Marital & Family Therapy (MFT)

Course examines the theoretical underpinnings and fundamental concepts to marriage and family therapy. Focus will address a breadth of foundational information in Marital and Family Therapy in the following areas: Research methods, theories, and psychopathology.

Offered Fall, Spring

A course designed of special interest topics. Topic of content will vary as announced. Repeatable course

Offered As needed

Practicum Training Management 0-unit course allows students to prepare, collect, manage and store essential MFT experience/information required for clinical training and proficiencies. Students will use the program's management system to document their academic knowledge and clinical skill in practical activities.

Offered Fall, Spring, Summer

Prerequisites: Admisstion to MFT program. Co-requisite: MFT 566, MFT 570, MFT 576 Instructional seminar and demonstration of supervised basic clinical skills, clinical interviewing, assessment, and clinical intervention in the classroom. Emphasis is placed on the therapeutic alliance, the self-of-the-therapist, and collaboration.

Offered Fall

Prerequisites: MFT 525, MFT 572, MFT 584, MFT 586. Co-requisites: MFT 575, MFT 578, MFT 580. Course provides students with practical instruction and seminar in theory, therapy process and the use of empirically supported practice in group therapy. Attention is paid to group and contextual factors including age, ability, gender, sexual orientation, culture, and economic status.

Offered Fall

Perquisites: MFT 515, MFT 570, MFT 566, MFT 576. Co-requisites: MFT 572, MFT 584, MFT 586. Instructional seminar and demonstration of supervised advanced therapy skills in the classroom and in mental health settings with individuals, couples and families. Include assessments, diagnosis, treatment planning, case management, safety planning, clinical documentation, and assessment of legal and ethical issues.

Offered Spring

Prerequisites: MFT 520, MFT 575, MFT 578, MFT 580. Co-requisites: MFT 560, MFT 565, MFT 582. Instruction, seminar and activity in community mental health and case management skills. Emphasis includes competencies in mental health recovery-oriented care and resiliency in community mental health from both traditional and non-traditional MFT practices applying case management and systems of care.

Offered Spring

Prerequisites: MFT 500, MFT 520, MFT 521, MFT 530, MFT 531, MFT 570, MFT 572, MFT 584. Fourth practicum required for program, concurrent with field placement and training experience. 8 hours per week required. CR/NC grading.

Offered As needed

Prerequisite: MFT 520, MFT 575, MFT 578, MFT 580. Co-requisites: MFT 530, MFT 565, MFT 582. Instruction in family development and human sexuality across the lifespan; includes contextual factors (age, ability, gender, sexual orientation, culture, race/ethnicity, gender, class, socioeconomics). Addresses elder and dependent adults including biopsychosocial impacts of aging, long-term care, and treatment of abuse/neglect.

Offered Fall

Prerequisites: MFT 520, MFT 575, MFT 578, MFT 580. Co-requisites: MFT 530, MFT 560, MFT 582. A survey and supervised practice in empirically supported assessment to treat primary mental health conditions and common presenting problems in individuals, couples, and families. Includes six-hours hours on suicide prevention, evidence-based suicide risk assessments, treatments, and interventions.

Offered Spring

Required Prerequisite: Admission to MFT program. Required Co-requisites: MFT 515, MFT 570, MFT 576. Studies and analysis of human mental health as it affects the individual, couple, and family functioning. Development, identification, assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and techniques of common any and serious mental illness will be explored.

Offered Fall, Spring

Required Prerequisite: Admission to MFT program. Required Co-requisite: MFT 515, MFT 566, MFT 576. Major Marital and Family theories, research and practice used in the treatment of individual, couples and families from a systemic and biopsychosocial perspective.

Offered Fall

Required Prerequisites: MFT 515, MFT 566, MFT 570, MFT 576. Required Co-requisites: MFT 525, MFT 584, MFT 586. A continuation of the major MFT theories, this course includes postmodern and evidence-based practices and techniques in marriage and family counseling applied to treatment of individual, couples and family.

Offered Spring

Advanced study of the psychological, physiological, and sociological aspects of human sexual behavior, with attention to the origin and treatment of sexual dysfunction in its environmental context. Examinations and/or papers used in evaluation.

Offered As needed

Prerequisites: MFT 525, MFT 572, MFT 584, MFT 586. Co-requisites: MFT 520, MFT 580, MFT 578. Instruction in treatment and assessment strategies necessary to treat couple/partner problem or sexual issues in conjoint therapy. Addresses issues related to age, ability, gender, sexual orientation, culture, race/ethnicity, socioeconomics, and spousal or partner dynamics associated with abuse assessments and interventions.

Offered Fall

Prerequisites: Admission to MFT program. Co-requisites: MFT 515, MFT 566, MFT 570. Instruction in the purposes, theory, and skills of communication applied to intrapersonal and interpersonal experience. The course addresses personal awareness, self-of-the-therapist, bias, and stereotyping to promote equity and diversity in clinical treatment.

