The authors of this article include the professor and most of the students in a doctoral course on marriage and family therapy ethical and professional issues that met the semester that a disturbed student shot and killed 32 Virginia Tech students and faculty before killing himself. In this article, we reflect through short essays on issues…

The first clinical training experience or practicum for graduate students in a Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) program is one of the most important aspects of the entire training program. After a year-long journey through textbook and classroom knowledge, students have the opportunity to finally apply their skills to real life environments with…

This study reports preliminary findings regarding the feasibility and efficacy of a novel couple-based treatment, named Strategic Approach Therapy (SAT), for reducing avoidance symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Six male Vietnam combat veterans diagnosed with PTSD and their cohabitating marital partners participated in 10 weeks of…

This article explores how the topics of gender and diversity are being taught and defined in accredited marriage and family therapy programs through syllabi content analysis and interviews with selected faculty. We examined findings by program (master's and doctoral) and type of training (those that taught specific gender and culture courses and…

The number of people accessing the Internet for sexual purposes (cybersex) has increased dramatically over the last 10 years. However, little research has been conducted to determine how frequently clients present for treatment with cybersex-related issues. One hundred sixty-four clinical members of the American Association for Marriage and Family…

Despite the proliferation of supervision models, there is no evidence to suggest that any one model of supervision is in any way superior to any other. Many in the field have called for models that can bridge the various theoretical approaches to clinical supervision, and identify the essential elements of supervision. This article briefly…

This article provides a description of a university-based project that used mock trials to train both practicum-level marriage and family therapy and law students in forensic work, and a qualitative investigation of student experiences with the training. The content of the training focused on American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy…

Previous research has identified 2 broad components of distress in intimate relationships: overt conflict, or "disharmony", and emotional distance, or "disaffection". Using confirmatory factor analysis, the authors derived 2 broadband scales of disharmony and disaffection from the Marital Satisfaction Inventory-Revised (D. K. Snyder, 1997),…

This article describes and discusses a teaching case of a clinical training situation involving a gay marriage and family therapy student working with a same-sex affectional couple. The conceptual pillars of this teaching case, relational safety and liberating spaces, are advanced as illustrations of how the student developed his voice in the…

The current study examined the learning processes involved in professionally supported self-directed couple relationship education (CRE). Fifty-nine couples completed Couple CARE, a systematic, self-directed CRE program designed in flexible delivery mode to be completed at home. Couples watched a DVD introducing key relationship ideas and skills…

Using a mixed method approach, this study explored which educational factors predicted systemic confidence in master's level marital and family therapy (MFT) students, and whether or not the impact of these factors was influenced by student beliefs and their perception of their supervisor's beliefs about the value of systemic practice. One hundred…

This article explores the relevance and challenge of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) and internationalization to the Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) program at the University of San Diego. These issues are discussed in the context of a graduate level course on human diversity that culminated in a 1-day cultural immersion and service learning trip…

Some researchers have hypothesized that factors common across therapy models are largely responsible for change. In this study we conducted semi-structured, open-ended qualitative interviews with three different MFT model developers (Dr. Susan M. Johnson, Emotionally Focused Therapy; Dr. Frank M. Dattilio, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy; and Dr.…

The authors conducted a survey of marriage and family therapy (MFT) doctoral students in programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). MFT doctoral students (N = 82) from across the United States responded to a web-based survey that focused on career aspirations, training opportunities,…

The authors conducted 2 translational studies that assessed the causal effects of emotion on maladaptive cognitions and behaviors in couples. Specifically, the authors examined whether negative emotions increased and positive emotions decreased partner attributions and demand-withdraw behaviors. Study 1 (N=164) used video clips to assess the…