How Do We Teach Family Therapy Theory?

Abstract

A rich variety of ideas and strategies are found in the literature that addresses how family therapy theories should be taught. Differences in teaching strategies and practices are influenced by differences in the theories of family therapy. However, even within specific theoretical schools, there is more agreement among educators about what skills should be taught than there is on how to teach such skills. This column addresses the multiplicity of ideas on how to teach family therapy theories.

Learner-Centered Pedagogy: Considerations for Application in a Didactic Course

“…Bain (2004) cautioned that instructors' use of didactic-intensive forms of instruction may stunt students' curiosity and appetite for learning, as students may become accustomed to being passive receptacles for information. Various authors in the counseling literature have posited that supplementing lecture with alternative or innovative teaching approaches can help engage student learning so that students can more effectively access and apply what they have learned in their work as professional counselors (May, 2004;Shephard & Brew, 2005;Stinchfield, 2006).…”

“…While learner-centered literature is well known within the domain of higher education, as of yet it has not been thoroughly addressed within the scope of counselor education. Scholars and researchers in counselor education have focused on what content should be included in curricula (Granello, 2000) or specific teaching techniques used in class (May, 2004;Shepard & Brew, 2005;Stinchfield, 2006), rather than comprehensive approaches toward teaching that are helpful for engaging student learning. Yet several pedagogies are present in the counselor education literature such as contextual teaching (Granello, 2000), constructivist pedagogy (Nelson & Neufeldt, 1998), experiential teaching approaches (Grant, 2006), and transparent counseling pedagogy (Dollarhide, Smith, & Lemberger, 2007).…”