Family Counseling in the Schools: A Graduate Course

Abstract

The literature describes a wide array of projects and approaches for applying family systems theory and practice in school settings. However, to date, no articles describe coursework to prepare students for this work. This article describes a one semester-unit course, entitled "Family Counseling in the Schools" to complement other training in family systems counseling for students interested in family-school intervention. The article links literature on changes in the cultures of the social institutions of schools, families, and family counseling with the systemic conceptual framework that underpins the course. The description of the course focuses on (a) objectives, (b) content and learning process activities, (c) homework assignments, and (d) student responses to the course.

Expanding Our Reach: Marriage and Family Therapists in the Public School System

“…We expect the need for schoolbased family therapists to grow and therefore increase the need to integrate this knowledge into the foundational education of MFTs. Similar to the ideas put forth by Terry (2002), we see coursework that brings together marriage and family therapy students with students from schoolbased mental health training programs as an important component to bridging the cultures between fields and fostering collaboration. Further, we find it essential to provide practicum opportunities for students in the schools.…”

“…Boyd-Franklin & Bry, 2000;Fox, Hodgson, & Lamson, 2012;Terry, 2002), but has still largely not been integrated into the majority of our masters programs. The public school system presents an excellent opportunity to develop and implement such an effort.…”

The Influence of School-Based Family Counseling on Elementary Students and Their Families

“…Mental health services within schools can be one way to strengthen the partnership between families and schools (Anakwenze & Zuberi, 2013; DiCocco, 1986). Mental health professionals placed in the school setting may bridge communication and foster collaboration between administrators, teachers, and guardians when implementing mental health treatment for a child (Blount, 2012; Cooper-Haber & Haber, 2015; DiCocco, 1986; Ofordile, 2009; Terry, 2002). Additionally, providing counseling within the schools may raise awareness among school staff and families concerning early mental health concerns warning signs before symptoms are exacerbated (Capp, 2015; Cefai & Cavioni, 2015; Salerno, 2016).…”

School Counselors’ Perceptions of Family Systems Perspectives

“…Generally speaking, school counselors traditionally have been trained in individual models and often lack the training in a family systems perspective that is necessary to provide a comprehensive school counseling program (Magnuson & Norem, 1998; Velsor, 2000). In addition, despite the increased attention in the literature supporting family counseling and interventions in the school setting, to date the literature does not offer direction for how to prepare graduate students in school counseling programs to use a family systems perspective (Holcomb-McCoy, 2004; Terry, 2002).…”

“…Only limited research exists on the topic of perceptions of competency, preparedness, and importance of school counselors’ implementation of family perspective, even though experts assert that empirical evidence is essential (Terry, 2002). In June 2004, the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) recognized the need for family perspective in the schools and modified its code of ethics to incorporate the relevance of family work for the school counselor.…”