Learning and Teaching Systemic Therapy

Today's guest is the amazing Dr. Tequilla Hill! She is a licensed systemic psychotherapist, seasoned somatic educator, healing artist, and mindful entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in wellness and behavioral health. Grounded in systemic psychotherapy and somatic practices, she integrates talk therapy, meditation, breathwork, and somatic movement to support emotional healing, nervous system regulation, and relational restoration. As a healing artist, Dr. Hill incorporates expressive arts, somatic movement, visual art, and writing into her clinical and educational work to deepen emotional expression and support embodied transformation. She is proud to come from a family of artists and creatives and feels honored to carry that legacy forward by weaving these elements into her therapeutic and teaching practice. Rooted in compassion and presence, Dr. Hill walks alongside therapists and wellness seekers alike, guiding them toward practices that nurture sustainable self-care, emotional healing, and a grounded sense of well-being. She consults, teaches, and leads with intention, offering experiences that restore clarity and vitality. Her passion for well-being, movement, and emotional wellness also led her to center her doctoral dissertation on therapist self-care, a topic she continues to champion in her work today. She holds a PhD and MS in Marriage and Family Therapy from Nova Southeastern University, a BA in Psychology from Florida Atlantic University, and an AA in Liberal Arts from Broward College. Dr. Hill is a sought-after therapist, wellness consultant, and mindfulness facilitator known for her integrative and compassionate approach. In this episode, we will explore Dr. Hill’s experiences with self-care, sustainable practice, and the power of creative and embodied healing for both therapists and the families they serve. Dr. Tequilla Hill's website: https://www.drtequilla.net/ Questions we discussed in this episode: Your journey from experiencing burnout in community mental health to becoming a leader in integrative MFT training is fascinating. How did your personal discovery of yoga, meditation, and breathwork transform not just your own practice, but your vision for how we should be training marriage and family therapists? What made you realize these weren't just personal wellness tools, but critical for our clinical competency? You integrate breathwork, nervous system regulation, and body awareness into family therapy training. Can you walk us through how a student learns to use their own somatic responses as clinical information?  You're in academic leadership, so you're in a unique position to influence how MFT educators think about embodied teaching and supervision. How do you model somatic awareness in faculty meetings, supervision, and program development? What does it look like when academic leadership operates from principles of nervous system regulation and mindful presence? Traditional MFT training often prioritizes technique mastery and theoretical knowledge. When you introduce breathwork, meditation, and somatic interventions, do you encounter resistance from students or colleagues who see these as 'soft' or non-essential? How do you help people understand that these are rigorous skills, not just wellness add-ons? Your work centers cultural humility and social justice. How does developing somatic awareness enhance a therapist's cultural responsiveness? Can you give us an example of how breathing techniques or body awareness might help a therapist navigate cultural differences or power dynamics in family therapy sessions? In your role training supervisors, how do you teach them to use their own regulated nervous systems to help supervisees develop clinical skills? Can you describe what co-regulation looks like in MFT supervision, and how it differs from traditional cognitive-focused supervision approaches? While your current MFT academic work takes place primarily online, your approach remains deeply embodied. How do you teach breathwork, somatic awareness, and physical presence through virtual platforms? What strategies have you discovered for maintaining the body-based aspects of training in our digital, often asynchronous, environments? Huge thanks to our sponsor, SimCare AI, for supporting the Learning & Teaching Systemic Therapy podcast. SimCare AI creates lifelike AI clients so counseling and MFT students can practice full-length sessions, get instant feedback, and build competencies at scale, with cases that can align to your specific program rubrics and courses. Learn more or book a demo at SimCare AI. Instructor accounts are free. :)  

On the podcast today we have Dr. Tony Rousmaniere, Rocky Allemandi and Olivia Ng from Sentio University.  Resources for Deliberate Practice: Sentio University Free Resources on DP: https://sentio.org/innovation DP exercises from Sentio University: https://sentio.org/dpexercises DP research articles: https://sentio.org/dpresearch  Sentio Youtube Channel Playlists: https://www.youtube.com/@sentiochannel/playlists  Published Books on Deliberate Practice in Various Therapy Modalities by the APA: https://www.apa.org/pubs/books/browse?query=title:D Asynchronous course on Deliberate Practice: https://darylchowcourses.teachable.com/p/dpforbetterresults    Participant Bios: Tony Rousmaniere, Psy.D. is the President of Sentio University, and the Executive Director of the Sentio Counseling Center.  He is also Past-President of the psychotherapy division of the American Psychological Association, and the author of over 20 books on Deliberate Practice and psychotherapy training, including the book series The Essentials of Deliberate Practice (APA Books). In 2017 he published the widely cited article in The Atlantic Monthly, “What your therapist doesn’t know”. Dr. Rousmaniere supports the "open data" movement towards making clinical outcome data available to consumers, policy-makers, and researchers by publishing his clinical outcome data on his website. He is a licensed psychologist in California and Washington. Rocky Allemandi, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California and a certified Deliberate Practice Supervisor through the International Deliberate Practice Society. He currently holds the position of Program Manager for Santa Cruz County Children’s Behavioral Health and serves as Adjunct Faculty in the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Sentio University. Rocky brings extensive experience within the public mental health system, having served in various capacities including clinician, clinical supervisor, and program manager. He is strongly committed to the advancement of high-quality mental health care and is dedicated to the training and professional development of emerging clinicians, with an emphasis on compassionate, accessible, and evidence-informed