COUC 601 Theories of Family Systems

Course Description

This course considers the dynamics of marriage, couple, and family relationships from a systems perspective. The emphasis is on understanding family and other systems theories, the structure and function of marriage, various aspects of the marital relationship and family systems, and models of family and systemic interventions. Considerations from an historical perspective are presented along with current developments within marriage, couple, and family systemic models. Students will engage in critical thinking regarding the application and integration of spirituality within marriage, couple, and family counseling.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Course Guide

View this course’s outcomes, policies, schedule, and more.*

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*The information contained in our Course Guides is provided as a sample. Specific course curriculum and requirements for each course are provided by individual instructors each semester. Students should not use Course Guides to find and complete assignments, class prerequisites, or order books.

Rationale

This course is designed to introduce the student to the field of marriage and family counseling, with an integrated Biblical worldview. Theories of Family Systems is a required course in the licensure programs and is intended to introduce the student to the concept and philosophy of marriage and family counseling. The student will understand systems philosophy, major theoretical models, marriage and family counseling history, key theoretical figures, and cultural, ethical, and legal considerations with couples and families. Additionally, the student will be exposed to clinical topics, techniques, current trends, and future themes. The student will explore his/her family of origin in order to obtain awareness of potential areas for personal and professional growth and development. This is the first marriage and family course in the program; thus, it is designed to teach foundational materials necessary to practice marriage and family counseling as well as to pass state licensure examinations. 

Method of Instruction: This 8-week course is delivered in a digital asynchronous format, with Canvas® as the primary instructional delivery method. The student will complete one module per week over the duration of the course.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (4)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will complete 4 Discussions throughout this course. The student is required to create an initial thread in response to the provided prompt for each discussion. The initial thread must be at least 500 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the initial thread, the student is required to reply to 1 classmate’s thread. The reply must be at least 400 words. The initial thread and reply must cite at least 1 source. These discussion activities are designed to allow the student to discuss, articulate, analyze, and integrate the various aspects of marriage and family counseling as well as learn how faith can be integrated within counseling. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K)

Family Genogram Project Assignment

The student will use the GenoPro software and the McGoldrick et al. (2020) textbook to prepare a family genogram of at least 3 generations of his/her family system. The student will also write a 5-page paper in current APA format analyzing his/her genogram. (CLO: J)

Family Counseling Approach Research Paper Assignment

The student will write a research paper/formal literature review on 1 of the specific approaches to family counseling. The paper must be in current APA format and use a minimum of 10 scholarly references. The research section (Part I) of the paper must be at least 6 pages. In the personal integration section (Part II), the student will integrate his/her own faith and family counseling approach, and this section must be at least 2 pages. In the SYMBIS section (Part III), the student will integrate the family counseling approach with his/her personalized 15-page report about themselves within the context of a potential/current relationship through the “phantom partner” (computer generated) option; this section must be at least 2 pages. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K)

Quiz: SYMBIS Facilitator Certification

The student will complete the SYMBIS Assessment Facilitator Certification and submit proof of completion. This certification will assist the student in assessing and identifying crucial elements in counseling pre-marital and marital couples, as well as, couples in their second marriage. This quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 1 file-upload question, and will have no time limit. (CLO: B, C, D, E, G, H, I, K)

Quiz: Reflection: Professional, Ethical and Faith Perspectives on Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling

This quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned Modules: Weeks. This quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 2 short-answer questions, and will have no time limit.

Quiz

This quiz will ask the student to rate himself/herself on the nine dispositions required for this program by our accrediting bodies. The quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 10 multiple-choice and essay questions, and have a 1-hour time limit.

Quizzes (2)

Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned Modules: Weeks. These quizzes will require the student to synthesize, compare and contrast, and demonstrate graduate-level integration of the materials covered in the course. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, consist of 100-70 multiple-choice questions, and have a 3-hour time limit. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, I, J, K)

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