This course prepares students for success in a master's degree program in the field of Marriage and Family Therapy at Northcentral University, by introducing relevant technologies, reviewing professional standards and expectations, and developing essential skills in family therapy. Topics and practice include a review of the history of the field of family therapy, an overview of systems theory and the major models of family therapy, professional ethics, academic integrity, and respect for diversity. Course activities will emphasize personal application. Students will manage and utilize an e-Portfolio to begin a collection of scholarly artifacts and materials for use throughout their graduate program.

This course will include content regarding professional identity, including professional socialization, scope of practice, professional organizations, licensure, and certification. The course will focus on ethical issues related to the profession of marriage and family therapy and the practice of individual, couple, and family therapy. Specifically, students will address the AAMFT Code of Ethics, confidentiality issues, the legal responsibilities and liabilities of clinical practice and research, family law, record keeping, reimbursement, and the business aspects of practice. The course will inform students about the interface between therapist responsibility and the professional, social, and political context of treatment.

This course provides students with foundational training in understanding and using various assessment and evaluation tools and methods with clients with attention to individual, couple, and family level evaluations.  This course also trains students in standard case management methods including identifying and aligning clients with appropriate community resources.

This course uses a treatment planning focus while training students to have a thorough understanding of traditional models of marriage and family therapy. Course content will be focused on application of these clinical models to common clinical concerns and will address a wide variety of presenting clinical problems.  Material and assignments in the course will address family therapy practice and be related conceptually to theory.

This course trains students to work with clients using a recovery-oriented approach that focuses on client strengths and working collaboratively toward meaningful change and improvement.  Using this focus, course content will address social constructionism, narrative, solution-focused, and collaborative models of therapy as well as other postmodern trends.  Course material will address a wide variety of presenting clinical problems and will address contemporary conceptual directions of the field of marriage and family therapy.

This course investigates existing research and research methods used in marriage and family therapy as well as research ethics training, evaluation of existing research, understanding common research designs, and exploring potential research options of interest to the students.  Course content also focuses on the importance of a scientist-practitioner approach to clinical work and the validation and use of evidence based practices in family therapy.

This course will include content on individual and family development across the lifespan. Specific emphasis will be given to developmentally appropriate and atypical transitions related to common concerns in marriage and family therapy.

Using a relational/systemic perspective, this course will address the traditional psychodiagnostic categories as outlined in the DSM-IV-TR. The focus of the course content will be on the assessment and treatment of major mental health issues through marriage and family therapy.

This course addresses issues related to diversity and power and privilege as they relate to culture, ethnicity, gender, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, and spirituality. Economic diversity and the impact of poverty on individuals and families are emphasized.  Each of these types of diversity is examined with respect to the relevance they have to the profession and practice of family therapy.

This course is designed to provide clinically relevant background information, theory, and therapeutic models and interventions for a wide variety of presenting clinical problems relevant to children. Course material will address family therapy practice and be related conceptually to theory. Specific methods of therapy with children and facilitating parental and family involvement will be discussed. Facilitating child involvement in the therapeutic process for families will be addressed as well.

This course will address several models of couple and sex therapy. Within each model there will be a focus on assessment of couples’ dynamics, goal setting, and potential interventions. Specific attention will be given to the development of a personal theory of working with couples based on a foundation of existing models.

This course will address contemporary crisis-related issues in marriage and family therapy to include gender, violence, addictions, and abuse. It will also address the treatment of individuals, couples, and families from a relational/systemic perspective with respect to these issues. The focus will be on the effects of trauma and stress on family life and relationships as well as recovery from a variety of related presenting issues.

This course provides students with an opportunity to engage in ongoing therapeutic practice. Emphasis is placed on the development of therapy and assessment skills, theoretical integration, and personal growth. The local on-site supervisor will provide regular supervision of the student and assist the student in managing cases. The Northcentral University Mentor will maintain regular contact with students and site supervisors and will facilitate the process of learning and knowledge integration. Additionally, students will participate in individual and group supervision with the Northcentral University faculty member. Students with an LMFT license (or equivalent) are not required to have an on-site supervisor. Students must enroll in two Practicum courses (MFT 5495: Practicum I and MFT 5496: Practicum II). MFT 5495: MFT Practicum lasts 16 weeks and students are required to be clinically active for the duration of that time. It is intended that students will accrue at least 125 client contact hours. To meet this requirement, students should plan to complete a minimum of 8 direct (face-to-face) client contact hours per week. Additional time will be needed each week in order to complete paperwork, set appointments, read relevant material, and complete course assignments. Direct services can include intake interviews, assessment, and therapy for individuals, groups, couples and/or families. Half of all client contact hours (i.e., 62.5 hours) must be relational (couple or family). Students must receive one hour of supervision (individual or group) for every five hours of client contact. These hours will be accrued between supervision with the on-site supervisor as well as the Northcentral University faculty member.

