PITTSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Education
Department of Psychology & Counseling
Spring 2009
PSYC 817.01 Theories & Techniques of Family Counseling
INSTRUCTOR: Harriet A. Bachner, Ph.D.
Office: WH 205F
Mon. 6:30-9:20pm
hbachner@pittstate.edu
CATALOG DESCRIPTION OF COURSE: The study of the full scope of marriage & family
therapy including its history in the field of psychology/counseling, classic schools of
thought, & latest developments in practice
COURSE PURPOSE: The purpose of this course is to provide the student with a survey in
marriage & family therapy that provides a sound basis in theory & exposure to practical
practice applications.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: After completion of this course the students will be able to:
1.
Identify the principles & strategies of the major theories in relationship & family
counseling.
2. Apply the theories in understanding their own family dynamics, values, beliefs,
feelings, & behaviors.
3. Apply the theories, understanding of family dynamics, & techniques to counseling
couples, individuals, & families
4. Begin to develop a personal theory of relationship & family counseling.
5. Select the appropriate theory & strategies congruent with the family theory and
apply to the variety of relationship & family situations that people present in family
or relationship counseling.
REQUIRED TEXT:
Gladding, S. T. (2007). Family therapy: History, theory, and practice. Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Pearson, Merrill Prentice Hall.
Selected readings as assigned & resources posted on ANGEL
Videos & DVDs are in the IRC in Hughes Hall
Optional text:
Perrin, R. (2007). Pocket guide to APA style, 2nd edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
You can go to this site for assessment of your learning style:
http://www.ldpride.net/learning_style.html
INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES: The expected course outcomes are accomplished
through a variety of instructional strategies to complement students’ life experiences.
Those strategies include, but are not limited to, the following: lecture, experiential
activities, small group discussion, case role play, student presentations of research, theory
models, & review of the literature, & use of multi-media technology.
INCOMPLETE POLICY: The grade of incomplete in normally not given. If you are unable to attend
a substantial portion of the course, then you should withdraw or drop from the course. Incomplete
is considered only if some urgent unforeseen event prevents you from completing one of the
assignments or the final exam & you notify your instructor before the final exam. See pp. 43 & 62
of the PSU Catalog for additional explanation of the incomplete policy.
The last day to drop with a grade of W is April 10, 2009.
REMINDER TO CHECK CATALOG for information on withdrawals, incompletes, & academic
honesty. See p. 39-41 in the PSU catalog for more information regarding academic honesty.
Academic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism, collusion, & falsifying academic records.
When quoting or paraphrasing you must give credit (reference) to your source using APA style.
Plagiarism is quoting 5 or more words in sequence without giving credit to the source. If you
have been found to have plagiarized an assignment, at the very least, 0 point is given for that
assignment.
STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES: Satisfactory completion of this course depends
upon regular attendance & participation. If for some reason, you cannot attend &
participate regularly, then perhaps you need to drop the course. Participation includes not
only attendance, but also contributing to the discussions & class activities. You are
responsible for the work even if you are not in attendance for a particular class session.
STUDENT EVALUATION: The course grade is based upon the following learning activities:
1.
Attendance: You are expected to attend class & participate in class discussion &
activities. After 3 or more absences, your grade is lowered by one letter grade.
Therefore, your final grade would be no higher than a B. If you are absent, I
assume that you must have a good reason for not attending, otherwise you would be
in class. Therefore do not bring me any kind of written excuse. I am not going to
evaluate the quality of your absence: an absence is an absence, no matter what the
reason. Consistent & punctual class attendance is required since this is partially an
experiential class. Death, grave illness in the family, childbirth, & impassible
roads are, of course, beyond your control. Whereas, decisions to celebrate
anniversaries, for example, or attend concerts, go on hunting safaris, or participate
in a variety of extra-curricular activities are not.
If you miss 4 or more classes, it is recommended that you drop the
course. The last day to drop with a grade of W is April 10, 2009. Some class
activities are completed in class & these cannot be made up. If you are absent for
any reason you are still responsible for the assigned work, so therefore contact
your instructor if you have questions about assignments that you may
have missed or check ANGEL.
2. All papers are expected to have correct grammar, structure, spelling, & style.
After evaluating your 1st assignment paper, I may recommend that you use the
writing center to assist you in making corrections on any subsequent paper that
you submit.
Assignments submitted late do not receive point value
above a B & are not accepted more than 1 week late.
3. ANGEL on-line resource: The ANGEL system is used as a supplemental
resource for this course. You are provided with an orientation to this system
during the 1st class. Handouts, class notes, resources, & power point presentations
are available for the various topical areas discussed in the course.
It is the your responsibility to print handouts & to have read the text chapters as
indicated on the course schedule prior to class.
Make sure your email address is correct in ANGEL personal information
Class time is dedicated to discussion, presentations by class members, experiential &
group activities, in addition to lecture.
