Program Overview

Program Overview

The Master of Arts in Couple and Family Therapy program at Adler University prepares socially responsible marriage and family therapists to serve families, couples, youth, and individuals, and help them tackle real-world issues. The program embraces a scholar-practitioner approach with a unique focus on social justice that promotes positive change within personal relationships and larger social systems.

Student Outcomes

The program trains students to demonstrate cultural competency in practicing with diverse populations. It is firmly grounded in systemic, modern, and post-modern models of couple and family therapy theory. The approach brings together intensive coursework with real-world clinical practicum experience to help students establish a clear professional identity as a Couple and Family Therapist.

Accreditation & Licensure

The M.A. in Couple and Family Therapy Program at Adler University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). The program's sequence of courses and supervised clinical training are intended to assist professionals in meeting the educational requirements for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT) in Illinois.

Graduate Achievement Data

The MCFT program collects Graduate Achievement Data from the Registrar and alumni, including job placement rates and licensure rates.

Curriculum

The Master of Arts in Couple and Family Therapy is a 60-credit hour program that includes coursework and a clinical training practicum. The program is divided into several areas, including:

• Foundations of Relational/Systemic Practice, Theories & Models
• Clinical Treatment with Individuals, Couples and Families
• Diverse, Multicultural and/or Underserved Communities
• Research & Evaluation
• Professional identity, Law, Ethics & Social Responsibility
• Biopsychosocial Health & Development across the Life Span
• Systemic/Relational Assessment & Mental Health Diagnosis & Treatment
• Contemporary Issues
• Community Intersections & Collaboration

Course Descriptions

• MCFT 651: Assessment and Treatment Planning with Individual and Family Systems
• MCFT 662: Overview of Modern Approaches to Couple and Family Therapy
• MCFT 650: Overview Post-Modern Approaches to Couple and Family Therapy
• MCFT 572: Basic Skills of Therapy for CFTs
• MCFT 670: Family Therapy with Children and Adolescents
• MCFT 655: Therapy with Intimate Relationships: Theory and Techniques
• MCFT 660: Culture and Diversity in Couple and Family Therapy
• MCFT 597: Research Methods
• MCFT 505: Systemic Ethics
• MCFT 510: Professional Development Seminar A: POTT
• MCFT 514: Professional Development Seminar B: Pre-Practicum
• MCFT 600: CFT Professional Identity and Practicum Seminar
• MCFT 512: CFT Professional Identity Seminar and Capstone Project
• MCFT 654: Individual Life Span and Family Life Cycle
• MCFT 647: Biopsychosocial Bases of Health and Dysfunction for CFTs
• MCFT 526: Trauma-Informed Systemic Therapy
• MCFT 538: Introduction to Addictive Disorders
• MCFT 653: The Clinical Practice of Sex Therapy
• SJP 513: Social Justice Practicum I
• SJP 514: Social Justice Practicum II
• MCFT 533: Adlerian Theory and Practice

Electives

• CFTD 681: CFT Special Topic 1
• CFTD 682: CFT Special Topic 2
• CFTD 683: CFT Special Topic 3
• CFTD 728: Divorce Mediation and Conflict Resolution with Couples
• CFTD 735: Working Systemically with Sexual & Gender Minority Populations
• CFTD 736: Medical Family Therapy
• CFTD 738: Gerontology Issues in Family Therapy
• CFTD 789: Creative Intervention with Couples and Families
• CFTD 802: Hooks & Hardy
• CFTD 804: Adult Attachment Theory
• CFTD 805: Divorce
• CFTD 807: Infidelity
• CFTD 811: Pop-Culture and Couple and Family Therapy
• CFTD 815: Consensus Rorschach
• CFTD 821: Private Practice
• CFTD 823: Building a Psychoeducation Program
• CFTD 825: Working with Families with a Child with Special Needs
• CFTD 827: How to Publish a Book in the Field of Mental Health
• CFTD 831: Becoming a Kink-Aware Professional: An Exploration of Kink & BDSM
• CFTD 833: Perinatal Mental Health
• CFTD 837: Introduction to Consensual Nonmonogamy
• CFTD 841: Men’s Mental Health
• CFTD 843: Exploring Stereotypes of Women
• CFTD 861: Introduction to Mediation for Couples and Families
• CFTD 863: Clinical Risk Management: Suicide in Couples and Families
• CFTD 870: International Immersion and Cross-Cultural Studies
• MCFT 711: Couples and Families in Crisis: Forensic Work from Systemic Perspective
• SEX 690: A Biopsychosocial Approach to Sexuality Across the Lifespan
• SEX 691: Sexual Attitude Reassessment (SAR)
• SEX 692: Diversity in Sexuality: Socio-Cultural, Medical, Technological, and Ethical Influences
• SEX 693: Sex Therapy in Action: Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Psychosexual Issues and Dysfunction

