Training Family Therapists: Creating a Learning Experience

Abstract

This article describes the structure of a Three Day Residential Workshop for experienced therapists. We were concerned that workshops for family therapists often failed to provide a sense of continuity and movement from one interview to the next. We also felt that workshops, through their process, imply an expectation of uniformity in style that may inhibit the creativity and spontaneity of the therapists. We therefore chose the Growth Model of family therapy as we experimented with a format that: (a) used sequential interviews which broke some well established rules of role‐playing, (b) utilized a team approach as a useful tool in furthering the learning experience, and (c) exposed the participants to a variety of therapy styles. In this article we seek to Illustrate those components of the workshop that proved successful and those areas which needed to be changed in order to make it a more effective learning experience. We conclude with specific recommendations regarding the structuring of such workshops.