Master of Arts Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy

Students will complete the course with a better understanding of systems theory concepts and the role of systemic dynamics within diverse populations. This course is also an orientation to Northcentral University and to the essential skills needed to pursue a Master of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. Graduate-level skills, such as goal building, time management, academic integrity, effective use of the Northcentral Library, the use of APA form and style in professional communication, and critical thinking skills are introduced.

This Master’s level course provides students with a strong foundation in classic and intergenerational models in the field of Marriage and Family Therapy. To deepen this understanding of these models, the course also focuses on their application through theory-based treatment planning. The course is designed to allow students to gain a deeper awareness of the important relationship between theory and practice through the study and application of theory to client situations. The two primary areas of focus in this course are: 1) understanding the Classic Models of the field and; 2) the development of theoretically consistent treatment plans that include attention to the diversity of influences on family life using therapeutic models that purposefully address such influences.

This Master’s level course focuses on post-modern models and treatment trends in marriage and family therapy including the philosophy of social constructionism and the narrative, solution focused, and collaborative models, and the recovery model. Course content will enable students to conceptualize and distinguish recent epistemological issues and address contemporary conceptual directions in the field of marriage and family therapy. Students will complete short essays, case studies, and assorted assignments to address a wide variety of presenting clinical problems and issues such as gender and racial diversity and discrimination, feminism, substance abuse, and recovery from mental illness.

This course addresses issues related to diversity, equity, power, privilege, and oppression as they relate to culture and social location, including but not limited to ethnicity, gender, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and  spirituality. Each of these characteristics is examined with respect to the relevance they have to the profession and practice of marriage and family therapy.  You will examine systemic therapeutic approaches, as well as self of the therapist contexts that influence their ability to address diverse issues presented by a variety of clients. In addition students will appraise ethical dilemmas in the framework of cultural competency.

This Master’s level course provides an opportunity to review various assessments and evaluations tools utilized by marriage and family therapists for clinical and research purposes. You will receive an overview of psychological test construction, administration, and interpretation in both traditional and telehealth settings. In addition to systemic evaluation measures for individuals, couples, and families, you will learn how to conduct a needs assessment and standard case management methods, including identifying and aligning clients with appropriate community resources. You are also invited to consider diversity as one of the fundamental concepts of a successful and productive evaluation. 

This course focuses on legal and ethical issues related to the profession of marriage and family therapy and the practice of individual, couple, and family therapy. The course includes content regarding professional identity, including professional socialization, scope of practice, professional organizations, licensure, and certification.

Using a relational/systemic perspective, this course will address the traditional psychodiagnostic categories as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The focus of the course content is on the assessment and treatment of major mental health issues outlining the comparison between the psychiatric diagnostic classification system and relational systems-based approaches.

This Master’s level course provides students with an opportunity to develop their personal model of therapy for working with couples with a variety of issues, such as differing values and sexual dysfunction. Through the study of several models of couples therapy and sex therapy, students will focus on assessment of couples’ dynamics, goal setting, and potential interventions. Special consideration will be given to diversity and ethical issues throughout the course. 

This course provides students with an understanding of clinical research methods and design. In addition, it addresses the relevance of research to students’ clinical work. Students will investigate existing research and research methods used in marriage and family therapy, both quantitative and qualitative. Ethical issues and considerations in research will also be addressed, as well as learning to critically evaluate existing research. A primary aim of the course is to help students become evidence-based practitioners.

This course will include content on individual and family development across the lifespan. The human development course has specific emphasis given to developmentally appropriate and atypical transitions related to common concerns in marriage and family therapy. Students will appraise the issues related to human development and lifespan using a systems-based perspective.

This course provides you with an opportunity to start acquiring direct client contact and supervision hours towards graduation requirements. The emphasis of this course is on building foundational clinical skills and learning the skills needed to operate effectively and ethically when providing telehealth. Additionally, there will be a focus on furthering your systemic thought and application to clinical cases. You will be reintroduced to general systems theory as a foundation for exploring your personal theory of therapy. There is also a focus on cultural humility with diverse populations and ethical decision making, as well as an exploration of the self of the therapist and personal growth.  A majority of the work in this course will occur in the weekly 2-hour group supervision sessions with other NU students.

In this course you will continue acquiring direct client contact and supervision hours towards graduation requirements. The emphasis of this course is on solidifying your ability to both apply and explain systems theory in relation to your clinical cases. You will be asked to apply systems theory concepts and assumptions to your cases and conceptualize from multiple MFT models. Cultural humility with diverse populations, ethical decision making, and self of the therapist exploration will also be foci. A majority of the work in this course will occur in the weekly two-hour group supervision sessions with other NU students. (Student Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4)

In this course you will continue acquiring direct client contact and supervision hours towards graduation requirements. The emphasis of this course is on extending the systemic foundations gained in the Practicum courses to explore the MFT model that fits your own personal theory of therapy and explore research available about your model of choice. A majority of the work in this course will occur in the weekly two-hour group supervision sessions with other MFT students.