Course information, announcements, & emails are communicated through ANGEL.
The on-line gradebook on ANGEL is used, so you can regularly check your earned
points .
4. Submission of 1 class activity assignment worth 35 points: There are a variety of
assignments from which to choose one. Detailed instruction is given during class as
needed.
5. A mid-term exam worth 75 points: Consists of multiple choice, true/false, &
essay questions from the designated text chapters in the course schedule &
information discussed in class from lectures, activities, & videos
6. A final exam worth 70 points: Consists of multiple choice, true/false, & essay
questions from the designated text chapters in the course schedule & information
discussed class from lectures, activities, videos, & student presentations.
7. A report worth 80 points: Integrates your understanding of a major theory &/or
its application in a practical situation. You are required to write one report
integrating your understanding of a major theory & technique associated with that
MFT theory &/or its application in a practical situation. Details of this assignment
are discussed in class & evaluation criteria are at the end of this syllabus. This
report is an aspect of your group project & presentation. Topic ideas are discussed
in class & are submitted no later than the 2 nd class meeting.
8. A presentation to the class worth 20 points per student: Each student
contributes information from his/her above report. You may be placed with 1or 2
other students based upon similarity of topic selected for report. Each person’s
class presentation is evaluated individually based upon his/her own contribution to
the group presentation in class.
9. An annotated log of at least 5 videos/DVDs worth 30 points that have been
viewed during the semester. It would be most helpful for you to watch those media
which are related to the topic of the report discussed in # 6
10. Additional points may be earned for other activities: i.e., research, attending
professional conferences or workshops in the field of marriage & family therapy,
These activities for points are contingent upon approval from instructor.
A pupil from whom nothing is ever demanded which he cannot do, never does all he can.
John Stuart Mill
Below is a list of assignments & exams for this course. Assignments must be submitted on
time in order to receive full credit.
Assignment or exam
Point value
Points earned
Assignment
35
__________
Mid-term exam
75
__________
Research/theory report
80
__________
Class presentation with group based upon
20
__________
above report
Annotated log of videos viewed from IRC
30
Final exam
70
__________
Total
300
__________
300 – 270 = A
269 –240 = B
239 – 221 = C
220 – 180 = D
The above list of point values is an optimistic projection & the points available on
the mid-term & final exams may vary due to the extent to which material is
discussed in class.
ADA COMPLIANCE: Students with specific needs or a diagnosed disability should let the
instructor know as soon as possible. If additional arrangements are needed, the student may also
check with the Kelly Hieskell, Learning Center Director.
STUDENT EVALUATION OF COURSE & INSTRUCTOR: At the conclusion of the
semester, you will have an opportunity to evaluate the instructor & the course PSYC 817.
This is done anonymously & used as a means to improve instruction, course content, & the
PSU Counseling program. Your suggestions & comments are taken seriously & hopefully
contribute to the improvement of the course & the program.
INCLEMENT WEATHER / DISASTER POLICY:
The following are basic premises for the inclement weather policy at Pittsburg State
University:
1. Classes are to be held if at all possible.
2. It is the student's responsibility to seek the information when weather conditions
are questionable.
3. Neither students nor faculty are expected to risk life or limb. Your instructor will
notify you by email if class is cancelled due to weather conditions.
What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?
V. Van Gogh
Course Schedule: Check ANGEL for additional information about course topics, lecture
notes, updates on assignments or quizzes. Regularly check your email for messages
that are sent about class activities.
Date
Topic
Assignment/Reading
1/19
Introductions, identify family life cycle
Select topic
Discuss course requirements, problems/situations,
MFT publications & professional organizations
for report
Chap. 1
Foundations & leading figures in MFT,
Evolution of family therapy, early models
Intro. for research
2/2
Concepts in family therapy, systems theory
Chap. 4
2/9
Bowenian & transgenerational family therapies,
genogram discussion, Adler & birth order theory
Psychoanalytic family therapy, case analysis
2/16
Structural family therapy; draw family map
2/23
Strategic family therapy, role plays
Milan systemic therapies & collaborative
models
3/2
Experiential family therapy, role plays,
Chap. 7 guided imagery
3/9
Cognitive behavioral family therapy
Solution focused & narrative family therapies
Chap. 8 & 11
3/16
3/23
SPRING BREAK
Sexual dysfunction & sex therapy
3/30
Emotionally focused therapy
Couple therapy, infidelity
Marriage enrichment, premarital counseling
Chap. 5
PP. 355-357
4/6
Special populations in family therapy
Single parent & remarried families
Chap. 12 & 13
4/13
Culturally diverse families
4/20
Domestic violence, substance abuse
Chap 14
Research paper due
Chap. 15
4/27
Outcome research in family therapy
5/04
Ethical & professional issues
1/26
paper due Chap. 2, 3
Chap. 6
Chap.9 Assignment due
See pp. 6-8 of syllabus
Chap. 10
Notes on angel
Take-home midterm
RELAX & CELEBRATE SPRING
Selected readings &
notes on angel
Midterm due
Chap.
video
Chap.
home
17 Annotated
log due
16, Takefinal given
5/12
Final due
Group presentations of theory, techniques, or reviews are scheduled throughout the
semester as each report relates to the topics on the above schedule. Since there many
students enrolled in this class, each individual’s presentation should be no longer than 10
minutes.