MFT Practicum II continues from where MFT Practicum I ended. Like the first practicum, this one also lasts 16 weeks and students are required to be clinically active for the duration of that time. It is intended that students will accrue at least 125 client contact hours. To meet this requirement students should plan to complete a minimum of 8 direct (face-to-face) client contact hours per week. Additional time will be needed each week in order to complete paperwork, set appointments, read relevant material, and complete course assignments. Direct services can include intake interviews, assessment, and therapy for individuals, groups, couples and/or families. Half of all client contact hours (i.e., 62.5 hours) must be relational (couple or family). Students must receive one hour of supervision (individual or group) for every five hours of client contact. These hours will be accrued between supervision with the on-site supervisor as well as the Northcentral University faculty member.

Upon completion of Practicum I and II, students are required to enroll in 3 one credit Internship courses (each 12 weeks in duration) to complete the remaining hours of the required 500 direct client contact hours (with 250 of these being relational hours). The Internship courses can either be registered for consecutively to last over a period of nine months, or concurrently. Students should consult with the MFT Clinical Coordinator upon completing Practicum II to determine the timing of when to enroll in each of the three required Internship courses.  Students who have accrued a substantial portion of their hours during the Practicum process are candidates for registering for multiple Internship courses simultaneously in order to finish more quickly. Other students will need three consecutive enrollments in the Internship courses to allow the full nine months to complete their clinical experience requirements. Beyond completion of hours, the structure of the Internship experience is different from the Practicum courses in that, while students received direct supervision and more extensive involvement with the University mentor during practicum, the Internship experience is more autonomous. During the Internship experience, students are required to continue working with a qualified local supervisor to complete direct supervision of their clinical work for the duration of the Internship. Students must receive the equivalent of 1 hour of supervision for every 5 hours of client contact. This supervision must involve direct observation or videotape observation of the student’s sessions. In addition to completion of the required client contact hours and supervision, during the Internship experience (credits 2 and 3) students are also required to prepare for and take the practice exam for the national licensing exam and to prepare and present their own theoretically grounded personal model of therapy to the MFT faculty as a capstone presentation to end the program.

Upon completion of Practicum I and II, students are required to enroll in 3 one credit Internship courses (each 12 weeks in duration) to complete the remaining hours of the required 500 direct client contact hours (with 250 of these being relational hours). The Internship courses can either be registered for consecutively to last over a period of nine months, or concurrently. Students should consult with the MFT Clinical Coordinator upon completing Practicum II to determine the timing of when to enroll in each of the three required Internship courses.  Students who have accrued a substantial portion of their hours during the Practicum process are candidates for registering for multiple Internship courses simultaneously in order to finish more quickly. Other students will need three consecutive enrollments in the Internship courses to allow the full nine months to complete their clinical experience requirements. Beyond completion of hours, the structure of the Internship experience is different from the Practicum courses in that, while students received direct supervision and more extensive involvement with the University mentor during practicum, the Internship experience is more autonomous. During the Internship experience, students are required to continue working with a qualified local supervisor to complete direct supervision of their clinical work for the duration of the Internship. Students must receive the equivalent of 1 hour of supervision for every 5 hours of client contact. This supervision must involve direct observation or videotape observation of the student’s sessions. In addition to completion of the required client contact hours and supervision, during the Internship experience (credits 2 and 3) students are also required to prepare for and take the practice exam for the national licensing exam and to prepare and present their own theoretically grounded personal model of therapy to the MFT faculty as a capstone presentation to end the program.

