The Empirical Evaluation of Family Therapy Training

This paper presents the results of the first comprehensive and empirical evaluation of a family therapy training program. Focusing on the first year of a two-year training program, the study found significant changes in the clinical conceptualizations and in-therapy verbal behaviors of a group of trainees. Additionally, this study involved the development and/or first use of various research instruments and procedures that can be used to facilitate further research on family therapy training.     

Families-at-risk and home-based intervention: A therapist training model

Home-based family therapy programs are designed to provide intensive family intervention for at-risk children and adolescents. However, examination of the literature reveals limited publications about training therapists for this difficult task. The purpose of this paper is to describe a therapist training model based upon a family-as-context approach to crisis intervention. Specific units covered during the course include: family-as-a-system, structural family therapy, family crisis intervention, family assessment and simulation. It is concluded that the effective prevention of placement for at-risk children and adolescents requires both a home-based family treatment program and a specific therapist training model for family intervention.John J. Zarski, PhD, is a professor in the marriage and family therapy training program at the University of Akron. Carol A. Pastore is program coordinator for the T.I.E.S. program in Canton, OH. A. Lynette Way and Richard N. Shepler are home-based therapists with T.I.E.S. The authors would like to express their appreciation to Professor John West for his helpful comments on drafts of this article.     

Team Family Therapy Training: Conceptual and Pragmatic Considerations

This paper presents a family therapy training model that can be used to teach conceptual and executive skills to beginning therapists in community and academic settings. The model is based on the organization and philosophy of family therapy teams and the methods of live supervision. The goals, structure, and leadership of traditional family therapy teams are discussed and contrasted with the proposed team training model. Pragmatic details of the training program are described and advantages and disadvantages explored. Team leadership skills are categorized by context and future directions proposed.     

Creating Internships in Marriage and Family Therapy: A Collaboration Between a Training Program and an Offender Reentry Facility

The literature on clinical internships in marriage and family therapy is limited in the discussion of the development of clinical sites as well as the benefits and challenges experienced by students and programs. This article focuses on the development of a marriage and family therapy internship in an offender reentry facility. The process of how students are referred and trained, the rewards and challenges of their work, and the supervision experience are described. The purpose is to inform marriage and family therapy programs about a potential resource for training students.     

Family Therapy Training: Program and Outcome

A family therapy training program has been conducted for staff of mental health agencies located throughout Pennsylvania. This paper is a report on the content and results of the four-year-old training program. Three hundred practitioners have been trained in family therapy. The program has also led to the development of a core group of 64 family therapy trainers. There has been an associated delivery of more family-oriented mental health services throughout the Commonwealth.     

The state of the art of training in systemic family therapy in Switzerland

This article presents a training program in systemic therapy with families and couples. Our training institute was founded by an interdisciplinary group of psychologists, psychiatrists, sociologists, and social workers in 1987 in Meilen (Zürich), Switzerland, and has from the beginning been connected to the field of family therapy in Europe and the United States. The specific organization of our institute, our training program, and the theoretical base of the training concept are highlighted. Our multidimensional treatment and training model is grounded in a variety of conceptual frameworks and inspired by the tradition of Enlightenment in European philosophy. We pay special attention to the personal and professional development of the emerging family therapist.     

A behaviorally-oriented activities therapy for program for adolescents

A behaviorally-oriented activities therapy program was designed and implemented with adolescents who manifested problems in school, at home, and with peers. Baseline measures for target behaviors were taken within the activities therapy program and, after a behavioral analysis, specific techniques were chosen to remediate problems. Techniques employed included: contingency contracting, assertiveness training, relaxation training, and cognitive restructuring. Evaluation of the effectiveness of each program was performed through daily measurement of the frequency of the occurrence of the target behaviors. Three case studies are presented which are illustrative of the range of programs which can be successfully implemented with this population.     

