Family Counseling in the Schools: A Graduate Course

Abstract

The literature describes a wide array of projects and approaches for applying family systems theory and practice in school settings. However, to date, no articles describe coursework to prepare students for this work. This article describes a one semester-unit course, entitled “Family Counseling in the Schools” to complement other training in family systems counseling for students interested in family-school intervention. The article links literature on changes in the cultures of the social institutions of schools, families, and family counseling with the systemic conceptual framework that underpins the course. The description of the course focuses on (a) objectives, (b) content and learning process activities, (c) homework assignments, and (d) student responses to the course.