Family Therapy Theory and Practice (part 2)/Supervised Clinical Practice

Module synopsis here...

Objectives

• Facilitate your effective clinical practice through ongoing analysis of factors pertaining to your values, interpersonal style and capacities with your work within the therapist-client system, and the refinement of your integration within defined family therapy and associated theoretical frameworks. You will be able to:

1. Conduct clinical work with an ongoing consciousness about significant factors relating to your family of origin and your cultural identity
2. Identify, in retrospect at least, how family and cultural factors may have facilitated or constrained your flexibility in your practice.
3. Apply theoretical concepts to family and cultural factors influencing your practice.
4. Appraise each situation as it arises and take steps to address your family and cultural factors to increase your responsiveness and flexibility in clinical practice.

• Assess and formulate effective family interventions by analysing family situations, including your own, using a range of theoretical frameworks, and knowledge pertaining to complex family situations. You will be able to:

1. Analyse family situations by using appropriate specialist knowledge pertaining to complex family situations.
2. Integrate specialist knowledge with information collected from the family and family therapy theoretical frameworks
3. Formulate an effective intervention based on the results of the analysis of a case involving complex family situations.

• Conduct an efficient and effective interactionally based family intervention using a broad range of appropriate family therapy techniques. You will be able to:

1. Integrate an interactional focus and relational questioning with other approaches as required by the clients’ unique circumstances.
2. Perform executive functions as appropriate within the therapeutic framework being utilised.
3. Exercise increased flexibility in terms of role and approach as determined following a careful assessment and appraisal of the needs of the family, your own values, and the available resources.

Assignments

1. A verbatim analysis of a session (3000 word equiv)
2. A group presentation summarising the group's learning in this subject (1000 word equiv)
3. A written reflection of learning (2000 word equiv)
4. A contact sheet as proof of clinical requirement (200 word equiv)
5. A formalised clinical skills assessment feedback session (200 words equiv)

Topics, activities and resources

• Experiential exercise for reflection of the impact of family oforigin on clinical work
• Small group discussion about your personal style, values and capacities
• Feedback from small group supervisor and group about the role of your personal style, values and capacities as it influences your clinical work with families.
• Case analyses reflecting on the impact of your personal style, values, and capacities.
• Small group discussion to analyse family situations and plan for interventions including the application of various theoretical frameworks prior to and following live work with families.
• Case analyses of work with families seen in live work and in your own work context.
• Live supervised work with families from The Bouverie Centre in the context of a small group of no more than 6 students using a reflecting team format.
• Immediate feedback from the supervisor and team following your sessions with families
• Role play to experiment with different styles and approaches with families and with the group.