service delivery. Olivia Ng is a 22-year-old graduate student at Sentio University. Born and raised in the Bay Area, she has spent the past five years living in Southern California. Her experience at Sentio has given her a deeper understanding of the global psychology community, and she feels honored to be part of it. Olivia earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Chapman University in May of last year. Prior to Sentio University’s official launch, she participated in a short internship with the institution. During that time, she was introduced to the concept of deliberate practice, which sparked her curiosity and made her realize what sets Sentio apart from other programs. At the conclusion of the internship, she was offered the opportunity to join Sentio as a student and enrolled immediately following her undergraduate studies. In this episode, we explored questions about Deliberate Practice and how it can be integrated in MFT training programs. We also discussed Sentio University’s Clinic to Classroom or C2C method of teaching. The C2C method brings real clinical work into our learning environment as therapists. How are live sessions, real cases, or practice elements integrated into your C2C curriculum, and how does this differ from traditional simulation or review of raw data in clinical supervision?  Studies suggest even short exposure to DP can significantly increase empathy and clinical competence. How would you describe your experiences with DP and C2C method to a student peer from another program? Have you noted/tracked any measurable changes in your skill application, confidence, or case outcomes? What resistance or challenges have you encountered from instructors unfamiliar with performance-based supervision, and how do you support their transition? Could you share more about any challenges (or the learning curve) you faced when adopting DP methods? Another common concern about DP is that some folks are concerned it could force trainees to adopt a specific style of therapy and turn trainees into "therapy robots". Have you heard this concern from students and/or clinician colleagues? What are your thoughts, observations and strategies in relation to this concern when teaching using DP?  Sentio’s Deliberate Practice Exercise Library and Innovation Lab offer many resources like specific skill-building scenarios and practice videos. How can MFT educators leverage them across asynchronous online delivery formats? Is it possible to use DP in asynchronous online courses and how?  We are seeing rapid advances in AI-powered tools that can code therapy process data things like turn-taking, affect shifts, reflective statements at scale and with speed that was previously impossible (e.g. systems trained on session transcripts or audio). How do you see these technologies advance or transform deliberate practice by offering real-time feedback, identifying specific skill gaps, or personalizing practice sequences to the individual learner? 

Today we start our conversation from the premise that therapy is very political, as it has always been. The current legislation movement has affected so many vulnerable populations (anti-trans laws, erasure of LGBTQIA2S+ terms from government agencies and webpages, cancelation of grants supporting gender-expansive communities, prohibition of gender-affirming care for youth, state-specific abortion laws etc.).  In what ways are we staying well enough as educators to resist the harm? How does our resistance show up in teaching sex therapy? How do we begin uncomfortable and vulnerable conversations about these topics with our MFT students? What is multi dynamic relational therapy and how will it impact the way sex therapy is taught? How is this model taught in the classroom by Dr. Pennant and what did Jazzy get out of it as a student? How is the practice and legacy of intersectionality different in the classroom vs. in community and advocacy spaces? Dr. Pennant is an international speaker and expert in neurodiversity, LGBT+ relationships, and attachment and foster care, with a dedicated focus on research in systemic intervention. With a doctorate in Couple and Family Therapy from Antioch New England, Dr. Pennant has made significant contributions to the field, serving as a master trainer for supervisors through the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and has published numerous scholarly works. Dr. Anthony Pennant's The Colibri Center for Systemic Training: https://www.colibricentertraining.com/the-colibri-center Based in Seattle, WA, Dr. Pennant operates a private practice where they provide therapeutic support and training, helping individuals and families navigate complex relational dynamics. Passionate about advocacy and education, Dr. Pennant engages audiences worldwide, sharing insights that promote understanding and inclusivity within diverse communities. Resources recommended by Dr. Pennant: Aponte, H. J., Powell, F. D., Brooks, S., Watson, M. F., Litzke, C., Lawless, J., & Johnson, E. (2009). Training the person of the therapist in an academic setting. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 35(4), 381–394. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2009.00123.x Lutz, L., & Irizarry, S. S. (2009). Reflections of two trainees: Person-of-the-Therapist Training for marriage and family therapists. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 35(4), 370–380. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2009.00126.x Pennant, A., & Shamoon, Z. (2022). Reflections on implementing the POTT program in a master’s clinical program. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 43(2), 182–196.   Full-text (open-access) available: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anzf.1492 Pennant, A., & Shamoon, Z. (2023). Person of the therapist: An ethical training model. In L. Nice and C. Eppler (Eds.), Social Justice and Systemic Family Therapy Training. Springer. The future MFT and current Master’s student we have on the podcast today is Jazzy Bryant (they/them). Jazzy is a Black and Indigenous nonbinary full spectrum birth worker and systems thinker who is currently working towards a Masters in Couples and Family therapy. Jazzy is passionate about holistic care and reproductive justice as a liberatory and community led framework. Like many intuitive caregivers, Jazzy has always been called to care for those around them. Early on they discovered the power of nourishing bonds and openhearted support in healing attachment, increasing resilience, and promoting self-determination. Jazzy honors and channels their ancestors as they continue to remember and decolonize authentic ways of being and caregiving. Link to a talk Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw did about the origins and meaning of intersectionality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DW4HLgYPlA.    

