families of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

The treatment efficacy of multiple family therapy (MFT) for Chinese families of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has not been studied in the past. In this paper, the effect of MFT on different aspects of the lives of the parents in the experimental group (n = 61) was compared with the effect of only the psychoeducational talks on parents in the control group (n = 53). The results of a MANOVA have shown that by the time they reached the posttreatment phase, the parents who had completed the full 42 hours of the MFT program perceived their children's ADHD symptoms as being less serious and less pathological than they had originally thought compared to the parents in the control group. The effect of MFT on parent–child relationships, parenting stress, parental efficacy, hope, and perceived social support was statistically insignificant. Contributions and limitations of our study are discussed.     

Predictors of General Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem in Occupational Therapy Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

A national survey reported college students showed higher risk of mental health problems than the general population. Using self-efficacy and self-esteem as indicators of mental health, this study explores sociodemographic, relational, educational, and work factors associated with these outcomes. A sample of 148 occupational therapy students in Norway participated, and data were analyzed with multiple linear regression. Factors associated with positive self-efficacy and self-esteem were higher general satisfaction with the education program, amount of time spent on self-study, and being male. Implications are attention toward female students' self-perceptions, improving the learning environment, and encouraging students to do more self-study.     

A Survey of Clinical Supervision in Genetic Counseling

Three hundred and thirty-five full members of the National Society of Genetic Counselors completed a survey concerning the nature of clinical supervision for genetic counseling students. Slightly over half (54.3%, n = 182) had provided clinical supervision within the past 5 years. Of those who supervised, 66.7% had 5 years or less supervision experience, and 55% had supervised 10 or fewer students. The majority became supervisors because they enjoy teaching and contributing to the profession. Common reasons for not supervising include no local graduate program, and had never been asked to supervise. Live supervision is the most prevalent student evaluation method: every supervisor reported providing one-on-one oral feedback, and 47.3% indicated that they always provide feedback immediately following a counseling session. The most frequent challenges involve students who lack technical knowledge and who fail to incorporate feedback. Training, policy, and research implications are discussed.     

Family Therapy Training in Clinical Psychology Programs

In a national questionnaire survey of graduate programs offering the Ph.D. or Psy.D. in clinical psychology, the status of family therapy training was examined. With a 79 per cent response rate (102 programs), the study found that 10 per cent of the nationwide faculty identified themselves as primarily family therapy oriented, 32 per cent of the programs had no family-oriented faculty members, 18 per cent of all psychotherapy courses were family therapy courses, and 21 per cent of the schools had no family therapy course. The ratings of the importance of providing students with family therapy training were found to be unrelated to the number of family therapy courses available but positively correlated with the percentage of family therapy courses within the total curriculum.     

The Lived Experience of Marriage and Family Therapy Doctoral Graduates: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

This qualitative study was conducted with nine individuals who have successfully completed a Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) doctoral program. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was employed to explore the experiences of these MFT doctoral graduates and the contributing factors to their success. The four overarching themes that emerged from the data included: (1) Necessity of and dependence on connections and support systems, (2) Becoming adept at overcoming challenges through limited resources, (3) Ability to translate skills and integrate processes, (4) Gratitude and appreciation for the journey. Implications for this field of study are discussed. Future research and implications are explored.     

Improving day-treatment services for adults with severe disabilities: a norm-referenced application of outcome management

We evaluated an outcome management program for working with staff to improve the performance of adults with severe disabilities in a congregate day-treatment setting. Initially, observations were conducted of student task involvement and staff distribution of teaching interactions across students in four program sites. Using recent normative data to establish objective goals for student performance, management intervention was warranted in two of the sites. A six-step outcome management program was then implemented in the two sites. The program involved defining desired student and staff outcomes, systematic monitoring of the outcomes, staff training, and supportive and corrective feedback. The outcome management program was accompanied by increases in student on-task behavior and staff distribution of teaching interactions in both sites. The increases brought the levels of on-task behavior above the normative average; on-task behavior was maintained above the baseline average for over 1 year in both sites. These results are discussed in terms of the benefits of relying on normative data for objectively evaluating and improving service delivery systems. Discussion of future research needs focuses on applying the outcome management program to other settings and services for people with disabilities.     

