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Marriage and Family Therapy
Graduate Program

Faculty Selected Publications News Honors & Awards Current Student
Research

Masters & Doctoral
Program Alumni

 

Engaging students and faculty in collaborative clinical, research, and educational activities, the MFT program's mission is to provide highly qualified professionals at the master's and doctoral level, who possess the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to improve the quality of well-being, for individuals, families, and wider social systems. The COAMFTE-Accredited Master's and doctoral programs provide high-quality, comprehensive education in the field of marriage and family therapy. Building on the Department of Human Development and Family Studies mission, the MFT program works with local, state, national, and international partners to advance the knowledge base and strengthen the conditions that enhance family functioning. Clinical training and outreach gives balanced attention to the range of physical/organic, interpersonal, relational, and cultural/contextual factors that can cause or exacerbate the issues presented for treatment. Emphasis is placed upon multiple points of intervention that can foster positive change within clients' life space and interrupt constraining interactions that may exist in their wider socio-cultural and sociopolitical context.

Research

Faculty researchers in the field of marriage and family therapy have a variety of research interests. Our research is aimed at theory building, creating facilitative environments for optimal family functioning, developing clinical acumen, promoting equity and social justice, and learning more about the process and outcomes of therapy. Our faculty members include distinguished figures in the profession as well as developing scholars. Our faculty, collectively, have published numerous books and hundreds of articles, contributing to the development of knowledge in the field of marriage and family therapy. Areas of current faculty research include:
  • Evaluation of marriage and family therapy training and supervision
  • Identifying, operationalizing, and evaluating cultural and contextual competencies necessary for MFTs to provide effective and relevant services to diverse populations living within today's intercultural communities
  • Culturally-centered interactive assessment and treatment tools
  • Cultural and contextual foundations in marriage and family therapy theories and approaches
  • Family measurement and clinical assessment
  • Engagement and retention of clients in therapy
  • Process research in couple therapy
  • Alliance formation and maintenance in couple and family therapy
  • Assessment of and intervention with high conflict couples
  • Evaluation of community-based programs
  • Racial and ethnic diversity in family therapy training
  • Developing culturally relevant approaches to family therapy
  • Internationalizing family therapy and family therapy training
  • Development and advancement of a linguistically based therapy model and companion supervision approach: Systemic Cognitive-Developmental Theory and Systemic Cognitive-Developmental Supervision