A display of the MSFT curriculum and description of the MSFT schedule are presented in this segment, drawn directly from the Friends University Catalog.
PROGRAM AND COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
The Master of Science in Family Therapy degree provides academic and clinical training for persons seeking competence in the professional discipline of marriage and family therapy. This degree meets the graduate education requirements for the status of Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist (LCMFT) in Kansas.
Students complete 52 credit hours earned through 19 academic courses and three semesters of continuous clinical internship completed within a 23-month period.
Two comprehensive examinations occur in Terms 2 and 4, covering academic learning and clinical skill development.
The clinical internship begins during the second semester and continues concurrent with the ongoing academic coursework. Students are responsible for completing 1,000 hours of supervised professional experience inclusive of 1) 500 client contact hours with individuals, couples, and families, and 2) 125 hours of supervision. Weekly clinical supervision, involving both individual/dyadic and group supervision, is offered throughout the clinical internship. All clinical supervision requires enrollment in the Clinical Internship series. Supervision is provided by the program’s clinical faculty and by qualified practitioners in the placement site. Video recorded segments of the student’s clinical sessions assist the supervision process. “Live” supervision through one-way mirror, camera or in-room observation is also expected. Three levels of defined learning objectives guide clinical skill development and evaluation.
Enrollment in the clinical internship series provides professional liability coverage for clinical training activities at all sites. Entry into training requires student membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), child abuse registry clearance, and faculty review for student readiness to begin client contact. Recording equipment is provided at Center on Family Living facilities. Students may need to provide audio or video recorders for use in community placement settings. Basic computer skills are necessary for clinical documentation and academic coursework.
Students are responsible for accomplishing the required internship hours. MSFT students on the Wichita campus are expected to see two to six cases weekly at the University's Center on Family Living. All other clinical placements are developed and approved by program personnel according to Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) accreditation guidelines. Students may request a specific placement option matching their area of training interest dependent upon site availability.
The Master of Science in Family Therapy at Friends University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), 112 S. Alfred St., Alexandria, VA 22314. Friends University is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60603-2504, telephone 800-621-7440. The Master of Science in Family Therapy program admits academically qualified students without regard to sex, age, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, handicap, Vietnam Era Veteran status, Special Disabled Veteran status, or disability, to all the rights, privileges, programs and opportunities generally available to students.
Interested persons not wishing to complete the entire program may request to take up to four academic modules.
SCHEDULE
The complete MSFT program curriculum is delivered separately at the Wichita campus and the Kansas City instructional site in Lenexa, Kansas. The program’s first three credit hour module is taught in one-week intensive format, occurring the first week of August (Monday through Friday). The second module, for one credit hour, occurs on two successive Thursday evenings and a half-day Saturday. Instruction of primary modules then assumes the normal schedule from 5 to 10 p.m. on Thursdays at each site through the duration of the degree with some variation dependent on the amount of required learning activity completed through the University’s computer-based Internet course management system, Blackboard. All academic courses are set in a scheduled sequence and supported by a dedicated site via Blackboard. Two week breaks from classes occur in December-January and in July-August. Spring Break is scheduled in mid-March.
In addition to Thursday evenings, clinical training adds significant time requirements as follows. At the beginning of Term 1 and continuing midway through Term 2, Clinical Foundations 1 and 2 provide additional instruction through weekly two-hour sessions supporting readiness to enter clinical training. By early April, following completion of the Clinical Foundations courses, students begin weekly clinical supervision and direct client contact, requiring seven to 10 hours weekly. By Term 3 (August), and throughout the second year, the full training schedule is required, consisting of 15 to 20 hours weekly for dyadic and group supervision, delivery of therapy services, documentation and case management tasks. If clinical training requirements are not met by the conclusion of Term 4, the student must continue the clinical internship until completed by enrolling in consecutive eight-week modules of clinical supervision (see Course Listings for FMTH 692 Clinical Internship-Extended).
COURSE LISTINGS
TERM 1
FMTH 503 Foundations of Marriage and Family Therapy
Presents the historical development of the MFT profession. Includes overview of major theoretical influences and in-depth examination of the family systems paradigm. (Taught as a one-week intensive course during the first week of August on the Wichita campus and at the Mission site.) 3 hours
FMTH 511 Research in MFT 1
Introduces role of research in professional practice and the scientist-practitioner model. Assists students to access and engage research literature specific to clinical topics. 1 hour
FMTH 512 Clinical Foundations 1
Occurs across Term 1 to address self-awareness, primary interpersonal skills, multicultural sensitivity, and basic elements of professionalism. Includes observation of psychotherapy and practice in leading the helping interview. Concludes with a review of readiness to proceed with clinical training in Term 2.
2 hours
FMTH 520 Emotion, Attachment, and Trauma
Creates a working knowledge of neuroscience to explore the power of primary human bonds. Introduces emotion and attachment theory as frameworks for adaptive relationship competence. Examines the impact of trauma on memory, physiology, and the emotion of interpersonal encounter. 3 hours
FMTH 543 Intergenerational Family Dynamics
Studies the influence of intergenerational forces upon individuals and relationships. Examines primary concepts from Bowen’s natural systems theory, Nagy’s relational justice approach, and other related theorists. Introduces clinical uses of the genogram. 3 hours
TERM 2
FMTH 565 Diagnostic Assessment of Psychopathology and Relational Functioning
Presents an integrated approach to diagnostic assessment of individuals, couples and families seeking mental health services. Addresses affective, cognitive, and behavioral problems of individuals in the context of marital and family systems. Includes training in DSM-IV and common assessment measures.
