Military Family Therapy: Clinical Applications

Catalog description

This Master’s level course involves in depth study of specific issues faced by military service members, veterans, and their families and specific systems-based treatments used by MFTs to address these challenges. Course topics include: influence of combat deployment on service members and veterans, including issues such as post-combat traumas (e.g., PTSD, TBI, sexual assault), risky behaviors (suicidality and substance abuse), and consideration of mental health issues that develop prior to or after deployment. Challenges involving the whole military family, such as demands of deployment, and domestic violence will also be explored. While studying these topics, students will pay particular attention to the issues of confidentiality and consider ethical dilemmas pertaining to military family therapy practice. In addition to being engaged in learning about various challenges present in military families, students will also explore the resilience framework and systems-based understanding of the military families environment.