Beyond home-based family intervention: A multi-family approach toward change

A growing specialty area in the mental health field involves working with emotionally disturbed youth and families-at-risk by providing services in the context of the home environment. A review of the literature provides documentation for family systems, social learning, and ecological interventions with at-risk families receiving home-based intervention but there is an absence of material on the use of multi-family groups with this population. The purpose of this article is to outline the implementation of a multi-family therapy (MFT) component for home-based programs serving at-risk families. Advantages and disadvantages when using MFT are also addressed.The authors are grateful to Linda Pannell for her helpful comments on drafts of this article.     

Applying Utilization Management Principles to a Comprehensive Service System for Children with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders and Their Families: A Feasibility Study

The Comprehensive Services Act for At Risk Youth and Families of Virginia (CSA), is a service, funding, and organizational reform initiative designed to improve the provision of child centered and family focused services within a community setting. We conducted this study in order to assess the feasibility of applying utilization management principles to the CSA in order to improve the appropriateness, quality, and cost effectiveness of this service delivery system. Data were gathered through focus groups, surveys, clinical profiling, and analysis of costs, and service utilization. While overall program costs increased since inception of the program, the costs per child served rose less than the rate of inflation. CSA appeared to be serving children with a high degree of emotional and behavioral difficulties. There was considerable variation among localities in placement patterns. A majority of survey and focus group respondents were willing to consider the application of utilization management principles to the CSA as long as decision making remained within localities. We concluded that there is a constructive role for utilization management approaches to improve the appropriateness and quality of services as well as enhancing efficiency in child mental health.     

Occupational Therapy in a Community-Based Prevention Program

Occupational Therapists have shifted their practice base from a primarily medical model to one involving many different services within the community. Members of this discipline as well as those of the entire health-care field have discovered that preventionj based programs better anticipate and meet consumer needs. The community program described here serves 3, 4, and 5-year -old socio-culturally disadvantaged preschoolers. The program occurs weekly in a local library and includes the librarian's story hour and special activities designed and implemented by the occupational therapists. By observing each child's behavior, occupational therapists can compare normal growth and development with a particular population. The design and delivery of such programs is influenced by many factors including, but not limited to, financing, community values and institutions, and the occupational therapist's understanding of prevention. Increased understanding, as well as the potential application, of occupational therapy's contribution to the prevention of health related problems are further enhanced by the utilization of this program as a field training site for occupational therapy students.     

Impact of substance abuse and child maltreatment training on service utilization in a rural setting

Substance abuse and child maltreatment have been recognized as co-morbid problems encountered in families presenting in the child protective services (CPS) system. Nonetheless, utilization rates of substance abuse treatment services have generally lagged well behind what the research would suggest are prevalence rates for substance abuse disorders in this population, suggesting problems in recognition and referral practices among CPS workers. In response to this, 25 training programs were funded by the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect. This study reports data from one program. Trainees indicated a high level of satisfaction and demonstrated significant knowledge gains. More importantly, utilization of substance abuse services increased significantly across time in a multi-county region receiving training relative to a comparison region receiving none. The gain was limited, suggesting that while increased knowledge may translate into increased service utilization, additional barriers to accessing needed services must also be addressed.     

Gendered Training: Men and Men's Issues in Marriage and Family Therapy Programs

Few studies examine men's experiences in becoming a therapist. Only a modicum of attention appears to be paid to men's professional training needs in MFT training programs as expressed in the family therapy literature. Five recommendations, based on the author's experiences and male student voices, are provided for how to best meet the needs of male students in MFT training programs. These recommendations are (1) be aware of men's experiences and don't assume silence means disinterest, (2) develop depth in clinical training on men's issues, (3) incorporate theories of masculinity into curriculum, (4) engage male students in the training process, and (5) provide support to male students through mentorship and support groups.     

Taking Cognitive-Behavior Therapy to School: A School-Based Mental Health Approach

This paper offers an overview using cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) within a school system. In addition to providing services to individual students, this article provides an overview of implementing CBT into a system of school-wide mental health services. Interventions are discussed at three levels—universal school-wide interventions, target interventions with at-risk students, and intensive interventions with students in need. Examples of specific programs or intervention are given for each level.