To check on students staying current with the readings in the text, there may be an
occasional unannounced quiz to evaluate knowledge of the reading material.
Videos that demonstrate various styles of MFT are shown throughout the semester or
assigned for students to view on their own time in preparation for discussion.
Please note:
This course schedule is an optimistic projection of what I would like to cover during the
semester. Because we may spend more or less time on a particular topic, this schedule &
the assignments may be changed to fit the needs & interests of the class members & time
constraints. Please contact me or email hbachner@pittstate.edu if you have any questions
or concerns about course schedule or requirements or if you are experiencing some
unexpected event that may interfere with you turning in an assignment on time.
Since this course is about marriage & family therapy, this is your opportunity to gain insight into
your family life. Class discussion is vital to the enjoyment of the class. Your sharing of
anecdotal examples helps makes this class experience lively & memorable. Come to class prepared
to be active in discussing the readings, your ideas, & experiences that are relevant to the readings.
FORMAT FOR CLASS ACTIVITY ASSIGNMENT REPORT
The report for your assignment should include the following:
1.
An introduction explaining the topic & the method you used to gather your data, observation,
or information about what cover in your report
2.
The body of the report includes specific & descriptive examples of your findings
If you have completed observations make sure that you report objective behavioral
observations & not your opinion of what you observed. For example, to say “the child was angry”
is your judgment. It would be better to report what behaviors lead you to believe that the
child was “angry”.
3.
A summary/conclusion which includes not only the main points or findings of your assignment,
but also your opinion, critique, or any other ideas you may have about the assignment.
4.
Use direct quotes very sparingly & if you do so, use APA style to cite your source both within
the text of the report & on a separate reference page.
5.
All assignments should be at least 2 full pages in length, typed, font 12, & include a
title page.
The following are suggestions for class assignment topics from which you may select 1
to do this semester.
1. Interview at least 4 people about what strategies, successful & unsuccessful, that
they have used to improve their relationships with significant others & family
members. Report your findings & relate each strategy to one or more of the types
of MFT interventions.
2. Look up 3 web sites that feature the field of family therapy & write a reaction
paper outlining the purpose, nature, & activities of the national organizations in MFT
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
or major MFT training institutions. Discuss your opinions about these organizations
& not just merely copy the info from the web sites.
Explore the research on birth order effects & Adlerian family therapy & compare to
your family of origin or family of procreation. Briefly discuss your findings.
Interview both of your parents about the family history & note key family dynamics,
relationship triangles, cut offs, etc. Ask your parents how they met & about their
courtship. Discuss your experience conducting this interview, relate this
information to any of the information discussed in systems theory, & report your
findings.
Prepare your own family genogram by consulting various members of your nuclear &
extended family.
Trace at least 2 dynamics or health conditions & discuss in at least 1 full page the
patterns that you see & ways to change the dysfunctional patterns.
Read a novel or biography & prepare a genogram of the protagonist’s family &
discuss the relationship patterns across the generations.
Select a movie that shows family interactions & dynamics, discuss, & relate to any of
the MFT theories. Show a scene in class that demonstrates the dynamics in your
report.
Conduct a family observation & take extensive notes on your observation. You will
need to obtain consent & also clear this with me before proceeding. This is not to
be your family. You may need to spend a few hours with the family members. Be
sure to obtain written permission from the family to observe, take notes, &
report on their interactions. One suggestion is to divide your note taking paper
into 3 sections: speaker, content, process observations. Be alert for expression,
body movements, note interruptions, topic changes, & times that one family member
disconfirms another by ignoring, changing the topic, disparaging the speaker, or
bringing in a 3rd party. Who sits close to whom? Who’s farthest away from whom?
Does this proximity & distance reflect the level of verbal involvement between
members or not? Who talks to whom? How would you describe the emotional
climate in the family, what they talk about & the way they interact during periods of
clam versus periods of higher tension? What evidence did you observe for the
existence of homeostatic mechanisms, negative feedback loops, complementary
roles? What family rules did you observe? Were there paradoxical
communications?
Interview a MFT in private practice or who works for an agency. This person needs
to be licensed to practice MFT. Develop a set of questions that you would like to
have more information on. Report on your interview & your impression of the
responses.
Keep a journal about any of your own family interactions during the 1 st month of this
semester. Record these at least 3 times per week. Relate the process to any of the
concepts that you learned about MFT. Summarize your impressions.