Upon completion of Practicum I and II, students are required to enroll in 3 one credit Internship courses (each 12 weeks in duration) to complete the remaining hours of the required 500 direct client contact hours (with 250 of these being relational hours). The Internship courses can either be registered for consecutively to last over a period of nine months, or concurrently. Students should consult with the MFT Clinical Coordinator upon completing Practicum II to determine the timing of when to enroll in each of the three required Internship courses.  Students who have accrued a substantial portion of their hours during the Practicum process are candidates for registering for multiple Internship courses simultaneously in order to finish more quickly. Other students will need three consecutive enrollments in the Internship courses to allow the full nine months to complete their clinical experience requirements. Beyond completion of hours, the structure of the Internship experience is different from the Practicum courses in that, while students received direct supervision and more extensive involvement with the University mentor during practicum, the Internship experience is more autonomous. During the Internship experience, students are required to continue working with a qualified local supervisor to complete direct supervision of their clinical work for the duration of the Internship. Students must receive the equivalent of 1 hour of supervision for every 5 hours of client contact. This supervision must involve direct observation or videotape observation of the student’s sessions. In addition to completion of the required client contact hours and supervision, during the Internship experience (credits 2 and 3) students are also required to prepare for and take the practice exam for the national licensing exam and to prepare and present their own theoretically grounded personal model of therapy to the MFT faculty as a capstone presentation to end the program.

This course prepares students for success in a master's degree program in the field of Marriage and Family Therapy at Northcentral University, by introducing relevant technologies, reviewing professional standards and expectations, and developing essential skills in family therapy. Topics and practice include a review of the history of the field of family therapy, an overview of systems theory and the major models of family therapy, professional ethics, academic integrity, and respect for diversity. Course activities will emphasize personal application. Students will manage and utilize an e-Portfolio to begin a collection of scholarly artifacts and materials for use throughout their graduate program.

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 will focus 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 will include 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 or 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's professional behavior and ethics, legal and ethical standards for different types of work settings, and the licensure laws and process. Activities three, four, five, and six in this course are designed to address the programs third and fourth Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) which states, students will demonstrate an applied knowledge of the AAMFT Code of Ethics (SLO-3); and students will advance their understanding of systemic dynamics within diverse client populations (SLO-4).

This course provides students with foundational training in understanding and using various assessment and evaluation tools and methods with clients with attention to individual, couple, and family level evaluations.  This course also trains students in standard case management methods including identifying and aligning clients with appropriate community resources.

This course uses a treatment planning focus while training students to have a thorough understanding of traditional models of marriage and family therapy. Course content will be focused on application of these clinical models to common clinical concerns and will address a wide variety of presenting clinical problems.  Material and assignments in the course will address family therapy practice and be related conceptually to theory.

This course trains students to work with clients using a recovery-oriented approach that focuses on client strengths and working collaboratively toward meaningful change and improvement.  Using this focus, course content will address social constructionism, narrative, solution-focused, and collaborative models of therapy as well as other postmodern trends.  Course material will address a wide variety of presenting clinical problems and will address contemporary conceptual directions of the field of marriage and family therapy.

This course investigates existing research and research methods used in marriage and family therapy as well as research ethics training, evaluation of existing research, understanding common research designs, and exploring potential research options of interest to the students.  Course content also focuses on the importance of a scientist-practitioner approach to clinical work and the validation and use of evidence based practices in family therapy.

This course will include content on individual and family development across the lifespan. Specific emphasis will be given to developmentally appropriate and atypical transitions related to common concerns in marriage and family therapy.

Using a relational/systemic perspective, this course will address the traditional psychodiagnostic categories as outlined in the DSM-IV-TR. The focus of the course content will be on the assessment and treatment of major mental health issues through marriage and family therapy.

This course addresses issues related to diversity and power and privilege as they relate to culture, ethnicity, gender, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, and spirituality. Economic diversity and the impact of poverty on individuals and families are emphasized.  Each of these types of diversity is examined with respect to the relevance they have to the profession and practice of family therapy.

This course is designed to provide clinically relevant background information, theory, and therapeutic models and interventions for a wide variety of presenting clinical problems relevant to children. Course material will address family therapy practice and be related conceptually to theory. Specific methods of therapy with children and facilitating parental and family involvement will be discussed. Facilitating child involvement in the therapeutic process for families will be addressed as well.