: 2

In a national questionnaire survey of clinical psychology internship sites, the status of family therapy training was investigated. With a 65 per cent response rate (182 sites), the study found that 11 per cent of all psychology Ph.D.'s, 9 per cent of all M.S.W.'s and 2 per cent of all M.D.'s on internship faculties considered themselves to be primarily family therapy oriented. Nationwide, 39 per cent of 177 internships indicated that some family therapy training was a requirement of the program; for the remaining 61 per cent, family therapy training was either optional or unavailable entirely. Of the five areas of adult, child, group, and family therapy, and psychodiagnostics, interns were viewed by most programs as being least prepared at the start of the internship to do family therapy. In terms of internship training philosophy, family therapy was rated fourth in overall importance as an essential component of an intern's experience. The family training importance rating was found to be correlated positively with the number of family courses and seminars offered, family supervision received, and family clinical work performed.     

Co-constructing a cross-cultural course: resisting and replicating colonizing practices

This article examines the cross-cultural complexities of teaching and learning processes at different levels in a family therapy training program delivered in a different country. It presents two interlinked narratives of an advanced family therapy training program delivered in Slovenia by a U.K-based family therapy training institute. The context in which the training was negotiated and planned is discussed, highlighting issues at the macrosystemic level. Dilemmas that arose in relation to differing beliefs about teaching and learning are elaborated. We examine power relationships, ways that we positioned ourselves and each other, and how we tried and sometimes failed to take these into account. We question how the issue of spoken language and its meanings creates its own constraints and power structures, and how we respond to the impossibilities of translation. We argue that it is through the examination of uncomfortable processes that we develop self-reflexivity and work toward more equitable relationships.     

Raids upon the random in family therapy training: Discovering what becomes significant

How do you provide family therapy training in a primarily rural state with limited resources? A model for training therapists and supervisors that well may offer guidance to other states that face such a challenge is described here. A meta supervision approach over long distance was used in the three-year project that is described in this paper. Self-reports from the 31 participants who completed the program reveal some interesting positive reactions.     

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.     

TRAINED,GENERALIZED, AND COLLATERAL BEHAVIOR CHANGES OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN RECEIVING GROSS-MOTOR SKILLS TRAINING

Three preschool children participated in a behavioral training program to improve their gross-motor skills. Ten target behaviors were measured in the training setting to assess direct effects of the program. Generalization probes for two gross-motor behaviors, one fine-motor skill, and two social behaviors were conducted in other settings. Results indicated that the training program improved the gross-motor skills trained and that improvements sometimes generalized to other settings. Contrary to suggestions in educational literature, the gross-motor training program did not produce changes in fine-motor skills or social behaviors. Implications for educators and for the development of the technology of generalization are outlined.     

Issues in the treatment of depressed children

Basic research into the cognitive, behavioral, familial, and physiological disturbances associated with depressive disorders during childhood is reviewed. Implications for the development of a treatment program are discussed and a comprehensive treatment model is proposed. The proposed model includes intervention strategies for the child, parents, family, and school. The child component consists of intervention strategies for the affective, cognitive, behavioral, and physiological disturbances that are evident from the existing research. The parent training component is designed to address disturbances in parenting due to cognitive disturbances and skills deficits. The family therapy component emphasizes changing interaction patterns that communicate schema-consistent maladaptive interactions. A school consultation component is proposed in which school personnel support the skills training through prompting use of the skills and reinforcement of the use of the coping skills.     

Family Therapy in China

This paper aims to provide an overview of the family therapy in mainland China, by analyzing its development, current situation and future directions. The authors argue that the history of family therapy can be understood as three stages: introductory stage from 1985 to 1994, “blossoming” stage from 1995 to 2004, and “fast growing” stage from 2005 to present. In every stage, we can see clear differences in each of the following fields: training (including training programs in universities and workshops held by companies or institutes), academics (including research articles, professional books and conferences), and general public environment (including media and policies). We also outline the development of China’s first university system family therapy training program as an example and evidence of family therapy’s significant present and future development in mainland China. Based on this, we highlight some points for future improvement in family therapy in mainland China, including developing indigenous theories and practice models, reinforcing training and research programs in university systems, and improving accreditation standard for all family therapists.     