Today's very special guest is Dr. Kate Owen! Dr Kate Owen is a Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Family Therapist based in Australia. She runs a private practice supporting individuals, couples, and families, and provides clinical supervision to practitioners, and both government and non-government mental health and counselling teams. With a passion for integrative systemic psychotherapy, Kate delivers professional development training across Australia, offering workshops on foundational and advanced family therapy skills, trauma-informed practice, and self-care for helping professionals. She consults to hospital and health districts to support the integration of systemic thinking and practice into public mental health services. Kate has presented at both national and international conferences and co-authored a publication on systemic integrative practice in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy. She has previously run an accredited family therapy training company that supported professionals in gaining their qualifications as Clinical Family Therapists, and has taught in university settings. Kate is committed to supporting the next generation of clinicians through engaging, reflective, and practice-based learning. In addition to her in-person work, she creates online courses and practical resources designed to help professionals deepen their skills and confidence in systemic and trauma-informed practice. She is the creator of the Keep Calm Cards, along with a range of other tools developed to support clinical application and reflective practice. Dr. Kate Owen's website is: www.drkateowen.com Dr. Kate Owen's socials: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkateowen/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/drkateowen Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drkateowen/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@drkateowen Some of Dr. Kate Owen's teaching ideas can be viewed here.  Questions we discussed in this episode: Your workshop descriptions stress an experiential, interactive teaching style, making “complex theory easy to grasp”. I’d love for you to speak to any specific classroom modalities you rely on to achieve this. For example, do you use role-plays, video demonstrations, small-group exercises or live family therapy demonstrations, and how have these methods helped students link systemic theory to clinical practice in your courses? Specifically, how do you use metaphors or stories in your workshops to deepen understanding? Could you give us an example? In your clinical and supervisory work, you have emphasized that systemic therapy is “not about the number of people in the room” and outlined key principles (context, circular causality, systemic alliance) even when working one-on-one. How do you translate those principles into interactive learning?  In your Systemic Integrative Practice masterclass, you introduce a “meta-framework” to help clinicians adapt their interventions to each client’s unique context. How do you present this advanced concept to practitioners who already know the basic family therapy models? Do you use case studies, process mapping, or visual aids when teaching this framework, and how do you help your learners balance multiple models (systems, narrative, etc.) in a coherent way? Your teaching integrates trauma-informed and neuroscience-informed approaches. For example, your Working Safely with Families & Trauma workshop weaves together sensorimotor, mindfulness, EFT, and attachment perspectives. How do you help learners make sense of this broad material?  I would love to know more about your systemic supervision groups.  Specifically, with the shift to online training, how have you adapted your supervision approach, for example, using reflecting teams via Zoom? You also run training and professional development for schools and those in the Education system. In your educator workshops, what kinds of hands-on resources or activities do you use to teach systemic ideas?   