This course will address several models of couple and sex therapy. Within each model there will be a focus on assessment of couples’ dynamics, goal setting, and potential interventions. Specific attention will be given to the development of a personal theory of working with couples based on a foundation of existing models.

This course will address contemporary crisis-related issues in marriage and family therapy to include gender, violence, addictions, and abuse. It will also address the treatment of individuals, couples, and families from a relational/systemic perspective with respect to these issues. The focus will be on the effects of trauma and stress on family life and relationships as well as recovery from a variety of related presenting issues.

This graduate level course examines family violence and the most effective way to address the consequences of it, including how to treat families that are affected by it. Theory and research will be explored related to definitions, causes, and characteristics of affected families (financial stress/poverty, social stress and the consequences of family violence. The types and targets of family violence will be explored. These include: spouse/partner, children, adolescents, college-aged adults, adults, and older adults. Violence among those in special populations will be included (e.g., same sex couples, rural families, disabled individuals, cross-cultural families, and military families). Students will learn about the importance of completing a thorough and comprehensive assessment of family violence, including an examination of resilience or family strengths as applied to this topic. Finally, the course will prepare students to intervene with families impacted by violence. Information regarding individual, couple, family, and group interventions will be included in the course. Awareness of cultural and ethical considerations will be included throughout the course. 

This course is an overview of clinical psychopharmacology. The course will focus on psychiatric disorders their symptoms and medications. Students will explore basic classifications, indications, and contraindications of commonly prescribed psychopharmacological medications, so that appropriate referrals can be made for medication evaluations and so that the side effects of those medications can be identified, and appropriate treatment plans may be developed.  In addition the course will teach Marriage and Family Therapists how to interact effectively in collaborative/ multidisciplinary settings with other mental healthcare practitioners. 

This course provides an overview of family systems approaches to addiction. Course material addresses addiction with respect to etiology, intervention, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment from a family systems perspective. In addition, the course explores how multicultural systemic issues influence family systems approaches to dealing with addictions.

This course focuses on physiological, psychological, and sociocultural variables associated with human sexuality and then maintains a focused emphasis on systemically oriented sex therapy including methods of conducting sexual assessments and both individual and relational therapy designed to help clients with variety of sexual issues, sexual dysfunctions, and sexual challenges within relationships.

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 (poverty) on the elderly. A significant focus of the course is the application of systemic treatment/theory to the elderly adult population and multigenerational families.

This course provides students with an opportunity to engage in ongoing therapeutic practice. Emphasis is placed on the development of therapy and assessment skills, theoretical integration, and personal growth. The local on-site supervisor will provide regular supervision of the student and assist the student in managing cases. The Northcentral University Mentor will maintain regular contact with students and site supervisors and will facilitate the process of learning and knowledge integration. Additionally, students will participate in individual and group supervision with the Northcentral University faculty member. Students with an LMFT license (or equivalent) are not required to have an on-site supervisor. Students must enroll in two Practicum courses (MFT 5495: Practicum I and MFT 5496: Practicum II). MFT 5495: MFT Practicum lasts 16 weeks and students are required to be clinically active for the duration of that time. It is intended that students will accrue at least 125 client contact hours. To meet this requirement, students should plan to complete a minimum of 8 direct (face-to-face) client contact hours per week. Additional time will be needed each week in order to complete paperwork, set appointments, read relevant material, and complete course assignments. Direct services can include intake interviews, assessment, and therapy for individuals, groups, couples and/or families. Half of all client contact hours (i.e., 62.5 hours) must be relational (couple or family). Students must receive one hour of supervision (individual or group) for every five hours of client contact. These hours will be accrued between supervision with the on-site supervisor as well as the Northcentral University faculty member.

MFT Practicum II continues from where MFT Practicum I ended. Like the first practicum, this one also lasts 16 weeks and students are required to be clinically active for the duration of that time. It is intended that students will accrue at least 125 client contact hours. To meet this requirement students should plan to complete a minimum of 8 direct (face-to-face) client contact hours per week. Additional time will be needed each week in order to complete paperwork, set appointments, read relevant material, and complete course assignments. Direct services can include intake interviews, assessment, and therapy for individuals, groups, couples and/or families. Half of all client contact hours (i.e., 62.5 hours) must be relational (couple or family). Students must receive one hour of supervision (individual or group) for every five hours of client contact. These hours will be accrued between supervision with the on-site supervisor as well as the Northcentral University faculty member.

