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Individual Supervision for State Licensure or AAMFT Membership
Due to the AAMFT Code of Ethics principles related to multiple relationships and conflict of
interest, full-time faculty may not serve as the supervisor for licensure for students
enrolled in the program.
Concentration in Family Systems Health Care
Students in the D.M.F.T. program may choose to pursue a concentration in Family
Systems Health Care. The concentration focuses on the relationships between psychosocial
medicine and biomedicine in the treatment and prevention of illness and disease. Students
learn the basics of biopsychosocial theory, practice, and collaboration. The program
prepares professionals to offer therapeutic services in a variety of medical settings,
including private medical practices, hospitals, community clinics, primary care/specialists'
offices, and agencies.
Students in the Family Systems Health Care concentration program have ample
opportunities to gain practical expertise through classroom learning and hands-on clinical,
research, teaching, and service experiences. Specific areas of study include: adjustment
patterns of clients and their families to chronic and acute illnesses; models of collaboration
between medical family therapists and other health care professionals; the role of medical
family therapists in the continuum of medical services; the politics and economics of
health care; understanding human systems in health care; and brief interventions and
systemic assessments useful in the treatment and care of patients and their families.
Additionally, the program emphasizes professional development by assisting students in
strengthening their professional and personal qualities necessary for successful
participation in the medical milieu.
The student's growth as a reflective practitioner is encouraged through clinical research in
physician, patient, therapist, family communications, adjustments to acute, chronic, or
terminal illness, social effects and ethical dilemmas of new medical technologies, and other
issues that transcend historical distinctions between physical treatment and psychosocial
interventions. Program faculty and students cooperate to publish research findings and
clinical experiences. Also, faculty and students of the program contribute to the growth of
Family Systems Health Care and medical family therapy by supporting and participating in
professional groups such as the Collaborative Family Health Care Coalition, the Society of
Teachers of Family Medicine, Bereavement, Gerontology, and others.
In addition to degree requirements, students must complete the following coursework to
receive a Concentration in Family Systems Health Care (24 credit hours):
FSHC 5000 Family Systems Health Care I
FSHC 5010 Family Systems Health Care II
FSHC 5300 Integration and Collaboration among Health Care Systems
FSHC 5500 Politics and Economics of Health Care Systems
FSCH 5110 External Practicum I and II*
*Students may choose to complete their external practicums in a medical setting to obtain
the required 200 hours of face-to-face client contact for this concentration.
**The catalog is periodically updated online.