Family therapy training research: systems model and review

This paper proposes that a systems approach to the organization of family therapy training courses would be advantageous to trainers and researchers alike. A family therapy training programme development model is outlined. Using the stages of this model as a framework, the research into family therapy training is reviewed. The field still remains in its infancy and the quantity of research is relatively sparse. Developments have, however, been made and these auger well for the future.     

Personal therapy for family therapy graduate students

This study explores students' attitudes about personal therapy as a component of training and assesses the effects of providing a list of community therapist who were willing to see family therapy graduate students at a reduced fee on students' behaviors. Students' personal therapy experiences and attitudes about faculty involvement in their personal lives were also investigated. Most students believe that student therapists should have personal therapy sometime during their training, and the majority of students had al-ready been in therapy. Individual issues and relationship problems were the most frequently cited reasons for starting personal therapy.     

Introducing Novice Therapists to “Go-Between” Techniques of Family Therapy

The training of family therapists requires that learning objectives and expectations be specified in empirical terms so that the trainer and trainee can achieve clear goals, identify areas of progress, and meet the special needs of the trainee. This paper articulates the competencies, objectives, and criteria for evaluation used during a time-limited training program for therapists involved in family therapy research conducted at Centennial School of Lehigh University.     

An Experimental Test of Whether Informants can Report About Child and Family Behavior Based on Settings of Behavioral Expression

Researchers and practitioners conduct multi-informant assessments of child and family behavior under the assumption that informants have unique perspectives on these behaviors. These unique perspectives stem, in part, from differences among informants in the settings in which they observe behaviors (e.g., home, school, peer interactions). These differences are assumed to contribute to the discrepancies commonly observed in the outcomes of multi-informant assessments. Although assessments often prompt informants to think about setting-specific behaviors when providing reports about child and family behavior, the notion that differences in setting-based behavioral observations contribute to discrepant reports has yet to be experimentally tested. We trained informants to use setting information as the basis for providing behavioral reports, with a focus on parental knowledge of children’s whereabouts and activities. Using a within-subjects controlled design, we randomly assigned 16 mothers and adolescents to the order in which they received a program that trains informants to use setting information when providing parental knowledge reports (Setting-Sensitive Assessment), and a control program involving no training on how to provide reports. Relative to the control program, the Setting-Sensitive Assessment training increased the differences between mother and adolescent reports of parental knowledge, suggesting that mothers and adolescents observe parental knowledge behaviors in different settings. This study provides the first experimental evidence to support the assumption that discrepancies arise because informants incorporate unique setting information into their reports.     

The family-of-origin framework: A model for clinical training

Family-of-origin work is defined as a person's attempt to examine and/or change the patterns of interaction that occur in the family in which s/he was raised. This article outlines a model of family-of-origin work that is used in the clinical psychology training program at St. Louis University. The family therapy literature, particularly the work of Bowen, provides its theoretical underpinnings. An integral part of family-of-origin presentations is the genogram, or visual depiction of a family tree. Many ethical issues arise from the use of family-of-origin work within the context of clinical training, including confidentiality, responsibility, informed consent, values, and the boundaries of the supervisory relationship.     

Family Therapy Training for Paraprofessionals in a Community Mental Health Center

An ecologically oriented family therapy training program is advocated for teaching paraprofessionals to work with high-risk clients in a community mental health setting. The context of training as well as the particular abilities and needs of beginning paraprofessional family therapists are explored in order to design a flexible and effective program in the face of limited resources. This paper describes a variety of educational and supervisory formats such as group supervision, peer supervision, and live supervision. The usefulness of these different models in facilitating skill development and growth in paraprofessionals is evaluated. Recommendations are made to trainers concerning problems encountered in teaching paraprofessionals and in implementing family systems training in community mental health centers.