Offered As needed

Prerequisites: MFT 525, MFT 572, MFT 584, MFT 586. Co-requisites: MFT 520, MFT 575, MFT 580. Treatment focuses on diagnostic and treatment needs of children and adolescents from a systemic perspective to include familial and sociocultural considerations. Emphasis is placed on empirically supported and evidence-based treatment modalities. Includes seven-clock hours on child abuse assessment and reporting.

Offered Fall

Prerequisite: MFT 525, MFT 572, MFT 584, MFT 586. Co-requisite: MFT 520, MFT 575, MFT 578. Diversity factors (age, ability, gender, sexual orientation, culture, race/ethnicity, religion, spirituality, socioeconomics,) affecting human behavior in family and the larger community situated in complex societies. Additional emphasis is placed on clinical competency with diverse, marginalized and under-served populations in California.

Offered Fall

Prerequisite: MFT 520, MFT 575, MFT 578, MFT 580. Co-requisite: MFT 530, MFT 560, MFT 565. The impact of psychotropic medications on the behavioral and emotional states of individuals and on their relationships is addressed. Emphasis is placed on the development of vocabulary, basic knowledge of medications, how to assess effects and consultation/collaboration with prescribing physicians.

Offered Spring

Prerequisites: MFT 530, MFT 560, MFT 565, MFT 582. Co-requisites: MFT 585, MFT 588, MFT 589. Emphasis will focus developing competencies in critical analysis and evaluation of published research, examining evidence-based research to improve practice, and conducting independent research. Generating hypothesis, research design, data collection, interpretation and utilization of findings in clinical practice will be summarized.

Offered Spring

Prerequisites: MFT 515, MFT 566, MFT 570, MFT 576. Co-requisites: MFT 525, MFT 572, MFT 586. Current legal and ethical professional issues in marital and family therapy. Examination and application of BBS and AAMFT ethics and legal responsibilities.

Offered Fall

Prerequisites:MFT 530, MFT 560, MFT 565, MFT 582. Co-requisites: MFT 583, MFT 588, MFT 589. Studies of the theories of substance use as they effect and relate to the family system. Explore advanced interviewing techniques, assessment procedures, recovery and relapse prevention, and implementation of evidence-based treatment modalities in family therapy.

Offered Fall

Prerequisites: MFT 515,MFT 566, MFT 570, MFT 576. Co-requisites: MFT 525, MFT 572, MFT 584. Current and emerging issues in the field of MFT relevant to advancements in practice and influences on family, local and larger global community. Emphasis in contextual factors such as an economic status, culture, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and ability.

Offered Spring

Prerequisites: MFT 530, MFT 560, MFT 565, MFT 582. Co-requisite: MFT 583, MFT 585, MFT 589. Treatment of trauma with individuals, couples, and family. Beginning and advanced techniques in assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and crisis intervention of child and elder abuse, domestic violence, rape, disaster, crime, and other trauma will be explored.

Offered Fall

Prerequisites: MFT 530, MFT 560, MFT 565, MFT 582. Co-requisites: MFT 583, MFT 585, MFT 588. An inclusive survey of major theoretical approaches, integrative psychotherapies, evidenced-based practice, research, legal and ethical issues applied to individuals, couples and families. Case conceptualization, diagnosis, assessment, treatment planning and interventions are demonstrated utilizing vignettes, role play, and video demonstration.

Offered Spring

Emphasis will focus on career development throughout life, to include theory, techniques and counseling practice. The interrelationship among social relationships, diversity including gender, culture, ethnicity, social class, sexual orientation, ability, and other factors, workplace, and career development will be examined.

Offered As needed

Prerequisites: Consent of the instructor and Program Coordinator. Student must have completed at least twelve semester units. In consultation with a faculty member, the student will investigate in detail current research and scholarship in some area relevant to the field of Marital Family Therapy, or will complete a project involving original and creative research. Content of research will be specific to the program and licensure as an MFT.

Offered As needed

A course designed of special interest topics. Topic of content will vary as announced. Repeatable course.

Offered As needed

A multi-semester course that includes fieldwork training, on-site supervision and classroom participation. Traineeship occurs over a minimum of 12 months totaling a minimum of six semester units required for graduation.

Offered Fall, Spring, Summer

In consultation with the faculty member, completion of readings to prepare for the comprehensive exam. The course is limited to students who have completed one year of courses. CR/NC grading. Course is repeatable for a total of 6 units.

Offered As needed

Prerequisite: All Required Courses must be completed excluding Practicum: MFT Traineeship. Registration in MFT 599, Comprehensive Examination is limited to students who have advanced to candidacy and completed all degree coursework requirements with a grade of a B or better and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. Registration in the course is required to complete the comprehensive examination. The examination evaluates content that includes theories, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, crisis intervention, and law and ethics and requires evidence of application of theory, practice, and research.

Offered Spring

Graduate students who have completed their course work but not their thesis, project, or comprehensive examination, or who have other requirements remaining for the completion of their degree, may maintain continuous attendance by enrolling in this course. Signature of graduate program coordinator required.

Offered As needed