Critical Patriotism: Incorporating Nationality into MFT Education and Training

Topics such as national identity, patriotism, nationalism, and international issues often lead to polarization within the United States and as a result, critical dialogue about these complex topics often does not occur in a meaningful way. The lack of critical inquiry and interaction about these topics is manifest at the macro and the micro level, including within the context of marriage and family therapy training and practice. While the field of MFT has devoted greater attention to addressing issues of diversity in recent years, limited attention has been focused on examining nationality and nationalism. This article presents a critical patriotism framework that training programs can use to examine nationality and expand awareness of international issues and perspectives. Special attention is focused on examining how nationalism, a problematic extreme version of patriotism, infiltrates MFT training and practice. Recommendations are provided for how training programs can focus on nationality, expand awareness of international issues and perspectives, and guide trainees in exploring how their national identity, beliefs about patriotism, and nationalistic attitudes may influence their clinical work.     

From Private Practice to Academia: Integrating social and political advocacy into every MFT Identity

While advocacy was essential to establishing the field of marriage and family therapy, at present a social and political advocacy skill set is lacking for the typical marriage and family therapist (MFT). This article reviews the importance of being active in social and political advocacy and highlights the attributes of MFTs’ professional identity that uniquely position us for success in these areas. Other mental health fields’ pedagogical approaches to training and education are explored, and recommendations are made for how MFTs can begin to increase their competency in advocacy. Ideas for incorporating advocacy into a professional identity are presented for MFTs at every level of professional experience. Finally, the concept self‐of‐the‐advocate is introduced and discussed.     

The Research-Informed Clinician: A Guide to Training the Next-Generation MFT

The gap between clinical research and practice is a major challenge facing marriage and family therapy (MFT) training programs. Until now, the answer to bridge this gap has primarily been the Boulder Scientist-Practitioner Model. Although realistic for doctoral students, it may not be a good fit for MFT master’s students who have primarily clinical career ambitions—which we believe is a legitimate and positive career choice. The following article articulates a “research informed” perspective as opposed to the scientist-practitioner framework as a research-training model for clinically oriented MFT master’s programs. After articulating the similarities and differences between these two approaches, the authors outline 10 practical ideas to integrate research into programs that desire to remain clinical in focus, but also research informed.     

A Contextual Therapy Framework for MFT Educators: Facilitating Trustworthy Asymmetrical Training Relationships

This article provides a conceptual framework for asymmetrical relationships between family therapy educators and trainees. Our framework is based on contextual family therapy, and we apply the concepts of trust, entitlement, self‐validation, and loyalty to training relationships. We highlight the value of educators modeling responsible uses of power in addition to teaching trainees clinical concepts and skills. We propose that training can be a process where trainers earn constructive entitlement through their interactions with trainees, who then give to future clients, supervisees, and trainees to continue the cycle of intergenerational trustworthiness. We also provide examples that illustrate the application of contextual therapy skills such as multidirected partiality, I‐Thou relating, acknowledgment, validation, and accountability to family therapy training.     

Incorporating sexual orientation into MFT training programs: infusion and inclusion

Many authors have questioned the preparedness of family therapists to deal with sexual minority clients. Even though the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) has called for the integration of sexual orientation into the curriculum of marriage and family therapy training programs, the subject continues to be marginalized. The purpose of this article is to encourage trainers to examine their programs' curricula for evidence of heterosexist bias and introduce ways that they might integrate issues related to same-sex affectional and sexual orientations into their programs via the classroom and the clinic.     

Integrating a Practice Orientation into the Research Curriculum: The Effect on Knowledge and Attitudes

Abstract

A panel study of an MSW research curriculum was conducted to evaluate the effect of integrating a practice orientation into the research courses. The study followed a cohort of 60 students throughout their tenure in the program. Information on students' knowledge, attitudes, and experiences with research was collected at four points in time. The findings indicate that students became more favorable in their attitudes toward research and that they became more knowledgeable about research methods and statistics. Students also reported that they planned to engage in activities that are characteristic of empirically-based practice. These findings support the curriculum changes of the past decade that have moved to close the gap between research and practice.     