5 hours
FMTH 572 Clinical Foundations 2
Occurs in the first months of Term 2 leading to the beginning of supervised client contact. Addresses the clinical processes supporting psychotherapy including informed consent, negotiating the treatment plan, and writing the treatment record. Includes instruction on use of supervision, consultation, and referral. 2 hours
FMTH 593 Structural/Solution Approaches to Therapy
Presents the structural and solution schools of MFT practice. Focuses on the organizing elements of family life that help regulate personal and relationship behavior and how relational problems are often composites of habits, patterns, and misguided viewpoints. Addresses family roles, subsystem boundaries, interactional patterns, and strength-based and solution-oriented thinking as forces for therapeutic change. 3 hours
FMTH 581 Ethical and Professional Issues in MFT Practice 1
Introduces guidelines of ethical behavior for the MFT professional and explores primary responsibilities of assuming the role of therapist. Examines the AAMFT Code of Ethics and Kansas MFT regulations with specific application to the clinical internship. 1 hour
FMTH 591 Pharmacology in Mental Health Services
Introduces medications used in biological psychiatry and other medical treatments commonly associated with affective, cognitive, and behavioral concerns. Includes skills for effective collaboration with physicians. 1 hour
FMTH 603 Clinical Internship - Entry
Beginning segment of clinical training initiated in Term 2. Requires faculty review and approval of student's readiness to begin client contact. Clinical experience begins in April with three to five client contact hours concurrent with weekly dyadic or group supervision sessions and increases to a full caseload of 10-12 hours by August. Videotape of student's clinical work and live observation utilized in the supervisory process. Defined skill level learning objectives guide student learning and supervisory evaluation. 3 hours
TERM 3
FMTH 611 Intimacy and Sexuality in Couples
Explores the human experience of shared self in couple relationships. Theoretical concepts and clinical interventions promoting meaningful expressions of intimacy addressed. Includes examination of treatment of sexual dysfunction. 1 hour
FMTH 622 Cognitive/Behavioral Approaches to Therapy
Presents the cognitive and behavioral schools of MFT practice. Focuses on the integration of values, beliefs, and behavioral experiences that comprise the matrix of decision making guiding individual and interpersonal behavior. Addresses cognitive strategies, belief identification, and behavior modification as tools for therapeutic change. 2 hours
FMTH 625 Clinical Internship - Intermediate
Middle segment of clinical training beginning in August addressing intermediate clinical skill development. Requires a full caseload of 10-12 client contact hours concurrent with dyadic and group supervision weekly. Videotape of students' clinical work and live observation utilized in the supervisory process. Defined skill level learning objectives guide student learning and supervisory evaluation. 5 hours
FMTH 621 Treating Addictive Disorders
Addresses a spectrum of addictive disorders including chemicals, food, sex, and relationships with focus on the biological, social, and psychological aspects of the addictive process. Application to the family systems paradigm with emphasis on diagnosis and treatment strategies. 1 hour
FMTH 633 Narrative Approaches to Therapy
Presents an examination of the therapeutic approaches informed by the postmodern epistemological paradigm in the practice of MFT. Emphasis is given to an overview of the historical, philosophical and ideological aspects of the narrative/social constructionist paradigm. Students are guided through the process of externalizing problem-saturated metanarratives and locating problems within sociocultural contexts. The heart of the course is devoted to opening space for developing alternative stories that represent the preferred narratives clients have for their lives. 2 hours
FMTH 631 Violence in Couples and Families
Examines forms of violence and related systemic dynamics most common in abusive relationships. Domestic violence, child abuse, incest, and sexual exploitation are addressed. Includes multisystemic assessment and treatment approaches. 1 hour
TERM 4
FMTH 662 Emotion-Focused Approaches to Therapy
Examines the theoretical approaches of Marriage and Family Therapy practice which emphasize the affective/emotional aspect of human relationships. The course focuses on how emotion informs the relational patterns of therapeutic process in MFT. Experiential activities are examined that facilitate the exploration and repair of attachment bonds. Emotion awareness, emotion regulation, and emotional response patterns are also investigated as areas for therapeutic change. 2 hours
FMTH 654 Clinical Internship - Advanced
Concluding segment of clinical training beginning in January addressing advanced clinical skill development. Requires a full caseload of 10-12 client contact hours concurrent with dyadic and group supervision weekly. Videotape of student's clinical work and live observation utilized in the supervisory process. Defined skill level learning objectives guide student learning and supervisory evaluation. (NOTE: If AAMFT clinical training criteria are not met within this final internship segment, fees for additional clinical supervision will be charged.) 4 hours
FMTH 663 Developmental Perspectives of Change
Examines individual and family developments and integral variables such as stress, gender, cultural context, spirituality, and diverse family forms. Addresses perspectives of change defined by the major MFT models and introduces a meta view of the change process. Explores use of a developmental approach in clinical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. 3 hours
FMTH 642 Research in MFT 2
Reengages the scientist-practitioner model and role of research in clinical practice. Adds basic skills needed to identify the research process including methodology, variability, significance, reliability, and validity. Promotes integration of research and practice by examining selected evidence-based treatment approaches. 2 hours
FMTH 672 Ethical and Professional Issues in MFT Practice 2
Explores ethical behavior and decision making for the MFT professional. Includes topics related to standards of care, collaboration, practice/reimbursement issues, and court testimony. Examines MFT regulation and the process of state licensure. Concludes with presentation of the student’s personal theory of therapy to external panel of evaluators. 2 hours
FMTH 691 Clinical Internship - Extended
Provides additional clinical supervision to FMTH clinical students unable to complete client contact hour requirements within the program's 23-month schedule. Includes two hours weekly of supervision in individual, dyad, or group formats over eight weeks per section. Course awards no additional credit toward degree. Tuition charge for 1 credit hour is nonrefundable. 1 hour
