There is a growing movement to define competency within the field of marriage and family therapy (MFT), particularly with respect to the training of practitioners and the evaluation of clinical practice. Efforts to define competency, however, transcend the practice of MFT and much can be learned from the experiences of other disciplines.…

Approximately 60% of accredited MFT master's programs now offer a single course devoted to diversity and oppression, which is noteworthy given that this is not mandated by accreditation standards. For educators and trainers seeking guidance on how to most effectively teach diversity issues and train therapists who will be culturally competent, the…

This article provides a description of a university-based project that used mock trials to train both practicum-level marriage and family therapy and law students in forensic work, and a qualitative investigation of student experiences with the training. The content of the training focused on American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy…

Discusses basic theoretical assumptions underlying the process of family therapy education. The application of these assumptions is illustrated by the description of various teaching strategies that may be used in a wide range of graduate family therapy courses. (Author/JAC)

Reports on the curricular components of a 16-week graduate course entitled "Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues in Family Therapy." To aid in replication and assessment, selected teaching strategies are also presented. Course topics include feminism and hedonism, confidentiality, paradox, malpractice, court testimony, job hunting, private…

Describes a graduate course for teaching therapists about the contributions that have been made to the understanding and treatment of substance abuse by family researchers, theorists, and clinicians. Delineates course purpose, student selection, instructional methods, and course content. (Author)

Many authors have questioned the preparedness of family therapists to deal with sexual minority clients. Even though the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) has called for the integration of sexual orientation into the curriculum of marriage and family therapy training programs, the subject continues to…

Ten questions for understanding the family as patient are presented as one aspect of an overall teaching plan for family therapy. Seeing the family as patient is important in initial stages of evaluation and therapy. A case study of a large, overly close family is used as an illustration. (Author)

Compared traditional classroom lectures with videotapes prepared by faculty, small group discussion with videotapes, and student conducted family interviews with videotapes prepared by students. Results showed increases in scores on all methods, but no significant differences between the three teaching methods. (Author/BEF)

Offers some revisions and alternatives to Heath and Atkinson's 1988 model for designing a course on the family treatment of alcohol and drug problems in order to make it generalizable to a greater number of contexts. Suggests the two papers together could serve as a guide for self-study in the area for clinicians. (Author/ABL)

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…

The purpose of this article is to illustrate and demonstrate the use of the Cultural Genogram (CG) in a graduate-level course in gender and culture for family therapists-in-training at a large Midwestern university's accredited program in family therapy. Although the importance of the CG as a training tool is delineated by Hardy and Laszloffy,…