COUN 6991 - Family Systems Counseling
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 01, CRN 42479,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Jennifer Yensel
Email: jfyensel@ysu.edu
Course Description
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | Family Therapy: History, Theory, and Practice (7th ed.). | Gladding |
Additional Required Readings: All readings will be provided to students via BlackBoard
Adverse Childhood Experiences: HCRC Fact Brief. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://cpcp3.org/uploads/4/1/9/1/4191814/aces.pdf
Carter, B., & McGoldrick, M. (Eds). (2005). The expanded family life cycle: Individual, family, and social perspectives (3rd ed.). Pearson.
Deacon, S. A., & Piercy, F. P. (2001). Qualitative methods in family evaluation: Creative assessment techniques. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 29, 355-373.
Johnson, S. & Brubacher, L. (2016). Emotionally focused couples therapy: Empiricism and art. In T. Sexton & J. Lebow (Eds.), Handbook of family therapy. Routledge.
Lebow, J., & Stroud, C. B. (2012). Assessment of effective couple and family functioning: Prevailing models and instruments. In F. Walsh (Ed.). Normal family processes: Growing diversity and complexity (4th ed., pp. 501-528). Guilford Press.
McGoldrick, M., & Gerson, R. (1985). Constructing genograms. In Genograms in family assessment. W.W. Norton & Co.
McGoldrick, M., Gerson, R., & Petry, S. (2008). Genograms: Mapping family systems. In Genograms: Assessment and intervention (3rd ed.). W.W. Norton & Co.
Walsh, F. (2003). Family resilience: A framework for clinical practice. Family Process, 42,1-18.
Walsh, F. (2011). Family therapy: Systemic approaches to practice. In J. Brandell (Ed.), Theory and practice in clinical social work. Sage.
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Schedule of Topics and Assignments
| Day | Date | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 8/24 | Gladding prologue; ch. 1-3 Walsh, 2011 (discuss in class) Carter & McGoldrick, 2005 (discuss in class) | Course overview, review of syllabus Foundations of family therapy The theoretical context of family therapy Types and functionality of families Lifespan development and normal family developmental processes Introduction of role play experience Time to create families | CACREP: 3.C.1 |
| Mon | 8/31 | Gladding, ch 4-5 Walsh, 2003 (discuss in class) McGoldrick & Gerson, 1985 (discuss in class) McGoldrick, Gerson, & Petry, 2008 (discuss in class) | Working with single-parent and blended families Working with culturally diverse families Family resilience Genograms | 3.C.1 Due: Submit family info Due: Mission Statement |
| Mon | 9/7 | No Class | ||
| Mon | 9/14 | Gladding, Ch 7, 17 Deacon & Piercy, 2001 (discuss in class) Lebow & Stroud, 2012 (discuss in class) | The process of family therapy Assessment, problem identification, and treatment planning processes The role of diagnosis in family therapy | Structural family therapy Techniques and processes of structural family therapy |
| Mon | 9/21 | Gladding, Ch 13 | ||
| Mon | 9/28 | Gladding, Ch 9 & 10 | Psychodynamic family theory and Bowen family systems theory Techniques and processes of transgenerational theories Family role plays | |
| Mon | 10/5 | Gladding, ch 12 | Experiential family therapy Techniques and processes of experiential family therapy Family role plays | 3.C.1 |
| Mon | 10/12 | Gladding, ch. 11 | Behavioral and cognitive-behavioral family therapy Techniques and processes of behavioral and cognitive behavioral family therapy Family role plays | |
| Mon | 10/19 | Gladding, Ch 14 | Strategic family therapies Techniques and processes of strategic family therapies Family role plays | |
| Mon | 10/26 | Gladding, Ch 15 & 16 | SFBT and narrative family therapy Techniques and processes of SFBT and narrative family therapy Family role plays | |
| Mon | 11/2 | Gladding, Ch 8 | Couple and marriage therapy and enrichment Family role plays | Due: Family Perspective Paper |
| Mon | 11/9 | Johnson & Brubacher, 2016 (discuss in class) | Emotionally-focused couple therapy Techniques and processes of EFT | 3.C.1 |
| Mon | 11/16 | Gladding, Ch 6, 18, epilogue ACEs Fact Brief (discuss in class) | Working with substance related disorders, domestic violence, and child abuse Ethical, legal, and professional issues | |
| Mon | 11/23 | Group Presentation (Special Topics) | Due: Group Presentations | |
| Mon | 11/30 | Case study presentations | Due: Integrated case study assignment | |
| Mon | 12/7 | Wiggle room |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.