In this episode of the Learning and Teaching Systemic Therapy Podcast, listeners are introduced to the amazing Dr. Ashley Hicks and Danielle Barcelo, a PhD candidate in MFT. Our discussion centers on decolonizing systemic therapy within our educational practices. Dr. Hicks provides us with wonderful examples of activities from her own MFT courses. She teaches with a focus on cultivating critical consciousness and examining biases in ourselves, as well as our foundational models. She also shares her strategies for navigating institutional constraints on curriculum, handling student resistance, and effectively using self-disclosure in therapy and education. We discuss creating community agreements, creating fertile ground for open discussions on race and identity, and advancing our own and our students' cultural humility in therapeutic practices. Dr. Ashley Hicks' bio: Ashley A. Hicks, PhD, IMFT-S is a licensed marriage and family therapist, AAMFT approved supervisor, researcher, consultant, speaker, and teacher. She is Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the OSU Couple and Family Therapy Clinic at The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH.  Ashley is the founder of Our Lineage Our Legacy LLC and she offers trainings and presentations at the local, state, and national level to mental health providers, healthcare providers, clergy, community and government groups to address mental health concerns such as disordered eating, anti-Black racism, race-based stress, trauma informed and focused care.  Ashley has worked in several clinical settings with diverse populations including racial/ethnic minorities, LGBTQ populations, homeless and those experiencing poverty. Her clinical practice and research focus primarily on the needs Black individuals and families including womxn and those struggling with body image and eating concerns. Danielle Barcelo's bio: Our PhD in MFT student guest we have with us today is Danielle Barcelo. She is a PhD Candidate at National University, a fully online COAMFTE-accredited program where she is getting her PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy with a specialization in Children and Adolescents. Danielle is completing her dissertation on High-Conflict Post-Divorced or Separated Co-Parents and their impact on children, adolescents, co-parents, and other systems. Danielle is a LMFT in Colorado, where she received her MA-MFT, as well as two post-master's certificates, one in Counseling Children and Adolescents, that prepares you to become a Play Therapist and another in Depth Psychotherapy. Danielle is also an AAMFT Approved Supervisor Candidate. She is a Latinx Group practice owner, therapist, and supervisor in Denver, Colorado, where she was born and raised. Danielle identifies as a Hispanic/Mexican American/Chicana and Native American female. Danielle has over 10 years in the field working primarily with underserved populations. Danielle is continuing to grow her practice and has 15 therapists in her practice, 2 supervisors, an office manager, and a health and wellness coach.  Questions we explored in this episode (sourced by Danielle Barcelo): How do you personally decolonize MFT teaching in your own teaching? What are some examples on how you do that in your own teaching? How do you appropriately self-disclose as the self/person-of-the-professor relating to decolonization of MFT teaching.  How do you handle when something at the institution level is “out of your hands/control” so to speak, when it comes to how colonization influences curriculum and structure of teaching MFT? How do you partner with students on decolonization of MFT teaching? What kind of community involvement is included in decolonization of MFT teaching? How do you talk about white power and privilege, oppression, racism, bias, etc. in MFT teaching? Resources by Dr. Ashley Hicks: Alexander, M. (2020). The new Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness (10th anniversary ed.). The New Press. Boyd-Franklin, N. (2006). Black families in therapy: Understanding the African American experience (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press. Deliberate Practice in Systemic Therapy: https://www.apa.org/pubs/books/deliberate-practice-systemic-family-therapy Location of Self: Opening Doors to Dialogue on Intersectionality in the Therapy Process: https://www.ackerman.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Watts-Jones-Dee-Location_of_Self.pdf Bringing Location into the therapy room (video): Dr. Thandiwe Dee Watts Jones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGIW8xANdCw Sociocultural Attuned Therapy Article:  Knudson-Martin C, McDowell T, Bermudez JM. From Knowing to Doing: Guidelines for Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy. J Marital Fam Ther. 2019 Jan;45(1):47-60. doi: 10.1111/jmft.12299. Epub 2017 Nov 10. PMID: 29125887. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29125887/  

Questions we explored in this episode: Why is it important for MFT students to strengthen their theoretical skills earlier compared to other counseling related fields? What are some tools to facilitate choosing a theoretical orientation? How do you balance teaching foundational theories while encouraging students to develop their unique therapeutic style? What challenges do your students face when applying theory to practice, and how have you helped them bridge the gap? What strategies have you used to help students broach topics around culture with their clients? How do you think current trends in systemic therapy (e.g., teletherapy, trauma-informed care, somatic-based approaches) influence the teaching of systemic theoretical orientations? Dr. Merchant is an Associate Professor and Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Abilene Christian University. She is also the Chair of the Department of Marriage and Family Studies. Dr. Merchant is an alumna of ACU (’04) and earned her Doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy at Texas Tech (’15).  Dr. Merchant facilitated a Batterer Intervention and Prevention Program until last year. She is currently the Presiding Member of the Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists, and is the state delegate to the Association of Marriage and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards. She has two adult sons, could eat tacos for every meal, and loves plants despite her brown thumb.  