Marriage and Family Therapist
Marriage and family therapists resolve emotional conflicts by applying principles, methods, and therapeutic techniques to individuals, families, or couples. In doing so, they modify people’s perceptions and behaviors, enhance communication and understanding among family members, and help prevent family and individual crises. Therapists may also use non-medical psychotherapy and make appropriate referrals to psychiatric resources, perform research, and teach courses about human development and interpersonal relationships.
JFK University offers two master’s programs in counseling psychology that meet the educational requirements for the California Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) license.
In JFKU’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology (GSPP), the PsyD and MA in Counseling Psychology programs prepare you for clinical practice through in-depth exposure to experiential learning, fieldwork, and theoretical approaches that examine and apply both systemic and individual approaches to psychological treatment. Developing self-knowledge, including ongoing examination of personal values, individual strengths and weaknesses, and awareness of diversity and social context, happens through required participation in personal psychotherapy. By increasing your sensitivity to the impact you have on the people with whom you interact, you add to your capacity to serve your clients well. The program also offers extensive clinical experience at JFKU’s Community Counseling Centers in the Bay Area.
The MA in Counseling Psychology program through JFKU’s School of Holistic Studies (SHS) offers specializations in somatic psychology, transpersonal psychology, and holistic studies, using a holistic perspective that integrates body, mind, spirit, and culture into the therapeutic practice. Coursework covers holistic studies, basic counseling skills, diagnosis and assessment, and marriage and family counseling theory and practice. You will also complete a yearlong supervised traineeship at the school’s Center for Holistic Counseling or another approved community-based site. In keeping with SHS recognition that daily spiritual practice is fundamental to growth in consciousness, you must participate in a spiritual discipline such as sitting meditation; somatic disciplines of tai chi, yoga, or aikido; or another comparable discipline during your enrollment. A year-end review offers the opportunity to discuss how the discipline contributes to your individual growth and your practice as a therapist.
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