MMFT 640 Trauma and Relational Healing

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

Trauma has profound effects on relationships, requiring the therapist to be trained in trauma-informed care. This course provides systemic interventions for trauma recovery, ensuring that each student develops the skills necessary to support relational healing. By integrating faith-based, ethical, and culturally responsive practices, the student gains a holistic understanding of trauma’s impact on relationships.

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 (7)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to post 1 thread of 300–400 words and at least 2 replies of at least 200 words. The student must use course content to support analysis using current APA format and draw at least 1 specific connection to his/her recorded couple. 

Clinical Intervention Plan for a Trauma-Affected Couple Assignment

The student will develop a trauma-informed intervention strategy for a couple experiencing trauma-related challenges in their relationship, integrating theory into practice by demonstrating how specific Gottman Method interventions can support emotional regulation, reconnection, and relational healing. The student will write a 3–4-page paper using APA formatting and must include a minimum of 2 academic or professional references (this may include course texts). 

Case Reflection: Assessing for Betrayal Trauma Assignment

The student will choose 1 case vignette and write a 1–2-page reflection in APA format and address 1 primary emotional injury or attachment wound, which phrase of the Gottman three-phase model he/she would begin with and why, and at least 1 clinical consideration related to ethics, culture, or spirituality. 

Application Activity: Session Plan – Facilitating Atonement Assignment

The student will create a 1-session clinical plan for facilitating the Atone phase with a couple who has recently disclosed infidelity. The plan should include brief context, therapist’s goals, planned interventions, and anticipated challenges and therapist response. The paper must 1–1.5 pages using proper APA format and does not require references unless quoting directly. 

Using the provided case scenario, the student will respond to the following prompts: What cultural and ethical issues are at play? How might a trauma-informed therapist ethically and respectfully proceed? What additional consultation, training, or supervision might be helpful? This assignment must be no more than 1 page in a Microsoft Word document or PDF and use proper APA formatting.

Integrative Trauma Case Study Assignment

The student will design a case study (hypothetical or de-identified) of a couple or family experiencing relational trauma. The paper must be 5–7 pages, use APA formatting, and cite at least 5 scholarly sources (may include course texts). 

Quiz: Trauma-Informed Therapist Self-Assessment

The student will rate him/herself on 20 items using the provided scale. This quiz contains 20 questions, allows 1 attempt and has a 1-hour time limit. 

Quiz: Gottman Training Certification

This quiz covers the Learn material from the assigned Module: Week, contains 1 file-upload question, allows 1 attempt, and has a 1-hour time limit. 

Quiz: Dispositions Reflection

The student will rate him/herself on the nine dispositions required for this program. The quiz will contain 9 multiple-choice questions and 1 essay question and is limited to 1 hour. The student is allowed 1 attempt to complete the quiz.