Philadelphia Child and Family Therapy
Training Center, Inc.
DISTANCE EDUCATION

Home

Clinical Programs

Courses

Workshops

Home-Based Training

Distance Education

Traveling Faculty Program

Faculty

General Info & CE

For those unable to travel to the Philadelphia area for training, we can provide:

• Individually-designed, post-graduate, regular mail, correspondence courses in marital or family therapy, child and adolescent mental health, etc.(see below).
• Two courses are also available on the internet: "The Treatment of Substance Abuse in Families and Couples" and "Research Methods in Marriage and Family Therapy".
• Telephone or e-mail consultation on clinical, supervisory or programmatic issues

• Theoretical and Historical Development of Family Therapy, Part I and Part II (Area I)
  These two 45-hour courses, which must be taken together, survey in considerable detail all the major schools and theories of family therapy from the beginning origins of family therapy to the present.
  
  Educational Objectives: 1) to provide an historical context for understanding the current theory and practice of family therapy as applied to everyday clinical concerns; 2) to learn basic assumptions regarding problem formation and change for the major models of family therapy; 3) to identify the fundamental concepts of family therapy which are accepted across all models. Evaluation: Short-answer exam for Part I and essay exam for Part II. Required texts: Nichols, M.P. & Schwartz, R.C. (2006). Family Therapy: Concepts and Methods (7th Edition). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Hoffman, L. (1981) Foundations of Family Therapy. New York: Basic Books.
  Tuition: $700.00 Part I and $700.00 Part II

• Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy (Area II)
  This 45-hour course focuses on the theoretical underpinnings of the Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy model and the application of this therapeutic model to family assessment and treatment intervention across diverse clinical problems with sensitivity to issues of gender and cultural diversity. Emphasis is given to the special strengths and resources of the African-American family. The clinical problems include: sexual abuse, adolescent depression and suicide, attention deficit disorder and learning difficulties, and sexual dysfunction.

Educational Objectives: 1) to describe the application of systemic, structural and developmental theoretical concepts in the assessment and treatment of clinical problems; 2) to generate assessment information and descriptions of appropriate interventions within the model. Evaluation: Participants must complete in-depth analyses of two of their current cases, referencing the theoretical concepts, assessment methods, and interventions described in the course materials. Required texts: Salvador Minuchin (1974), Families and Family Therapy, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA;. Salvador Minuchin and C. Fishman (1981), Family Therapy Techniques, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA; Optional text: Haley, J. (1987, 2nd edition). Problem-Solving Therapy: New Strategies for Effective Family Therapy. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Tuition: $700.00

• Developmental and Clinical Issues (Area II or III)
  This 45-hour course focuses on the application of the Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy model across the family life cycle (marriage to adult children) and to structural variations of families (i.e., divorcing families, single parents and remarriage) with sensitivity to gender and cultural diversity.

Educational Objectives: 1) to apply the Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy model in methods of assessment and intervention with families across the family life cycle: couples; young children in family therapy; families with adolescents; families with adult children; 2) to apply the methods of the Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy model to assessment and intervention with divorcing, single parent and remarried families. Evaluation: Participants must complete in-depth analyses of two cases currently being treated by the participant, referencing the theoretical concepts, assessment methods, and interventions described in the course materials. Required texts: Salvador Minuchin (1974), Families and Family Therapy, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA;. Salvador Minuchin and C. Fishman (1981), Family Therapy Techniques, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA;. Optional Text: Haley, J. (1987, 2nd edition). Problem-Solving Therapy: New Strategies for Effective Family Therapy. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Tuition: $700.00

• Couples and Couples Therapy (Area II)
  This 45-hour course is designed to provide the couple and family clinician with an appreciation of the current research, theory and practice literature related to couples development, couples interaction and couples intervention. The course is comprised of six distinct modules: diversity of couple relationships; psychological tasks of couples; recent couples interaction and communication research; assessment of couples; major clinical approaches to couples therapy; special challenges, such as treating same sex couples.

Educational Objectives: 1) to identify the influence of socio-cultural factors and gender-based roles on the developing couple; 2) to recognize the reciprocol influences between individual adult development, stages of the family life cycle and couple functioning; 3) to identify important relationship dimensions for couples assessment and to be familiar with the major tools available to measure them; 4) to become familiar with the basic distinguishing principals of couples therapy and to know the current major approaches to treating distressed couples.
Required texts: Young, M.E. & Long, L.L. (1998). Counseling and Therapy for Couples. New York: Brooks/Cole Publishing; Dattilio, F.M. (1998) Case Studies in Couples and Family Therapy: Systemic and Cognitive Perspectives. New York: Guilford Press.
Tuition: $700.00

• The Treatment of Substance Abuse in Families and Couples (Area II)
  This 45-hour course focuses on the treatment of substance abuse for couples and individuals within the context of the family. It includes an overview of substance abuse treatment research and evidence-based methods for effectively intervening with individuals, couples, and families who are impacted by substance misuse and abuse, including motivational interviewing, behavioral couples therapy, and brief strategic family therapy. The course employs a developmental perspective and includes treatment methodologies for both adult and adolescent substance abusers.

