PP 8050
Family and Couples Therapy
Summer II 2007
INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Valerie HarringtonPHONE:
(773) 588-3350EMAIL:
Dr. Valerie HarringtonALT PHONE:
(773) 279-8040REQUIRED TEXTS:
Title / Family Therapy in clinical practice.Author(s) / Bowen, M
Copyright / (1994).
Publisher / Aronson.
ISBN / ISBN: 1568210116
Edition
Title / Working with relationship triangles: The one-two-three of psychotherapy
Author(s) / Guerin, P. and colleagues
Copyright / (1996)
Publisher / Guilford Press.
ISBN / ISBN: 1572301430
Edition
Title / The practice of emotionally focused marital therapy: Creating connection
Author(s) / Johnson, S.
Copyright / (1996)
Publisher / Brunner-Routledge
ISBN / ISBN: 0876308175
Edition
Title / Families and family therapy.
Author(s) / Minuchin, S
Copyright / (1974)
Publisher / Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
ISBN / 0674292367
Edition
Title / Family healing: Strategies for hope and understanding
Author(s) / Minuchin, S. & Nichols, M.P.
Copyright / (1993)
Publisher / Free Press
ISBN / 0684855739
Edition
RECOMMENDED TEXTS:
Author(s) / Bateson, G
Copyright / (2000).
Publisher / The University of Chicago Press.
ISBN / 0226039056
Edition
Title / Family evaluation: An approach based on Bowen therapy
Author(s) / Kerr & Bowen
Copyright / (1988).
Publisher / W.W. Norton & Co
ISBN / 0393700569
Edition
Title / Genograms: Assessment and intervention
Author(s) / McGoldrick, M., Gerson, R., & Shellenberger, S.
Copyright / (1999)
Publisher / W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN / 0393702944
Edition / (2nd Ed.).
Title / Ethnicity and Family Therapy
Author(s) / McGoldrick, M., Giordano, J., & Pearce, J.K.
Copyright / (1996)
Publisher / Guilford Press
ISBN
Edition / 2nd Edition
Title / Family Therapy Techniques
Author(s) / Minuchin, S. & Fishman, H.C.
Copyright / (2004)
Publisher / Harvard University Press
ISBN / 0674294106
Edition
Title / Family therapy sourcebook
Author(s) / Piercy, Sprenkle, Wetchler, and associates
Copyright / (1996)
Publisher
ISBN
Edition / (2nd Ed.)
This Course Requires the Purchase of a Course Packet: YES NO
Argosy University
COURSE SYLLABUS
PP8050
Family and Couples Therapy
Faculty Information
Faculty Name: Dr. Valerie Harrington
Campus: Chicago
Contact Information: Phone: (773) 588-3350; (773) 279-8040; Email:
Office Hours: By appointment
Short Faculty Bio: I received my doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology from Temple University in 2001. My professional interests include child and adolescent development, maternal mental health, burnout/trauma in mental health professionals, and community mental health systems. Prior to moving to Chicago, I worked in community mental health in the cities of Philadelphia and Minneapolis providing outpatient therapy, assessment, and consultation services. I have taught courses at Argosy University for the past two years as an adjunct faculty, and I currently have a private practice for individuals, couples, and families.
Course description:
Theory and skill training in the assessment and treatment of couples and families are emphasized. Theories considered may include several family systems models (e.g., EFT, Structural, Bowen).
Course Pre-requisites: None
Required Textbooks:
Bowen, M. (1994). Family Therapy in clinical practice. Aronson. ISBN: 1568210116.
Guerin, P. and colleagues (1996). Working with relationship triangles: The one-two-three of psychotherapy. Guilford Press. ISBN: 1572301430
Johnson, S. (1996). The practice of emotionally focused marital therapy: Creating connection. Brunner-Routledge. ISBN: 0876308175
Minuchin, S. (1974). Families and family therapy. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. ISBN: 0674292367
Minuchin, S. & Nichols, M.P. (1993). Family healing: Strategies for hope and understanding. Free Press. ISBN: 0684855739
Recommended Textbooks:
Bateson, G. (2000). Steps to an ecology of mind. The University of Chicago Press. ISBN: 0226039056
Kerr & Bowen (1988). Family evaluation: An approach based on Bowen therapy. W.W. Norton & Co. ISBN: 0393700569
McGoldrick, M., Gerson, R., & Shellenberger, S. (1999). Genograms: Assessment and intervention (2nd Ed.). W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN: 0393702944
McGoldrick, M., Giordano, J., & Pearce, J.K. (1996). Ethnicity and Family Therapy, 2nd Edition. Guilford Press.