Dr. April Nisan Ilkmen received both her masters and Ph.D. degrees in Couple and Family Therapy from Adler University in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Ilkmen is the Clinical Training Director and Assistant Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy at Northern Illinois University. Dr. Ilkmen’s teaching and clinical interests are related to attachment in romantic relationships and issues of social justice in the field of psychotherapy. Dr. Ilkmen grew up in Turkey, has lived in Canada, and now resides in the U.S. Her immigration experience, and multi-cultural background allowed her to become a culturally sensitive clinician and professor. Her clinical approach is the attachment-based model, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), a model that permeates her clinical practice as well as her teaching and supervision methods. Her approach to therapy is informed by psychodynamic models, helping each individual to understand their unique struggles in the past and present in order to facilitate internal change. Dr. Ilkmen practices in Turkish, French and English. Dr. Ilkmen is currently enrolled in Psychoanalytic training program at the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute and in ongoing psychoanalytic supervision. Resources discussed in this episode: McDowell, T., Knudson, M. C., & Bermudez, J. M. (2019). Third‐Order Thinking in Family Therapy: Addressing Social Justice Across Family Therapy Practice. Family Process, 58(1), 9–22. https://doi-org.acu.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/famp.12383   ANVIET course activity Case Conceptualization Course Activity_Lisa Merchant Immigration Narrative Reflecting Team Group Activity_Lisa Merchant  

With us today on the podcast we have Dr. Tatiana Melendez-Rhodes. She is an Associate Professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Central Connecticut State University. She is a Licensed marriage and family therapist in Connecticut, a Clinical Fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, (AAMFT), an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, and a fellow Fulbright Scholar. She received her Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Connecticut. She was also a clinical Psychologist in Peru. Dr. Melendez-Rhodes has taught several graduate and undergraduate courses of marriage, family therapy, supervision and psychology in the United States and Peru. Dr. Melendez-Rhodes has worked in public hospitals, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, private practice and outpatient mental health organizations in the US and Peru. Her research interests focus on family violence, immigration issues, interpersonal acceptance-rejection, couples therapy, and clinical practice and outcomes. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and presented her research at national and international conferences. The PhD student we have with us today is Shazia Imran. She is a Co-Founder and CEO at NTL Laboratory (clinical laboratory, blood laboratory, testing, molecular). Shazia Imran holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Psychology from Loyola University Chicago and a Master of Science in Marriage and Family Psychotherapy from Northwestern University. She is currently a doctorate student at Adler University. In addition to her advanced degrees, she has many certifications, including Yoga-Informed Psychotherapy and Financial Decision-Making, from one of the elite universities in Chicago, the University of Chicago.  Currently, she is doing her clinical practicum through Live Oak, helping couples and families with many different areas of life. In the past, she worked in the community setting for the state of Illinois as an on-call psychotherapist for all north-side hospitals of Chicago. She has done a tremendous job in the community and at NTL Laboratory. Over the past 8 years, she has served multiple roles in the company. In this episode, we'll be exploring questions that have been pre-sourced from Shazia and Sofia: 1) When you think about your journey, what comes to mind? Can you share your experience/ journey of moving to the U.S. and transitioning into teaching systemic therapy? What challenges did you encounter along the way? 2) When you think of culture, how did your cultural background influence your approach to teaching systemic therapy, and what strengths and growing edges did you experience? 3) What are resources you share with students and challenges you provide them with to advance their systemic training? 4) What changes or improvements would you like to see in systemic therapy, especially how it is taught and practiced in the U.S.?   Contact Shazia Imran: Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/shazia-imran-chicago-il/360873  Email: Simran@adler.edu and Shaziaumrani786@gmail.com    Contact Dr. Tatiana Melendez-Rhodes: Faculty Profile: https://www.ccsu.edu/person/tatiana-melendez-rhodes  Phone: (860) 832-2256 Email: tatianam@ccsu.edu    The 2nd MFT Educators International Gathering will be on March 19, 12pm-2pm Central Time. ✅ Register here: https://lnkd.in/gzXQUQaZ 🔆 Our 1st MFT Educators International Gathering (January 15, 2025) involved participants from the UK, US, Canada, Italy, Greece and Slovakia, with each sharing their experiences and observations about our field. 👉 As a group, we explored ideas to advance our field, such as hosting sessions, writing reports or books, and raising awareness. We discussed the opportunity of collaborating at an upcoming international conference. Some of us are thinking about creating introductory workshops for other professionals to learn about systemic thinking. Others talked about discussing study abroad collaborations. Shila Rashid (The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust) and Sofia Georgiadou (University of Houston-Clear Lake/Northwestern University) are inviting you to a conversation with one another – across continents, across our different contexts – to consider these important questions and opportunities for collaborations to advance our incredible field. This gathering is for CFT/MFT trainers, instructors and professors of all ranks (clinical supervisors, lecturers, senior lecturers, adjuncts, assistant/associate/full professors, chairs) across all geographical locations.   