Religion,Spirituality, and Career Development in African American College Students: A Qualitative Inquiry

The authors explored through semistructured interviews the interrelationships of religion, spirituality, and career development in a sample of 12 African American undergraduate students. Using consensual qualitative research methodology (C. E. Hill, B. J. Thompson, & E. N. Williams, 1997), they identified 6 primary domains or themes related to these students' experiences in this regard, including (a) degree of identification as religious and/or spiritual, (b) parents' influence on religious and spiritual beliefs, (c) roles of religion and spirituality in participants' career development, (d) challenges in dealing with academic and career‐related issues, (e) religious and spiritual strategies to deal with academic and career‐related challenges, and (f) indicators of success in future career or occupation.     

MFT Doctoral Dissertations: A Brief Report

This brief report responds to the relative dearth of information available about MFT doctoral dissertations. A preliminary analysis of one COAMFTE program is detailed. Suggestions for future action are offered.     

Integrating Spirituality,Faith, and Social Justice in Social Work Practice and Education: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Significant progress has been made toward incorporating spiritual and religious diversity into professional discourse. The extent to which the profession is complying with its ethical standards that address religion, however, remains largely unexamined. Consequently, this study explores the relationship between conceptualizations of (1) spirituality, (2) religion, and (3) the nature of the relationship between spirituality and religion, and perceptions of the profession's level of ethical compliance. The results of this exploratory study indicate that perceptions of ethical compliance are generally unrelated to how respondents conceptualized either spirituality or the nature of the relationship between spirituality and religion. A more nuanced picture emerged with religion, with respondents who defined religion in personally constructed terms, without reference to the transcendent, reporting higher levels of ethical compliance, while those who defined religion in terms of community, reported lower levels of ethical compliance.     

Expanding Systems Thinking: Incorporating Tools from Medical Sociology into MFT Education and Research

The field of marriage and family therapy has historically focused on dynamics within family systems, and at times the role of social and cultural factors external to the family. To date, however, little scholarship has examined how therapists themselves are embedded within a mental healthcare system. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how structural components of the mental healthcare system shape the practice of therapy. We draw from the field of medical sociology to illustrate how three dominant structures—managed care, diagnosis, and evidence‐based models—are intertwining and mutually reinforcing systems that have significant and long‐term implications for systemic therapists and researchers. We recommend incorporating a sociological understanding of such structures into MFT education and research.     

Human Rights and the Social Work Curriculum: Integrating Human Rights into Skill-Based Education Regarding Policy Practice Behaviors

This article provides a model for social work educators seeking to integrate human rights content in the policy course. Each of the four policy-related practice behaviors (e.g., policy formulation, policy analysis, policy advocacy, and collaboration in policy practice) is examined with respect to the traditional methods used in social welfare policy courses and the ways in which these methods can be expanded to include human rights content. Available literature and multimedia resources are noted and practical human rights applications are presented with the goal of supporting efforts to achieve this integration.     

The Condensed MFT Core Competencies: A Streamlined Approach for Measuring Student and Supervisee Learning Using the MFT Core Competencies

In this article, the authors present a condensed version of the Marriage and Family Therapy Core Competencies (MFT-CC), collapsing the original 128 MFT-CC to 16 using a qualitative research method. Educators, supervisors, and researchers can more easily and efficiently use the condensed MFT-CC to measure student and supervisee learning for accreditation and training. The 16 Condensed MFT-CC are mapped to the original MFT-CC, COAMFTE's Version 12 Foundational Curriculum Areas and the Association for Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards 6 domains upon which the national exam is predicated.     

Including Spirituality in the Social Work Curriculum: Perspectives from South Asia

This article is based on a study of 1,084 social work educators from six South Asian countries on their perspectives on including spirituality in the social work curriculum. Findings revealed that all educators across countries felt that a course on spirituality was desirable. They differed however in aspects such as level of course introduction (undergraduate or postgraduate), the nature of the course (optional or compulsory) and the curriculum content (evidence based or experiential). Further educators construed varied meanings of spirituality (transcendence, mind-soul discourse, relational) and spiritually sensitive practice (actively using spirituality and mindfulness as methods of practice for intervention and drawing upon the spiritual strength and potential of the clientele/group/community to plan intervention). Four log regression models also determined predictors of educators' perceptions on spirituality for micro practice, macro practice, level of course introduction and curriculum content. Country, educators' religious background, years of service and scores on Spirituality Assessment Scale emerged as key predictors. Based on educators' responses, this article provides a suggestive frame for the curriculum. With spirituality and its plausible settings of applications, a case is also made for giving credence to indigenising and decolonising approaches in social work education in South Asia.     