In this course you will continue acquiring direct client contact and supervision hours towards graduation requirements. The emphasis of this course is on building off of the systemic understanding and application gained in the prior courses to explore the MFT model that fits your own personal theory of therapy. You will further work on your Capstone presentation by exploring ethical and legal considerations that may come up with your model and that you have managed during your clinical experience. In addition, self of the therapist work will be explored, and your Capstone draft will be presented. A majority of the work in this course will occur in the weekly two-hour group supervision sessions with other students.

In this final clinical course, you will need to successfully meet the graduation hour requirements and pass your Capstone presentation. The emphasis of this course is on integrating feedback from the prior courses so that you can identify and explain the MFT model of therapy that best fits your personal theory of therapy. The final Capstone presentation will require you to identify how your chosen model is systemic, discuss research associated with your chosen model, and demonstrate your competency in the model via a case presentation. Additionally, you will discuss your cultural humility with diverse populations, ethical considerations you have encountered, and reflections on your self of the therapist exploration and growth. A majority of the work in this course will occur in the weekly two-hour group supervision sessions with other students.

Students will complete the course with a better understanding of systems theory concepts and the role of systemic dynamics within diverse populations. This course is also an orientation to the University and to the essential skills needed to pursue a Master of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. Graduate-level skills, such as goal building, time management, academic integrity, effective use of the University Library, the use of APA form and style in professional communication, and critical thinking skills are introduced.

This Master’s level course provides students with a strong foundation in classic and intergenerational models in the field of Marriage and Family Therapy. To deepen this understanding of these models, the course also focuses on their application through theory-based treatment planning. The course is designed to allow students to gain a deeper awareness of the important relationship between theory and practice through the study and application of theory to client situations. The two primary areas of focus in this course are: 1) understanding the Classic Models of the field and; 2) the development of theoretically consistent treatment plans that include attention to the diversity of influences on family life using therapeutic models that purposefully address such influences.

This Master’s level course focuses on post-modern models and treatment trends in marriage and family therapy including the philosophy of social constructionism and the narrative, solution focused, and collaborative models, and the recovery model. Course content will enable students to conceptualize and distinguish recent epistemological issues and address contemporary conceptual directions in the field of marriage and family therapy. Students will complete short essays, case studies, and assorted assignments to address a wide variety of presenting clinical problems and issues such as gender and racial diversity and discrimination, feminism, substance abuse, and recovery from mental illness.

This course addresses issues related to diversity, equity, power, privilege, and oppression as they relate to culture and social location, including but not limited to ethnicity, gender, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and  spirituality. Each of these characteristics is examined with respect to the relevance they have to the profession and practice of marriage and family therapy.  You will examine systemic therapeutic approaches, as well as self of the therapist contexts that influence their ability to address diverse issues presented by a variety of clients. In addition students will appraise ethical dilemmas in the framework of cultural competency.

This Master’s level course provides an opportunity to review various assessments and evaluations tools utilized by marriage and family therapists for clinical and research purposes. You will receive an overview of psychological test construction, administration, and interpretation in both traditional and telehealth settings. In addition to systemic evaluation measures for individuals, couples, and families, you will learn how to conduct a needs assessment and standard case management methods, including identifying and aligning clients with appropriate community resources. You are also invited to consider diversity as one of the fundamental concepts of a successful and productive evaluation. 

This course is designed specifically for students living in or seeking licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) in the state of California. The course focuses on legal and ethical issues related to the profession of marriage and family therapy and the practice of individual, couple, and family therapy in the state of California. The course includes content regarding contemporary professional ethics and laws regarding the scope of practice, therapeutic and clinical considerations involving legal and ethical practice of MFTs, family law, current legal trends in the mental health profession, psychotherapist-patient privilege, confidentiality, the patient dangerous to self of others, the treatment of minors with and without parental consent, professional identity including the relationship between the sense of self and human values and one’ professional behavior and ethics, legal and ethical standards for different types of work settings, and the licensure laws and process.

Using a relational/systemic perspective, this course will address the traditional psychodiagnostic categories as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The focus of the course content is on the assessment and treatment of major mental health issues outlining the comparison between the psychiatric diagnostic classification system and relational systems-based approaches.

This Master’s level course provides students with an opportunity to develop their personal model of therapy for working with couples with a variety of issues, such as differing values and sexual dysfunction. Through the study of several models of couples therapy and sex therapy, students will focus on assessment of couples’ dynamics, goal setting, and potential interventions. Special consideration will be given to diversity and ethical issues throughout the course. 

This course provides an overview of systems-based theories and models that could be utilized by MFTs while working with children and their families. Course material will also address specific topics necessary to consider while providing therapeutic services, such as ethical dilemmas related to minors, opportunities of collaboration with extra-therapeutic systems, and possibilities of developing parenting strategies sensitive to the diverse population served by MFTs. Facilitating child involvement in the therapeutic process for families will be addressed as well.

This course will examine contemporary crisis-related issues in marriage and family therapy to include the intersections of gender, violence, trauma, substance abuse and other compulsive behaviors, eating disorders, suicide, chronic illness, infidelity and infertility. The focus will be on the effects of trauma and stress on family life and relationships and the assessment and treatment of individuals, couples, and families from a relational/systemic perspective with respect to these issues. Collaborative care, referral process, and community networking will be addressed considering the unique needs of the trauma population. Vicarious trauma and resilience will also be examined, with an emphasis on self-care for MFTs working with families in crisis. Ethical issues pertaining to the trauma work will be addressed.