Resources by Dr. Tatiana Melendez-Rhodes: Meléndez -Rhodes. T. (2018). International Immersion: Promoting first-hand  interaction with other cultures. Family Therapy Magazine, 17(1), 8-12. McDowell, T., Goessling, K., & Meléndez, T. (2012). Transformative learning through international immersion: Building multicultural competence in family therapy and counseling. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 38, 365-379. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2010.00209.x  Harris-McKoy, D., Gutierrez, D., Strachan, T., & Winley, D. (2017). Women of color in marriage and family therapy programs. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy: An   International Forum, 29(1-2), 28–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/08952833.2016.1272170 Gopal, A (2011). Internationalization of higher education: Preparing faculty to teach cross-culturally. The international Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 23(3), 373. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ946163.pdf

Welcome to the "Learning and Teaching Systemic Therapy" Podcast, hosted by Dr. Shofia Georgiadou. In this episode, we explore the decolonization of marriage and family therapy education with Dr. Felicia Holloway, a passionate advocate for accessible and affirming mental health care for marginalized groups. With questions sourced by our Ph.D. student guest Briana Roberts, our conversation explores the importance of reducing hierarchy and gatekeeping in academia and therapy while promoting collaborative learning and teaching environments. We also discuss strategies for supporting students of color and creating empowering mentorship networks. Tune in for an inspiring discussion about what decolonizing systemic education for the next generation of MFTs looks like.  Questions we discussed in this episode (by Briana Roberts, PhD Candidate): What does your work in decolonizing Marriage and Family Therapy look like? What does decolonizing work as professors look like? How can we support MFT students of color coming into programs?  What does advocacy for these students look like? How can you balance mentoring students of color while also managing your work and mental load? Resources discussed in this episode:  Sisterhood Sanctuary: Peer Support Group for BIPOC female therapists Join Us: Start Date: October 18, 2024 Recurring: Every third Friday of the month Time: 12:00-1:30 pm CST Cost: $5 per session (Therapy for Therapists Membership required for participation) For more information: hello@therapyfortherapistscollective.com or 818-405-0755 Therapy for Therapists Collective: https://www.therapyfortherapistscollective.com/ Annual Faculty Women of Color in the Academy Conference: https://www.inclusive.vt.edu/Programs/FWCA.html Connect with Dr. Felicia Holloway on LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/felicia-j-holloway-phd-lpc-s-lmft-s-0190382a Connect with Briana Roberts, LMFT on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briana-roberts-m-s-lmft-91b24864/   Please follow and rate with 5 stars if you like what you hear 📲  Please email me at drsofia.georgiadou@Gmail.com with your feedback, thoughts, comments about the podcast! If you are interested in participating in the podcast, share your interest here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScpbjVistQywjrIcMHCbgsLg2-IMZwySCnOFTJRX8sXa4hS1A/viewform  If you are apprehensive about being on the podcast but have a question you would like to submit for an experienced MFT educator, submit it here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVcrWWjWoFwuBYiQz_0-KcKC9i7Il-tZjlRlqqbKJSCQ_F2A/viewform

On the podcast today, I am honored to have Kristen Benson, Ph.D., LMFT. Dr Benson is an Associate Professor of human development and family science at Virginia Tech University. She is the Program Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy program and an AAMFT-approved supervisor.  Dr. Kristen Benson identifies as a scholar-practitioner, aiming to conduct research that informs inclusive clinical practice with LGBTQ+ individuals and relationships—a population that seeks therapy at higher rates, yet therapists often report minimal competency training. She is motivated to engage in timely research to change clinical practice and inform policies and legislation to better serve marginalized communities. Her teaching and clinical training philosophy is guided by collaborative practices focused on the liberation of historically underrepresented groups, informed by the works of Paulo Freire and bell hooks. She firmly believes that teaching and learning practices that critically address socially marginalized groups help therapists-in-training become competent in their work with all clients. I know so far in the podcast our discussion featured questions I sourced from a PhD in MFT student or recently graduated PhD. This time, I am the early-career MFT educator (with questions) and I am very excited to have Dr. Benson with us today to share her wisdom and lived experiences.  Questions we discussed today (developed by host Dr. Sofia Georgiadou) Can you share with us any particularly satisfying moments when specific initiatives or your academic work have influenced policy making and legislation? Where should MFT educators start as they leverage their research and scholarship to influence legislative advocacy effectively? How could MFT educators incorporate social justice principles into their teaching and supervision practices to enhance student learning and client outcomes? How can MFT educators better prepare students for working with transgender and non-binary clients and their families? Can you share your insights on how educators can prepare students to effectively support LGBTQIA clients, particularly in regions where such affirming practices might face resistance? What strategies do you recommend for MFT educators from equity-seeking communities as they navigate the academy? How did you find allies and accomplices within the academic spaces you occupied so far? Resources: McGeorge, C. R., Kellerman, J., & Carlson, T. S. (2018). Indicators of LGB Affirmative Training: An Exploratory Study of Family Therapy Faculty Members. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 30(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/08952833.2017.1381825 Heiden-Rootes, K., Benson, K., Capshaw, E., & Carmichael, A. P. (2024). Understanding Transgender and Non-binary Youth Mental Health Through the Family Resilience Framework: A Literature Review. Contemporary Family Therapy, 46(3), 327–338. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-023-09688-3  Heiden‐Rootes, K., McGeorge, C. R., Salas, J., & Levine, S. (2022). The effects of gender identity change efforts on Black, Latinx, and White transgender and gender nonbinary adults: Implications for ethical clinical practice. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 48(3), 927–944. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12575 McGeorge, C. R., Coburn, K. O., & Walsdorf, A. A. (2021). Deconstructing cissexism: The journey of becoming an affirmative family therapist for transgender and nonbinary clients. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 47(3), 785–802. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12481  McGeorge, C. R., Kellerman, J., & Carlson, T. S. (2018). Indicators of LGB Affirmative Training: An Exploratory Study of Family Therapy Faculty Members. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 30(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/08952833.2017.1381825  McGeorge, C. R., & Stone Carlson, T. (2016). The State of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Affirmative Training: A Survey of Faculty from Accredited Couple and Family Therapy Programs. Journal of Marital & Family Therapy, 42(1), 153–167. https://doi-org.uhcl.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/jmft.12106 

This week's guest: Dr. Jackie Williams-Reade and PhD Student Rose Lange! Welcome to the Society for the Teaching of Marriage and Family Therapy (STMFT) podcast hosted by Dr. Sofia Georgiadou. Dr. Sofia facilitates dialogues between seasoned Marriage and Family Therapy educators and PhD students. The experienced MFT Educator(s) respond to questions PhD students in CFT/MFT have about becoming effective CFT/MFT educators. The podcast’s goal is to create mentorship opportunities and enhance PhD students’ knowledge of pedagogy, culturally responsive learning design, as well as effective teaching of CFT/MFT courses. The Society for the Teaching of Marriage and Family Therapy is the official MFT Educators’ Division of the Coalition of Associations for Systemic Therapy (https://coastmft.org). Join our FB group for the Society for the Teaching of Marriage and Family Therapy (STMFT): https://www.facebook.com/groups/stmft  Consider joining COAST to support our programming and upcoming initiatives: https://coastmft.org/membership/ Email me at georgiadou@uhcl.edu with your feedback, thoughts, comments about the podcast!  If you are interested in participating in the podcast, share your interest here: https://forms.gle/oJMAhCir7jZN5hUn7  If you are apprehensive about being on the podcast but have a question you would like to submit for an experienced MFT educator, submit it here: https://forms.gle/69xzKUAFZyHtManL8  Questions from PhD student guest, Rose Lange, that we discussed in this episode:  What was your process of conceptualizing your teacher identity?  In my experience, a common talking point is that online programs do not produce as rigorous training as in-person programs. What are your thoughts on that? What can we as educators do in our online classes to make sure our students are well-trained? What tips and resources do you have for finding online programs that are hiring, either for faculty positions or adjunct? How does gender play a role in your teaching identity and philosophy of teaching? (Rose identifies as a genderfluid woman (she/they pronouns) who is cisgender-passing. She has heard stories from female peers in professorial roles who have felt disrespected by male students.) Has this been your experience? How do you navigate this? On the podcast today we have Dr. Jackie Williams-Reade, LMFT. Dr. Williams-Reade is a Professor at Loma Linda University and has taught both Master’s and Doctoral level MFTs and Counseling students since 2012. Over her career she has taught in a variety of settings from undergraduate to PhD and in several formats including in-person, on-line (synchronous and asynchronous), and week-long intensives. Her specializations in teaching are medical family therapy, integrating spirituality into therapy, and qualitative research. She has numerous publications and presents regularly on a range of topics, including medical family therapy and clinical, supervisory, and teaching innovations.  She is co-author of the textbook: "Self-of-the-Therapist in Medical Settings: A Sociocultural and Systemic Perspective" (2019, Springer) and is the administrator of the Medical Family Therapy group on Facebook. Dr. Williams-Reade recently received her institution’s faculty award for Scholar-Researcher Excellence in 2024. She has been regularly involved in AAMFT leadership activities including a member of the Elections Council, Board Member on the California Division, founder of the Family Therapists in Healthcare Interest Network, and on the Board of Directors.   The PhD student we have with us today is Rose Lange (she/they). Rose is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in the state of Illinois. She holds a Masters in marriage and family therapy from Fuller Seminary in California, and she is currently working on her Ph.D. in couple and family therapy at Adler University in Chicago as well as her certificate in sex therapy. In her clinical work, Rose primarily utilizes contextual therapy with collaborative and emotionally-focused interventions woven in. She is pursuing her Ph.D. to diversify her career with teaching, supervision, and publication opportunities. Rose is especially passionate about teaching and is currently a teaching intern at Adler University in the sex therapy and couple and family therapy programs. When she isn’t working, you can find her at home with her husband and three house-bunnies watching movies, reading books, and crocheting.