Minuchin, S. & Fishman, H.C. (2004). Family Therapy Techniques. Harvard University Press. ISBN: 0674294106
Piercy, Sprenkle, Wetchler, and associates (1996). Family therapy sourcebook (2nd Ed.)
Technology: Pentium III CPU/ Windows 98; 128MB RAM, printer; Microsoft Office Acrobat (full version), Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 (PC) 5.0 (MAC) or Netscape Navigator 4.08. Norton Antivirus.
Course length: 7.5 Weeks
Contact Hours: 45 Hours
Credit Value: 3.0
Course Objectives:
1. Students will be able to conceptualize human health, problems and resolutions from a systemic perspective.
2. Students will demonstrate both theory and clinical knowledge of 3 schools of family therapy. They will be able to relate them to family life cycle in diverse ethnicity, religious, social class, disability, and sexual orientation.
3. The students will demonstrate clinical skills working with families in clinical setting.
4. Students will be able to identify the interface between family of origin issues and client family issues.
Assignments:
*A more detailed assignment schedule will be provided on the first day of class.
There are five assignments in this course, in addition to assigned readings. They are chapter abstracts, working with a family (role play) throughout the term, the student’s genogram, presentations on special topics, and a final exam addressing the students’ conceptual and critical thinking abilities. Missing class will negatively affect your grade.
1. Abstracts (25 points). Students will abstract an assigned chapter from Ethnicity and Family Therapy. They will present for 5 minutes on salient points and provide a copy of the abstract for each student. Dates of presentation and assigned chapters will be determined in the first class.
2. “Doing family therapy” (100 points). Each student is required to “be the therapist” in the role plays. There will be two types of role plays. First, we will do role plays as a class. Second, each student will have time on the first week to develop ‘families.’ You will be in groups of 3-4 and do role plays.
Developing your family: Include brief family history and a presenting problem (the rest will be improvised). You will work with these families throughout the semester. In these role plays you are to practice systemic interventions and conceptualization of theories addressed in class and the readings. The instructor and T.A. will provide feedback throughout the role play time.
Audiotape all your practice work and review your tapes. Present a brief synopsis of your strengths, growth areas in working with the family AND how you are able to stay congruent with the theory (1 page limit). You will be expected to turn these reflections in each time you are a therapist.
3. Family Genogram (150 points)
a. (75 points) Complete an accurate genogram of your family. Include at these 3 generations (i.e., you, your parents, and your grandparents). Please identify the following on your genogram:
· Names, dates of marriage/births/deaths/separations/divorces (month & year), cultural/ethnic/religious affiliations for all significant family members.
· Other information like immigration, occupation, education, city/state of residence, illnesses, substance abuse, mental health. Add descriptive information that clarifies relationships as needed (e.g., drug use, in jail, etc.) You may create a “legend’ if additional explanation is warranted.
· Show schematically the nature of key relationships (e.g., closeness, distance, conflicts).
· Previous students have found that having interviews/conversations with family members around these areas provide new insight. I encourage you to contact siblings, parents, uncles/aunts, grandparents for corroborating information. Even responses to such requests can be very informative.
· You may use a medium larger than an 8.5” x 11” piece of paper. The use of different colors for relational lines, etc. may enhance the presentation of the information. Please do not use pencil for final presentation (smears too easily).
b. (75 points) Submit a 6 page, double spaced paper (APA style) illustrating two of Bowen’s 8 intergenerational principles as applied to your family. The objective of this written assignment is to demonstrate your understanding of Bowenian theory of how family relationship patterns exist across generations in families. Include a self-critique, identifying “interface issues” from your family intergenerational history that you might have as a therapist working with families and couples in general. Address issues related to gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation as well as specific types of presenting problems that you believe interfaces with your family of origin. Remember to include areas of strengths as well as areas that may be more problematic.
Please do not devote much space to describing info already on the genogram.
References for this assignment available in the library:
· McGoldrick & Gerson (1985). Genograms in family assessment.
· Carter & McGoldrick (1999). The changing family life cycle.
· Hall (1991)The bowen family theory and its uses.
