Study family therapy and discover how you can assist families in need – whether it’s strengthening family dynamics, helping to heal emotional wounds, or leveraging interventions that will ultimately lead to positive change. What a rewarding way to spend your working week! 

When a family is healthy and happy, everything seems right in the world. Most families have a built-in resilience to the challenges that life throws at them, but even the strongest of families sometimes need help beyond their resources. A range of factors can also contribute to family breakdowns – from family crises and mental health challenges to financial hardship and even just the stresses of modern-day life, which is why family counsellors are so critical to today’s society. 

Why Study Family Therapy?

Family therapy is an area of counselling that is important for families because individual therapies often can’t heal broader family issues. This is particularly the case if all family members are affected by the behaviour of one individual, or the family itself has become fragmented and non-functional. A family therapy course can help you understand the different approaches you might take and give you a range of techniques that can be used in family situations. 

If you want to study family therapy, you’re choosing an in-demand occupation. The current average salary for a family therapist in Australia is around $65K, and the growth of jobs in this sector is also predicted to be very strong.

This course is ideal for anyone working with or interested in helping families in distress. This includes those working or hoping to work in: 

• Family counselling
• Psychology
• Counselling
• Psychotherapy
• Social work
• Psychiatric nursing
• Caring roles
• Support work
• Health professions
• Health education
• Teaching

Learning Outcomes

• Explore the nature and scope of families
• Learn about the different types of families
• Explore the traditional family structures
• Gain an understanding of how family dynamics are similar and different from the past 
• Explore the common problems for both couples and families 
• Learn about how families cope with problems in different locations and cultures 
• Study family systems, life cycles and dynamics 
• Gain an understanding of the cultural variations in families 
• Learn about the various crises that occur in families 
• Study the effects of changing cultures for immigrant families
• Explore the evolving structures of families in terms of religion, changing parents, incoming grandparents, new or departing siblings or when two families merge 
• Learn about the effects of family abuse, violence, breakdowns and death and illness in families 
• Study the impact of changes in location or income on families 
• Explore family disintegration and reintegration 
• Learn how to see patterns and identify problems
• Study critical and long-standing family incidents 
• Learn about the support structures for families and how support services can be accessed 
• Study the benefits of extended families, community services, social networks and religious connections
• Gain an understanding of the types of counselling including individual and group counselling 
• Learn about the approaches to family therapy 
• Uncover how to conduct initial interviews and sessions and consider solutions 
• Study how to determine family roles and establish rules 

A Day in The Life of a Family Therapist 

Every family is unique, which is why a career in family therapy offers not only variety but unique and exciting challenges … practically every day! However, there are a few basic tasks that family therapists perform consistently. They include: 

• Asking questions that will help family members identify their feelings and behaviours.
• Counselling clients on concerns, such as divorce and separation, unsatisfactory relationships, home management, child-rearing and financial difficulties.
• Addressing personal issues, including family relationship problems and destructive patterns of behaviour.
• Encouraging family members to develop and use strategies to confront their challenges constructively.
• Developing and implementing individualised treatment plans.
• Maintaining case files that include evaluations, activities, progress notes and recommendations.
• Conferring with clients to develop strategies for post-treatment activities.
• Conferring with doctors and other counsellors and professionals to analyse individual cases and coordinate counselling services.
• Following up on the results of counselling programs to determine the effectiveness of programs.
• Providing instructions to clients on how to obtain help with legal, financial and other personal issues.

 

Keen to help struggling families understand their issues and work towards resolving them? Embrace your compassionate nature with our Certificate of Family Therapy.