Questions we discussed with Dr. Salazar in this podcast: (Sourced from PhD in MFT Student at National University, Yvonne Judge) What qualifications did you need to have in order to teach in an MFT program? What is different about teaching MFTs online vs in-person? What are the pros and cons of teaching MFT online? What are the common challenges you see with students in your program? How much time does your teaching role take, both in class and outside of class? (Sourced from PhD in MFT Student at Adler University, Rose Lange) What is it like teaching for a fully online Master’s in Counseling Psychology program as a systemically trained therapist and educator?

Welcome to Learning and Teaching Systemic Therapy Podcast, the official Society for the Teaching of Marriage and Family Therapy (STMFT in short) podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Sofia Georgiadou. I created STMFT and this podcast as an antidote to the isolation I experienced as an early-career academic. I also created STMFT and this podcast as a space to allow myself and my colleagues to share resources and bridge the way we do systemic therapy with the way we teach systemic therapy in our classrooms. In this episode we have: Dr. Afarin Rajaei, PhD, LMFT: Dr. Rajaei is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and esteemed author, dedicated to advancing personal growth, emotional awareness, and resilience through her professional work. She serves as the associated editor of the International Journal of Systemic Therapy and frequently presents on topics such as deep inclusion work, exploring romantic relationships, and integrated healthcare systems.    Dr. Ryan Lloyd, PhD, LMFT-S, LCDC: Dr. Lloyd is a newly minted PhD, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor, AAMFT Supervisor Candidate, & Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor working in North Texas. He primarily works with clients with co-occurring psychiatric & substance use disorders, involved in criminal justice, high-conflict families & couples. He has worked in both inpatient & outpatient settings but he aims to get to teaching.   Dr. Lloyd's questions discussed in this episode:  What has inspired you most along your journey in training systemic therapists? When beginning your teaching career, what did you find most difficult about getting started? What did you find most helpful? What are some of tools/techniques you use to assist therapists in training, who are new to systemic thinking, who struggle with conceptualizing systems thinking? If applicable, how do (or have) you navigate(d) gatekeeping with therapists in training?  What do you wish you would have known before entering your career in training therapists? Resources: Society for the Teaching of Marriage and Family Therapy (STMFT) website: https://stmft.coastmft.org/ STMFT Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stmft Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL) website: https://cirtl.net/

Welcome to Learning and Teaching Systemic Therapy Podcast, the official Society for the Teaching of Marriage and Family Therapy (STMFT in short) podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Sofia Georgiadou. I created STMFT and this podcast as an antidote to the isolation I experienced as an early-career academic. I also created STMFT and this podcast as a space to allow myself and my colleagues to share resources and bridge the way we do systemic therapy with the way we teach systemic therapy in our classrooms. Here with us today we have: Dr. Mary Nedela is an Assistant Professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), a licensed marriage and family therapist in Connecticut and Michigan, a Clinical Fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), and AAMFT Approved Supervisor. She received her master’s degree in child development and family studies with a specialization in marriage and family therapy from Purdue Calumet (now Purdue Northwest). She received her doctoral degree in human development with a specialization in marriage and family therapy from Virginia Tech. Dr. Nedela has taught several undergraduate and graduate courses in marriage and family therapy, human development, and psychology. Additionally, she has comprehensive clinical experience working in various clinical settings, including in-home programs, in-patient style settings, and outpatient settings. She is particularly passionate about LGTBQ+ individuals and their relationships with family, friends, and partners. Additionally, she is driven to increase the quantity and quality of clinical services available to LGBTQ+ communities. Her specific research area of interest includes relational well-being among bi+ individuals and their partners.   Our PhD Student guest today is Joyce Miles Jacquote. Joyce is an LMFT Supervisor, an LCDC, and going into her third year as a DMFT student at National University's Marriage and Family Therapy program.  On top of all of that, she is the owner of a solo private practice, Overcoming Miles Counseling, PLLC which offers telehealth services in CO, TX, UT, and WA. In her private practice, she focuses on providing therapy to romantic partners, queer platonic partners, and families; however, they may present or define themselves. Her therapeutic passions are serving the communities that she is a part of, including the Black and Brown communities and Queer communities. When not providing therapy, Joyce is providing clinical supervision to LMFT Associates and MFT graduates interns as well as giving presentations, appearing on podcasts, and writing blogs to educate others.   Questions discussed in this episode: If you have a client caseload in addition to your course load what have you found to be helpful when it comes to balancing both along with your personal life? What resources do you recommend for an early-career instructor to learn how to create a meaningful syllabus for the courses that they teach? What tips do you have to keep a class engaged when teaching an online synchronous course? Are there specific skills or experiences that you would recommend an early career profession focus on to advance in this field? What strategies do you find most effective for building connection and collaboration with your peers in the field? Resources: Society for the Teaching of Marriage and Family Therapy (STMFT) website: https://stmft.coastmft.org/ STMFT Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stmft Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL) website: https://cirtl.net/