15 hours
- HMSC-5013 Systems Theory
- MFTH-5013 Theoretical Models of the Family
- MFTH-5063 Couples Treatment and Contemporary Issues in Marriage and Family Therapy
- MFTH-5053 Child and Adolescent Therapy
- OR MFTH-5023 Basic Therapy Skills (if student is not a licensed therapist)
- AND MFTH-XXXX, Systemic Family Therapy In-Service (3 hours). The in-service is taught at the independent-study level by a faculty who is teaching a practicum course during the semester that this level has been reached by the certificate student. The purpose of this course is for the certificate student to go through a practical experience carrying at least one systemic case (client configuration: two or more in the room) under clinical supervision. Competencies from the four core classes will be demonstrated through the student providing video of their own systemic family case, a presentation of the case, systemic model utilized, cycles tracked, interventions provided, and change completed will be required.
This certificate program is designed to support those wanting increased systemic and relational training. This program will be especially salient for ministers, professionals who carry a non-MFT mental health license, and for medical providers who wish to better respond to couple and family systems within their practices.
The program is estimated to take one calendar year to complete but will be dependent upon the personal resources and schedules of the individual certificate students enrolled. It would allow a BBHL licensed student who stretched the courses over two years to get their full 20 hours per year of required continuing education while growing in a relational area of training (the certificate course would fully equate to 50 total CEUs).
Application requirements include an official transcript documenting a bachelor’s degree and enrollment is ongoing.
The OC MFT Program and Systemic Family Therapy Certificate is centered around these 5 organizing goals:
- Knowledge & Practice: Graduates will demonstrate systemic/relational knowledge essential to practice of Marriage & Family Therapy.
- Diversity: Graduates will be culturally responsive in their work with people from diverse backgrounds, communities, and identities.
- Ethics: Graduates will demonstrate an understanding of relevant ethical codes and legal principles as well as competence in relational/systemic ethical decision-making skills.
- Research: Graduates will demonstrate competence in synthesizing and applying research to clinical practice and incorporating feedback measures to improve client outcomes.
- Self of the Therapist: Graduates will demonstrate ability to assess and monitor “self of the therapist” (including biopyschosoical/spiritual [BPSS] beliefs) with respect to clients and treatment process and its impact on clinical outcomes.