Upon completion of Practicum I and II, students are required to enroll in 3 one credit Internship courses (each 12 weeks in duration) to complete the remaining hours of the required 500 direct client contact hours (with 250 of these being relational hours). The Internship courses can either be registered for consecutively to last over a period of nine months, or concurrently. Students should consult with the MFT Clinical Coordinator upon completing Practicum II to determine the timing of when to enroll in each of the three required Internship courses.  Students who have accrued a substantial portion of their hours during the Practicum process are candidates for registering for multiple Internship courses simultaneously in order to finish more quickly. Other students will need three consecutive enrollments in the Internship courses to allow the full nine months to complete their clinical experience requirements. Beyond completion of hours, the structure of the Internship experience is different from the Practicum courses in that, while students received direct supervision and more extensive involvement with the University mentor during practicum, the Internship experience is more autonomous. During the Internship experience, students are required to continue working with a qualified local supervisor to complete direct supervision of their clinical work for the duration of the Internship. Students must receive the equivalent of 1 hour of supervision for every 5 hours of client contact. This supervision must involve direct observation or videotape observation of the student’s sessions. In addition to completion of the required client contact hours and supervision, during the Internship experience (credits 2 and 3) students are also required to prepare for and take the practice exam for the national licensing exam and to prepare and present their own theoretically grounded personal model of therapy to the MFT faculty as a capstone presentation to end the program.

Upon completion of Practicum I and II, students are required to enroll in 3 one credit Internship courses (each 12 weeks in duration) to complete the remaining hours of the required 500 direct client contact hours (with 250 of these being relational hours). The Internship courses can either be registered for consecutively to last over a period of nine months, or concurrently. Students should consult with the MFT Clinical Coordinator upon completing Practicum II to determine the timing of when to enroll in each of the three required Internship courses.  Students who have accrued a substantial portion of their hours during the Practicum process are candidates for registering for multiple Internship courses simultaneously in order to finish more quickly. Other students will need three consecutive enrollments in the Internship courses to allow the full nine months to complete their clinical experience requirements. Beyond completion of hours, the structure of the Internship experience is different from the Practicum courses in that, while students received direct supervision and more extensive involvement with the University mentor during practicum, the Internship experience is more autonomous. During the Internship experience, students are required to continue working with a qualified local supervisor to complete direct supervision of their clinical work for the duration of the Internship. Students must receive the equivalent of 1 hour of supervision for every 5 hours of client contact. This supervision must involve direct observation or videotape observation of the student’s sessions. In addition to completion of the required client contact hours and supervision, during the Internship experience (credits 2 and 3) students are also required to prepare for and take the practice exam for the national licensing exam and to prepare and present their own theoretically grounded personal model of therapy to the MFT faculty as a capstone presentation to end the program.

Upon completion of Practicum I and II, students are required to enroll in 3 one credit Internship courses (each 12 weeks in duration) to complete the remaining hours of the required 500 direct client contact hours (with 250 of these being relational hours). The Internship courses can either be registered for consecutively to last over a period of nine months, or concurrently. Students should consult with the MFT Clinical Coordinator upon completing Practicum II to determine the timing of when to enroll in each of the three required Internship courses.  Students who have accrued a substantial portion of their hours during the Practicum process are candidates for registering for multiple Internship courses simultaneously in order to finish more quickly. Other students will need three consecutive enrollments in the Internship courses to allow the full nine months to complete their clinical experience requirements. Beyond completion of hours, the structure of the Internship experience is different from the Practicum courses in that, while students received direct supervision and more extensive involvement with the University mentor during practicum, the Internship experience is more autonomous. During the Internship experience, students are required to continue working with a qualified local supervisor to complete direct supervision of their clinical work for the duration of the Internship. Students must receive the equivalent of 1 hour of supervision for every 5 hours of client contact. This supervision must involve direct observation or videotape observation of the student’s sessions. In addition to completion of the required client contact hours and supervision, during the Internship experience (credits 2 and 3) students are also required to prepare for and take the practice exam for the national licensing exam and to prepare and present their own theoretically grounded personal model of therapy to the MFT faculty as a capstone presentation to end the program.