Educational Objectives: The 16 educational objectives for this course which are derived explicitly from the MFT Core Competencies include: 1.2.3, 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.1.4, 2.1.5, 2.1.6, 2.2.5, 2.3.1, 2.3.2, 2.3.5, 3.1.1, 3.1.4, 3.3.1, 4.1.1, 4.3.1, 6.1.1. Evaluation: the ability to apply theory and strategies to practice will be evaluated..
Required texts: None
Tuition: $700.00

• Research Methods in Marriage and Family Therapy (Area V)
  This 45-hour course is designed to provide the couple and family clinician who is not actively engaged in research an appreciation for the scientific process and the empirical foundation for the field.

Educational Objectives: The educational objectives for this course which are derived explicitly from the MFT Core Competencies include: 4.1.1, 4.3.1, 6.1.1, 6.1.2, 6.1.3, 6.3.3. Evaluation: Participants will 1) review and critique recent research articles in an area of interest and with an annotated bibliography; 2) propose a research question that might be studied using two different types of methodologies on the topic of interest selected from the annotated bibliography. Required texts: Orcher, L.T. (2005). Conducting Research: Social and Behavioral Science Methods. Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Publishing; Sprenkle, D.H. & Piercey, F.P (2005). Research Methods in Family Therapy (2nd Ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
Tuition: $700.00.

 

• Ethics in Family Therapy (Area IV)
  This 45-hour course focuses on ethical dilemmas faced in training, therapy and in supervision. It demonstrates the complicated issues and ethical questions in the practice of marriage and family therapy where the client is no longer an individual but rather a couple or family. The AAMFT Code of Ethics will be examined in detail.

Educational Objectives: 1) to recognize ethical, legal and professional issues in marriage and family therapy; 2) to recognize the AAMFT Code of Ethics. Evaluation: Participants will be required to take a two-hour essay exam at the end of this course. Required text: Gladding, S., Remley, T., and Huber, C. (2001), Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in the Practice of Marriage and Family Therapy. Third Edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Merrill Publishing Co., a division of Prentice Hall.
Tuition: $700.00.

 

• Assessment and Treatment of Childhood Trauma (Area II)
  This 45-hour course will review state of the art theory and research regarding the neurobioological, cognitive, emotional and behavioral impacts of trauma on children. A range of traditional and non-traditional treatment strategieswill reviewed, such as play and art therapy, resiliency training, uses of visual imagery, cognitive behavioral interventions and emdr. All of these treatment strategies will be reviewed within the context of family systems treatment.

Educational Objectives: 1) increase understanding of the multiple impacts of trauma on children, such as brain functioning and social-emotional development; 2) increase ability to identify symptoms of trauma in children at different ages; 3) become knowledgeable about current treatment strategies for reducing symptoms and helping children to integrate traumatic memories. Required text: Van der Kolk, B.A., McFarlane, A.C. & Weisbeth, L. (1996). Traumatic Stress: The Effects of Overwhelming Experience on Mind, Body and Society. New York: Guilford Press.
Tuition: $700.00.

• Family-Centered Treatment of Problems in Early Childhood (Area III)
  This 45-hour course provides practitioners with a survey of recent developmental theory and research on young children, ranging from infancy through the early elementary school years. Stanley Greenspan's model of how social-emotional competence normally unfolds will be given particular focus, along with how individual differences in child temperament, sensory processing and learning styles impact developmental trajectories. In keeping with an applied developmental emphasis, parent-child interactional patterns which constrain or promote emerging developmental capacities at each stage of development will also be examined.

Educational Objectives: 1) to identify normal social/emotional milestones; 2) to identify the primary features of "off-course" or "at-risk" social/emotional development; 3)to understand how developmental variations or constitutional challenges in the child can shape family interactional patterns; 4) to become familiar with the clinical applications of a bio-developmental-systems model. Required texts: Davies, D. (1999). Child Development: A Practitioner's Guide, New York: Guilford Press; Greenspan, S.I. (1997). The Growth of the Mind and the Endangered Origins of Intelligence. New York: Addison-Wesley.
Tuition: $700.00.

• Psychopathology (Area III)
  This 45-hour course is designed to teach practitioners how to utilize the DSM-IV TR in differential diagnosis. Practical clinical applications will be emphasized.
  
  Educational objectives: 1) to learn the application of DSM-IV diagnostic criteria in clinical evaluations; 2) to learn the DSM-IV system for Multiaxial Diagnosis; 3) to learn the essentials of a strength-based assessment in clinical evaluations.Required texts: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, (DSM-IV: TR-2000) (2000), American Psychiatric Association; Spitzer, R., Gibbon, M., Skodol, A., Williams, J., and First, M. (1994), Washington DC: American Psychiatric Press.
  Tuition: $700.00.

****************
Registration: Send a letter specifying the name of the course(s) you wish to purchase. Provide your home address. Include a check, made payable (in U.S. funds) to the Philadelphia Child and Family Therapy Training Center, Inc., and mail it to PO Box 4092, Philadelphia, PA 19118-8092. International participants will be billed for postage costs if course materials are mailed.

Text books can be purchased on the internet, or ordered through any of the large book chains.

All course material (including syllabi, course module descriptions and references) is copyrighted by
the Philadelphia Child and Family Therapy Training Center, Inc., and may not be reproduced.