This course provides students with an understanding of clinical research methods and design. In addition, it addresses the relevance of research to students’ clinical work. Students will investigate existing research and research methods used in marriage and family therapy, both quantitative and qualitative. Ethical issues and considerations in research will also be addressed, as well as learning to critically evaluate existing research. A primary aim of the course is to help students become evidence-based practitioners.

This course will include content on individual and family development across the lifespan. The human development course has specific emphasis given to developmentally appropriate and atypical transitions related to common concerns in marriage and family therapy. Students will appraise the issues related to human development and lifespan using a systems-based perspective.

This course provides an overview of systems-based theories and models that can be utilized by MFTs in the assessment and treatment of sexual disorders and dysfunction. The course materials will address physiological and psychological aspects of human sexuality, along with relevant issues such as ethical dilemmas in sex therapy and implications of diversity for sex.

This course provides an overview of a variety of systemic approaches which can be used to treat addiction. Students will be expected to consider self-of-the-therapist issues and diversity concerns as it relates to exposure to and treatment of addiction. A variety of addictive substances will also be introduced to help students understand the issues related to long-term and short-term effects of various classes of substances and the withdrawal symptoms which may be experienced by clients. Ethical issues, which present themselves when working as an MFT within the field of addictions, will also be explored.

This Master’s level course is designed to teach the basics of clinical psychopharmacology for marriage and family therapists. Students will consider how psychotropic medications affect specific populations such as children and older clients. Students will draw from DSM-5 diagnostic criteria as it applies to treatment decision-making and medications. Neuroscience research on psychopharmacology treatment will be reviewed and ethical implications will be discussed.

This course provides you with an opportunity to start acquiring direct client contact and supervision hours towards graduation requirements. The emphasis of this course is on building foundational clinical skills and learning the skills needed to operate effectively and ethically when providing telehealth. Additionally, there will be a focus on furthering your systemic thought and application to clinical cases. You will be reintroduced to general systems theory as a foundation for exploring your personal theory of therapy. There is also a focus on cultural humility with diverse populations and ethical decision making, as well as an exploration of the self of the therapist and personal growth.  A majority of the work in this course will occur in the weekly 2-hour group supervision sessions with other University students.

This course provides an overview of systems-based theories and models that can be utilized by MFTs working in the context of family violence. Students will explore theories and research related to family violence and look into various causes and consequences as well. The course materials will also address family violence in diverse contexts, as well as consideration of ethical dilemmas associated with situations pertaining to family violence and abuse.

In this course you will continue acquiring direct client contact and supervision hours towards graduation requirements. The emphasis of this course is on solidifying your ability to both apply and explain systems theory in relation to your clinical cases. You will be asked to apply systems theory concepts and assumptions to your cases and conceptualize from multiple MFT models. Cultural humility with diverse populations, ethical decision making, and self of the therapist exploration will also be foci. A majority of the work in this course will occur in the weekly two-hour group supervision sessions with other University students. (Student Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4)

In this course you will continue acquiring direct client contact and supervision hours towards graduation requirements. The emphasis of this course is on extending the systemic foundations gained in the Practicum courses to explore the MFT model that fits your own personal theory of therapy and explore research available about your model of choice. A majority of the work in this course will occur in the weekly two-hour group supervision sessions with other MFT students.

This course deals with the biological, social, cognitive, and psychological aspects of aging. Ancillary aspects of aging are also explored, including issues related to long-term care, end of life issues, the cultural context of human development, and the impact of socioeconomic status (especially poverty) on older adults. A significant focus of the course is the application of systemic treatment/theory to the older adult population and multigenerational families. Students will explore ethical dilemmas that might arise while working in gerontological settings and examine current research literature addressing systemic work with older adults, their families, and larger social systems.

In this course you will continue acquiring direct client contact and supervision hours towards graduation requirements. The emphasis of this course is on building off of the systemic understanding and application gained in the prior courses to explore the MFT model that fits your own personal theory of therapy. You will further work on your Capstone presentation by exploring ethical and legal considerations that may come up with your model and that you have managed during your clinical experience. In addition, self of the therapist work will be explored, and your Capstone draft will be presented. A majority of the work in this course will occur in the weekly two-hour group supervision sessions with other students.

In this final clinical course, you will need to successfully meet the graduation hour requirements and pass your Capstone presentation. The emphasis of this course is on integrating feedback from the prior courses so that you can identify and explain the MFT model of therapy that best fits your personal theory of therapy. The final Capstone presentation will require you to identify how your chosen model is systemic, discuss research associated with your chosen model, and demonstrate your competency in the model via a case presentation. Additionally, you will discuss your cultural humility with diverse populations, ethical considerations you have encountered, and reflections on your self of the therapist exploration and growth. A majority of the work in this course will occur in the weekly two-hour group supervision sessions with other students.