Couple and Family Therapy: About the Programs

Thank you for your interest in Couple and Family Therapy. Your ability to succeed in today’s mental health environment will greatly depend on the kind of educational and clinical preparation you receive. The Graduate Programs in Couple and Family Therapy’s emphasis is on training therapists to be both culturally aware and culturally competent. This program is an excellent foundation upon which to build your future career in couple and family therapy within the context of a highly culturally diverse marketplace.

Family Therapy (M.F.T.)
The Master of Family Therapy Program prepares couple and family therapy practitioners. It is a two-year degree program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). It prepares students for the profession of marriage and family therapy through academic and clinical training. The program utilizes a system framework emphasizing the interdependence of individual experience and the relational context. The program is committed to training therapists to be aware of and sensitive to cultural diversity.

Curriculum
The curriculum assists students in the integration of theory and practice. Students are exposed to a comprehensive survey of major models of change in the field of couple and family therapy with an emphasis on assessment and treatment. The curriculum addresses complex relational dynamics across the family life cycle with a particular focus on such contexts as race class spirituality gender and sexual orientation. As part of the requirements for graduation students must receive a minimum of 500 hours of direct client contact hours (250 must be with couples and/or families) and a minimum of 100 hours of supervision (50 hours of supervision must be focused on raw data). Students are provided an intensive supervised clinical experience with a culturally diverse client population and varied presenting symptoms

Couple and Family Therapy (Ph.D.)
The Ph.D. Program in Couple and Family Therapy (CFT) prepares educators researchers and practitioners. Students are trained to advance the knowledge base of couple and family therapy through education research and clinical services.

Overview

The Ph.D. Program in Couple and Family Therapy is rooted in systems theory and therapy. Emphasis is on specialized training in couple and family therapy theory and technique. Students are expected to demonstrate critical and analytical thinking with respect to the broad areas of systems theory and therapy and to articulate their own theoretical approach to couple and family therapy. The program is committed to training students to be aware of and sensitive to such contextual issues as race class gender spiritual and sexual orientation as well as person of the therapist.

Because Drexel University is located in the major city of Philadelphia students have the unique opportunity to interact with a diverse client population and address a wide variety of clinical issues. Students must be involved in clinical work throughout the program.

Students who are already AAMFT Clinical Members must complete a 9 to 12 month research or other approved internship of at least 30 hours per week after completion of a majority of coursework leading to the Ph.D. degree in Couple and Family Therapy.

Marlene F. Watson, PhD, LMFT Chair

Stephanie Brooks, MSW, LCSW, LMFT, Director of MFT/PMC Programs

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