View one of the following movies or a movie that deals with family dynamics: When
Nietzsche Wept, The Thing about My Folks, Prince of Tides, Breaking Away, The
Great Santini, War of the Roses, Ordinary People, Terms of Endearment, A Bronx
Tale, Household Saints, Home for the Holidays, One True Thing, My Family, or Best
Intentions, or the several other recommendations that I have as well. Analyze the
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
protagonist, his/her intimate relationships & relations with family of origin with
respect to the following: degree of separation-individuation, healthy attachment,
introjection of pathological objects, & self-object needs for idealizing & mirroring
or a systemic dynamic that has been discussed in class related to any of the family
systems theories.
Using one of the above movies, design a couple of family therapy treatment
strategies for the protagonist. What would be the goals of treatment? What would
be successful treatment?
Explore the requirements for Clinical membership in the American Association for
Marriage & Family Therapy & the requirements for licensure as a Marriage & Family
Therapist in Kansas, Missouri, or Oklahoma. Discuss & compare the above
requirements & not merely report the info on the web sites.
Attend a professional conference or workshop in MFT & write 2 summaries of at
least 2 hrs. of workshops or 2 different workshops that you attended.
Pick up a copy of a local gay or lesbian publication/newspaper & carry it around with
you for a day. Read some of the articles. Take it with you to lunch, lay it out in a
visible way & pay attention to your own internal response. Do you feel vulnerable,
self-conscious, ashamed, or fearful? Report on your experience, what you have
read, & some of the types of articles & ads that relate to relationships & family.
View any of the following movies or any other movie that deals with gay or lesbian
relationships: Maurice, Desert Hearts, Before Stonewall, or Torch Song Trilogy,
Boys in the Band, The Wedding Banquet, Longtime Companion, or Home for the
Holidays, Brokeback Mountain. Discuss the issues involving gay & lesbian
relationships as they may relate to family therapy.
Contact at least 3 managed care companies or employee assistance program (EAP) &
inquire about the type of insurance coverage that is provided for individual
psychotherapy, family therapy, or marriage counseling. Ask about the coverage for
DSM IV -TR codes which involve parent/child & relationship diagnoses. Report your
findings.
Read & critique a journal article about research in the field of marriage & family
therapy from the past 7 yrs. using the article review format below. Your instructor
has many relevant journals if you would like to borrow some.
You will be completing some self-assessments related to relationship & family
functioning. You can write a summary of the findings from these assessments relate
to your future work as a family therapist. Your instructor will provide you a format.
View 3 of the videos related to family therapy in the IRC as indicated on the list
provided & write a summary & critique of the application of the theory as shown in
the video.
If you have another idea for a family therapy related assignment, please discuss it
with your instructor to develop it as an assignment.
Format for Journal Article Review (see #18)
Professional journal article review: An important aspect of professional development is
the ability to locate, read, & analyze journal articles related to topics within the scope of
the course. This 2 to 3 page review is to be typed, double-spaced, in a 10-12 font with
proper grammar, structure, & spelling & is worth 40 points. Use a title page & begin the
review on the top of the 2 nd page.
1. In your own words, state the main idea of the article.
2. Discuss 3 important issues or findings that support the main idea of this article.
a.
b.
c
3. What flaws or omissions in the content, hypotheses, or ideas do you find in this article?
4. What is your opinion of this article? What points do you agree or disagree with?
5. List & define/discuss any new information, terms, or concepts that you learned that may
help you better relate to the field.
6. Use APA style in citing the reference: Author(s) (year of publication). Title of article.
Name of journal, Volume (Number), pages.
7. In order for your review to adequately cover all of the above criteria, it should be at least
3 pages, typed, font 10 to 12, not including a title page.
EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR THE RESEARCH PAPER
Unsatisfactory
Satisfactory
10 points
1.
______
______
______
Excellent
Organization
Introduction
Summary
Graphs, headings (if applicable)
50 points
2.
______
______
______
______
Content
Topic
Adequate length for topic
Ideas & info reported
At least 4 sources, not including the text
(Refrain from citing your text, go the source.)
10 points
3.
______
______
______
Mechanics of Writing
Sentence/paragraph structure
Grammar & spelling
Spacing & style
10 points
4.
______
______
______
Documentation & APA Style
Internal references
Appropriate citations (no plagiarism)
Reference page
20 points
5.
______
______
______
Presentation of Report or Findings to Class
Clearly introduced the topic of the presentation
Organized method of presenting info
Discussed info with ease & appeared to be knowledgeable about topic
______
______
100
______
Used some audio or visual aide or involved the class
Spoke in clear & audible tone of voice & made eye-contact with the class
rather than merely reading one’s notes
Used humor &/or appeared enthusiastic
______
Total possible points for paper & presentation