Integrating Critical Consciousness into Direct Social Work Practice: A Pedagogical View

An unnecessary and unfortunate divide has existed historically within social work both in the United States and also in the United Kingdom between social reform or anti-oppressive practice, and direct social work practice or social care. In this article, the limitations of such a dichotomy will be explored, and ways that social work educators may more effectively integrate critical reflection approaches into their pedagogical practices will be identified. Building upon Denzin's methodological elaboration of C. Wright Mills' concept of private troubles–public issues, this article will discuss the usefulness of applying methods from critical, interpretive qualitative research to help social workers achieve critical consciousness in social work education and practice. This article will also address ways to help social work students overcome impediments to achieving critical consciousness, including the anxiety attendant upon changing one's belief systems. Finally, this article will describe the development of a concentration-year MSW elective, Transformative Social Work Practice, which sought to assist social work students in becoming more critically reflexive in their clinical work.     

Integrating Children into Families Separated by Migration: A Caribbean-American Case Study

Caribbean peoples have been migrating to the United States for over one hundred years. Since the liberation ofimmigration policy in 1965, migrationfrom the Caribbean has increased considerably and has presented with an interesting permutation. Many single mothers have migrated leaving young children behind until the mother’s situation is stable in the United States. Upon reunification of child and parent, there are reports ofmarked adjustment difficulties. This paper examines one such case, which was presented for mandated treatment. Issues around intention strategy and implementation are explored in detail with references to case history and clinical theory.     

Integrating Children into Families Separated by Migration: A Caribbean-American Case Study

Caribbean peoples have been migrating to the United States for over one hundred years. Since the liberation of immigration policy in 1965, migration from the Caribbean has increased considerably and has presented with an interesting permutation. Many single mothers have migrated leaving young children behind until the mother's situation is stable in the United States. Upon reunification of child and parent, there are reports of marked adjustment difficulties. This paper examines one such case, which was presented for mandated treatment. Issues around intention strategy and implementation are explored in detail with references to case history and clinical theory.     

Women's Spirituality: A Proposed Practice Model

SUMMARY

The values and spirituality of clients are an important area for social workers, counselors, and other mental, health professionals to consider in their work. This article addresses the need for professionals to be sensitive to this aspect of growth and development for all clients. Noting that until recently, religious writings have tended to reflect a male-centered bias and patriarchal values, issues related to women's spirituality are identified, implications for therapeutic interventions are discussed, and a model for understanding and facilitating women's spirituality is proposed.     

Gender and Migration: Integrating Feminist Theory into Migration Studies

In approximately three decades, gender and migration scholarship has moved from a few studies that included women immigrants or included gender as a dichotomous variable to a burgeoning literature that has made significant contributions to understanding numerous aspects of the migration experience. The larger field of migration studies, however, has not yet fully embraced feminist migration analysis and theory. In this article, I describe the development of gender and migration research and its theoretical underpinnings. Afterward, I highlight the key contributions that feminist migration scholars have made to our knowledge of labor migration, migrant families and social networks, transnationalism and citizenship, sex trafficking, and sexuality. Considering these important contributions, I explore the reasons why feminist migration research still lies largely outside the mainstream of the broader field and how it might achieve better integration.     

Collective and Reflexive Styles of Volunteering: A Sociological Modernization Perspective

This paper presents a theory-guided examination of the (changing) nature of volunteering through the lens of sociological modernization theories. Existing accounts of qualitative changes in motivational bases and patterns of volunteering are interpreted against the background of broader, modernization-driven social-structural transformations. It is argued that volunteer involvement should be qualified as a biographically embedded reality, and a new analytical framework of collective and reflexive styles of volunteering is constructed along the lines of the ideal-typical biographical models that are delineated by modernization theorists. Styles of volunteering are understood as essentially multidimensional, multiform, and multilevel in nature. Both structural-behavioral and motivational-attitudinal volunteering features are explored along the lines of six different dimensions: the biographical frame of reference, the motivational structure, the course and intensity of commitment, the organizational environment, the choice of (field of) activity, and the relation to paid work.