** This assignment is intended for both academic mastery of one form of family assessment, but also self-reflection for the student. Disclose ONLY the information that you feel comfortable sharing. If you do not wish to create a genogram of your family, please contact the instructor for an alternate assignment at least two weeks prior to the deadline.
4. Presentations (75 points)
Groups of two or three will provide a 15-20 minute presentation (e.g., film clips, role plays, fake newscasts, improv, resources, etc.) on topics pertinent to Marital and Family Therapy. Presentation topics might include: sexuality, affairs, violence, divorce/remarriage, problems of school-age children or other topics of special interest. The presentation should include handouts with references for each student on the topic.
5. Final (150 points)
The Final is an in-class, closed book written assignment. It is similar to the type of task you will be needing to do when working with families. You will be presented with a situation from a film. You will be provided with the name of the specific film one week prior to the final. A presenting problem from this film will be provided during the final and then you will use one of the three theories presented in class to write a case conceptualization and treatment plan. The following are an example of sections to be included: Assessment technique (i.e., Bowen – genogram), presenting problem and history of family interactions, family functioning, statement of problem from your theoretical position, critique of theory, how it addresses issues of diversity, goals of treatment, initial session, interventions/phases of treatment, and termination. Citations supporting your positions are expected (minimum of 6). You will have 2.5 hours for the task.
Grading Criteria
All late assignments and missed classes will affect your grade
Grades will be distributed by according to percentage of points possible (500 pts).
Grading Scale %
A / 100 – 93A- / 92 – 90
B+ / 89 – 88
B / 87 – 83
B- / 82 – 80
C+ / 79 – 78
C / 77 - 73
C- / 72 – 70
D+ / 69 – 68
D / 67 – 63
D- / 62 – 60
F / 59 and below
Library
All resources in Argosy University’s online collection are available through the Internet. The campus librarian will provide students with links, user IDs, and passwords.
Library Resources: Argosy University’s core online collection features nearly 21,000 full-text journals and 23,000 electronic books and other content covering all academic subject areas including Business & Economics, Career & General Education, Computers, Engineering & Applied Science, Humanities, Science, Medicine & Allied Health, and Social & Behavior Sciences. Many titles are directly accessible through the Online Public Access Catalog at http://library.argosyu.edu. Detailed descriptions of online resources are located at http://library.argosyu.edu/misc/onlinedblist.html.
In addition to online resources, Argosy University’s onsite collections contain a wealth of subject-specific research materials searchable in the Online Public Access Catalog. Catalog searching is easily limited to individual campus collections. Alternatively, students can search combined collections of all Argosy University Libraries. Students are encouraged to seek research and reference assistance from campus librarians.
Information Literacy: Argosy University’s Information Literacy Tutorial was developed to teach students fundamental and transferable research skills. The tutorial consists of five modules where students learn to select sources appropriate for academic-level research, search periodical indexes and search engines, and evaluate and cite information. In the tutorial, students study concepts and practice them through interactions. At the conclusion of each module, they can test their comprehension and receive immediate feedback. Each module takes less than 20 minutes to complete. Please view the tutorial at http://library.argosyu.edu/infolit/
Academic Policies
Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: In an effort to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity during the learning process, Argosy University requires that the submission of all course assignments represent the original work produced by that student. All sources must be documented through normal scholarly references/citations and all work must be submitted using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition (2001). Washington DC: American Psychological Association (APA) format. Please refer to Appendix A in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition for thesis and paper format. Students are encouraged to purchase this manual (required in some courses) and become familiar with its content as well as consult the Argosy University catalog for further information regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism.
Scholarly writing: The faculty at Argosy University is dedicated to providing a learning environment that supports scholarly and ethical writing, free from academic dishonesty and plagiarism. This includes the proper and appropriate referencing of all sources. You may be asked to submit your course assignments through “Turnitin,” (www.turnitin.com), an online resource established to help educators develop writing/research skills and detect potential cases of academic dishonesty. Turnitin compares submitted papers to billions of pages of content and provides a comparison report to your instructor. This comparison detects papers that share common information and duplicative language.
Americans with Disabilities Act Policy
It is the policy of Argosy University to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If a student with disabilities needs accommodations, the student must notify the Director of Student Services. Procedures for documenting student disability and the development of reasonable accommodations will be provided to the student upon request.