Program at a Glance

Year 1: Foundations of Just, Systemic Professional Practice Year 2: Integration, Application, and Treatment Planning Year 3: Clinical Competence and Professional Engagement
  • Recognize ethical and equity issues in the practice of MCFT.
  • Develop a professional identity as MCFT.
  • Develop a multisystemic, developmental, critical social constructionist framework for practice
  • Demonstrate awareness of personal response to own history and social location and how these relate to professional role as MCFT.
  • Comprehend systemic therapeutic models and apply them to specific cases with consideration to social context and identity.
  • Aware of the ways in which contextual and systemic dynamics impact individual and family development and interpersonal relationships
  • Aware of DSM V diagnostic framework and systemic and sociocultural critiques of it.
  • Become familiar with family therapy journals and literature in the field.
  • Apply knowledge from related fields such as biology, sociology, psychology, anthropology, & education to family therapy.
  • Demonstrate competency in basic clinical skills for the practice of MCFT.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of research methods.
  • Maintain membership in AAMFT.
  • Develop skills in working with other humans, other beings, or the environment through 100 hours volunteer/professional experience
  • Demonstrate ability to analyze how family and societal contexts and dimensions of power and oppression shape presenting issues.
  • Analyze power dynamics across family relationships with consideration of broader societal contexts.
  • Expand knowledge of key concepts in MCFT models in relation to their relevance across diverse social locations.
  • Identify and apply complex MCFT interventions to a variety of presenting issues with attention to integration of societal context and diverse social locations.
  • Integrate DSM diagnoses into multisytemic contexts.
  • Develop treatment plans based on systemic case conceptualizations and the sociocultural contexts that impact these relationships and presenting issues.
  • Apply MCFT research to treatment planning.
  • Demonstrate crisis intervention skills.
  • Observe at least 20 hours of clinical practice
  • Clarify a personal ecosystemic/ relational model for clinical practice
  • Maintain membership in AAMFT & participate in a professional training event or activity in the community.
  • Obtain at least 500 (at least 200 relational) hours direct client contact with diverse clientele and clinical issues
  • Complete 12 months as part of team practice at L& C community clinic with emphasis on applications that promote social justice.
  • Complete 15 month internship in community setting.
  • Demonstrate just, ethical practice.
  • Engage in a process of on-going professional development.
  • Demonstrate excellent therapeutic skills with individuals, couples, and families across each of the following clinical practice domains:
    1. Initiating & concluding treatment
    2. Assessment & diagnosis
    3. Treatment planning & goals
    4. Therapeutic interventions
    5. Multiple systems
    6. Contextual & developmental
    7. Managing conflict & risk
    8. Knowledge & use of research
    9. Self of the therapist
    10. Legal & Ethical
  • Demonstrate evidence-based practice.
  • Pass the AMFTRB practice exam.
  • Complete professional portfolio.
  • Maintain membership in AAMFT & begin developing professional network in the community/field.