Admissions Requirements

• A baccalaureate degree earned from a regionally accredited college or university or an equivalent degree from an international college or university.
• A recommended GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for undergraduate and graduate coursework.
• Approved applicants will be invited for an interview with faculty.
• Application and application fee
• Statement of Intent (2-3 pages, double-spaced)
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate schools attended
• Two letters of recommendation

Tuition & Fees

Tuition for Adler University’s programs is charged each term according to the number of registered academic credits.

Faculty

• Kristina S. Brown, PH.D., LMFT Chair & Professor, Couple and Family Therapy Department
• Marsha Vaughn, Ph.D., LMFT Professor, Couple and Family Therapy Department
• Cadmona A. Hall, Ph.D., LMFT, FT Professor, Couple and Family Therapy Department
• Dominique Barnes-Walker, Ph.D., LCSW, LMFT Assistant Professor, Couple and Family Therapy Department
• Dara Winley, Ph.D., LMFT Assistant Professor, Couple and Family Therapy Department

Programs

• Master’s
  • Counselling Psychology (M.A.)
  • Counselling Psychology (Master of)
  • Counselling Psychology: Art Therapy (Master of)
  • Counselling Psychology: School and Youth Concentration (M.A.)
  • Counselling Psychology: School and Youth Concentration (Master of)
  • Industrial and Organizational Psychology (M.A.)
  • Industrial and Organizational Psychology (Master of)
  • Psychology in Health and Wellness (Master of)
• Doctorate
  • Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.)
• Certificates
  • Certificate in Sex Therapy

Campuses

• Vancouver
• Chicago
• Online

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Programs

• Vancouver
  • Overview
  • Master’s
    • Counselling Psychology (M.A.)
    • Counselling Psychology (Master of)
    • Counselling Psychology: Art Therapy (Master of)
    • Counselling Psychology: School and Youth Concentration (M.A.)
    • Counselling Psychology: School and Youth Concentration (Master of)
    • Industrial and Organizational Psychology (M.A.)
    • Industrial and Organizational Psychology (Master of)
    • Psychology in Health and Wellness (Master of)
  • Doctorate
    • Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.)
• Chicago
  • Overview
  • Master’s
    • Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M.A.)
    • Clinical Mental Health Counseling Online (M.A.)
    • Counseling: Art Therapy (M.A.)
    • Couple and Family Therapy (M.A.)
    • Forensic Mental Health Leadership (M.A.)
    • Sport & Human Performance (M.S.)
  • Doctorate
    • Art Therapy Online (Ph.D.)
    • Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.)
    • Counselor Education and Supervision (Ph.D.)
    • Couple and Family Therapy (Ph.D.)
  • Certificates
    • Certificate in Sex Therapy
• Online
  • Overview
  • Master’s
    • Clinical Mental Health Counseling Online (M.A.)
    • Counseling: Art Therapy (M.A.)
    • Industrial and Organizational Psychology (M.A.)
    • M.A. in Psychology (M.A.)
    • Military Psychology (M.A.)
    • Organizational Leadership (M.A.)
  • Doctorate
    • Art Therapy Online (Ph.D.)
    • Industrial and Organizational Psychology (Ph.D.)
    • Organizational Leadership (Ph.D.)