FAMILY INSTITUTE OF WESTCHESTER Postgraduate Training Program in Family Therapy |
| 2008—2009 Training year Family Institute of Westchester, an internationally recognized training institution, is celebrating its 31st anniversary in 2008. With licensure now available for marriage and family therapists in the tri-state area, our programs provide CEU’s as well as supervisory and didactic hours that can be credited toward licensure and AAMFT clinical membership. CORE CLINICAL PROGRAM The Family Institute of Westchester Core Clinical Program offers beginning to advanced instruction in individual, family and couples therapy from a family systems perspective. Trainees are admitted to a course level commensurate with their training and experience. A highly integrated theoretical model is presented in 2-hour biweekly didactic seminars. In addition, trainees bring their own videotaped or live cases for group supervision in weekly 2-hour sessions. Applicants to the Core Clinical Program should have a post-graduate degree and clinical experience, and should be doing ongoing clinical work. Level I Group supervision and a didactic. The focus in this first year of supervision is the FIW multicontextual systemic model which stresses an understanding of the family from multi-generational and life cycle perspectives, integrating the broader contexts of gender, race, ethnicity and class. All first-year trainees are required to attend a monthly seminar, Therapist’s Own Family. Level II Group supervision and a didactic. In the second year of supervision, clinical skills are honed through work on assessment, tracking themes, altering triangles, construction of tasks and techniques for working with the extended family system through one person. Special attention is paid to adapting the model to situations which require short-term therapeutic intervention. ADVANCED SUPERVISION AND MENTORSHIP FIW’s advanced supervision encourages trainees to present families in live supervision. Applicants for advanced supervision must demonstrate clinical skills and experience equal to at least two years of FIW’s core clinical training. Level I Supervision for advanced trainees, and a didactic with intensive focus on the FIW model of working with couples and on Bowen family of origin work. Special emphasis on three-generational coaching tasks to facilitate change. Level II This program prepares senior level trainees to assume supervisory, teaching and research roles in the family therapy community. Intensive supervision of difficult cases and a didactic program that sharpens teaching skills and helps trainees to become community advocates for families. DIDACTIC PROGRAMS Each year of training and supervision at FIW includes a didactic seminar. For new trainees the first year includes an extensive exploration of the Bowenian-based FIW multicontextual model, and emphasizes the development of assessment skills. In addition, clinical issues specific to gay and lesbian and African-American families are introduced. In subsequent training years, both core clinical training and advanced training are also accompanied by didactic seminars. There are four additional didactic seminars: Continuous Case Didactic. This seminar tracks a single case from inception to completion and covers a range of theoretical and clinical topics such as sibling position , culture, gender, and loss. Following the complete case in each session gives trainees the opportunity to experience the challenges of planning and executing therapeutic interventions. Couples Work and Bowenian Coaching Didactic. Trainees focus intensively in this seminar upon work with couples and learn the skills of Bowenian coaching . Family therapy research skills are also presented. Proseminar in Couples Therapy. Designed for advanced clinicians, this didactic program re-addresses the Bowenian model and examines the ways in which it forms the theoretical basis for couples therapy. These are some of the models of couples therapy that are examined: Gottman research based therapy, Emotionally Focused therapy, Solution-focused couples therapy, and Behavioral couples therapy. The Fine Art of Teaching. Designed for advanced level trainees who are building private practices, working as agency leaders, and who wish to provide community education. Building upon their research skills, trainees develop in-depth presentations in areas of their interest. Clinical training programs are conducted on Tuesdays, October through May, with specific times arranged for each group. Training typically consists of 60 hours of group supervision, 30-plus hours of didactic seminars and other special programs and presentations as scheduled throughout the year. NASW (90 hours) and NBCC (9 hours) CEU’s are available for the core and advanced training. A personal interview is required of all new applicants to the comprehensive programs.. Tuition: $2800; $500 due upon registration Each spring FIW presents a series of specialized clinical workshops to the mental health community. These programs are presented by FIW faculty and invited adjuncts and reflect specific areas of expertise, work in progress, and issues of interest to active practitioners. FIW provides training and consultation to agencies interested in staff development and on-site clinical workshops. Periodically FIW offers Lunch and Learn sessions to which professionals in the community are invited to join faculty who share work in progress. The FIW ALUMNI ASSOCIATION is an active organization that meets regularly for special faculty presentations and get- togethers. In addition, a bi-monthly newsletter keeps alumni up-to-date on happenings and FIW as well as the comings and goings of their fellow alums. Job opportunities, referrals, and discounts on FIW programs are other perks of membership. The organization is open to clinicians who have finished any program at FIW. FIW trainees have access to our extensive book and videotape library and receive discounted fees on all other programs offered by the Institute during the academic year. |