Learning and Teaching Systemic Therapy

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/