Department of Pastoral Counseling
& Marriage and Family Therapy

Unless noted, all courses are 3 credits.

CNS 509 Introduction of Marriage and Family Therapy

This course is an introduction to the family therapy movement, its historical roots and evolution. Students will be introduced to a working vocabulary of family therapy terms, common elements among all therapies and among the different schools of family therapy. Several major schools of family therapy will be discussed in some detail.

CNS 510 Life Span Personality Development

This course is concerned with the growth and development of personality throughout the life cycle. The course will examine the multiple contexts which influence/impact on the individual as s/he moves through the life cycle.

CNS 531 Group Dynamics in Family

A laboratory course in the study of the forces and dynamics that operate in small groups. Analysis of class experience is used to foster more precise understanding of the interaction; further refinement of skills required for effective counseling/therapy; and development of greater discrimination in the assessment of dynamics in both individual and group experience.

CNS 540 Fundamentals of Psychiatry

This course is designed to give the student a working knowledge of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Through the case of lecture, case vignettes, extensive descriptions and video presentations, the student will be able to comprehend the standard diagnostic criteria applied to patients. Familiarity with DSM-IV is essential regardless of one's theoretical orientation and modes of clinical practice.

CNS 551 Pre Practicum Seminar

This course is oriented toward those students who are preparing for Field Placement. It is designed to provide interviewing and communication skills training to students in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program. Trainees are expected to gain an understanding of the role of the therapist and the therapy process, how clients change and basic strategies. It is essentially a laboratory course with major emphasis on practice. Role playing, videotapes and the use of the video camera will be utilized as part of the learning process.

CNS 6510-6520 Supervised Case Seminar I

A seminar for trainees who are currently undertaking their first field practicum. This seminar is designed to facilitate the integration of theory with practices. Emphasis will be on increasing the trainee's emerging skills, increase his/her listening skills, ability to establish a relationship and a working alliance, assessing client strengths and weaknesses and formulating a treatment plan. Enrollment is limited to six students in keeping with AAMFT guidelines. Grading is based on pass/fail. Taken in conjunction with CNS 6710-6720.

CNS 6710-6720 Practicum - Field Placement I

This is a twelve-month placement over the course of at least two semesters. Trainees are assigned to various approved facilities: counseling centers, hospitals, clinics and social service agencies where they engage in therapy under the direction of a licensed mental health professional or Approved Supervisor. The practicum is designed to integrate didactic knowledge with actual clinical work. Its goals is to develop and enhance professional skills and the use of oneself in the treatment process as well as deepen trainee self awareness. Trainees will keep a log of all client contact hours and supervision hours, which will be required for eventual certification by professional and state certifying bodies. Trainees receive two field placement evaluations annually. Grading is pass or fail. Prerequisite: CNS 551. Taken in conjunction with CNS 6510-6520.

CNS 740 Marital Therapy Seminar

This course will emphasize an integrative approach to couples' therapy,. Systems theory, object relations theory, and intergenerational models inform the theoretical context. Viewing issues from a marital life cycle perspective, students will explore basic techniques and strategies needed by the marital therapist. The emphasis will be on problem resolution and couple growth. Gender and ethnic issues will be examined.

CNS 74l Parenting

This course is designed to consider the parenting relationship as a subsystem from a structural/life cycle perspective. Parenthood will be examined at various focal points in the life cycle of the couple. The contributions of multigenerational dynamics will be considered as well. Factors which contribute to parental effectiveness/ineffectiveness will be examined.

CNS 743 Human Sexuality

This course will examine sexuality from biological, psychosocial, behavioral, clinical and cultural perspectives. The course will cover anatomy and physiology, the human sexual response cycle, development of sexual attitudes and orientation, sexual dysfunctions, and an interactional, interpersonal and transgenerational framework for assessing and interviewing in marital/sexual difficulties.

CNS 7510-7520 Supervised Case Seminar II

Continuation of CNS 6510-6520 but on a more advanced level. Taken in conjunction with Practicum-Field Placement II:CNS7710-7720

CNS 7710-7720 Practicum - Field Placement II

The trainees second field placement. Trainees will be expected to exhibit more advanced skills. Taken simultaneously with CNS 7510-7520.

CNS 794 Family Approaches to Therapy

A course designed to help the family therapist who is about to begin his/her clinical career to search the major models of family therapy to find one that best expresses his/ her personal world view. Several philosphical themes about the human condition are examined so the beginning therapist may delineate, more clearly, his/her world view, and to learn how one's values intersect with clinical practice. Class discussion and role play are emphasized.

CNS 795 Marriage, Family and Friendship Therapy

This course will examine dyadic relationships as they manifest themselves in friendships, marital and family relationships. Family of origin and intergenerational issues will be examined. Intimacy, communication, relational styles will be discussed as they manifest themselves both in functional and dysfunctional relationships. Various formats for assessing dyadic relationships will be presented as well as methods for enhancing communication and relationship skills.

CNS 796 Symposium in Family Therapy

In this course (intended for the advanced student and senior student clinician), we will review the epistemology foundations of family therapy, especially systems and cybernetic concepts as they relate to depicting family dynamics and to creating therapeutic interventions. We will review the historical antecedents of family therapy and discuss three seminal models: strategic, structural and narrative.

CNS 880 Ethical Issues in Marriage and Family Therapy

This course will focus on the ethical responsibilities of the counselor/therapist in a variety of treatment situations. The case study method will be used in which the trainee will be responsible for the evaluation and written analysis of the cases.

CNS 895 RESEARCH IN MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY

This course will introduce marriage and family trainees to the principles of research, including quantitative and qualitative methods.

CNS 990 Master's Project

Students shall register for this course in their final year of the MS in Marriage and Family Therapy. Pass/Fail only.

CNS 991 Research Project

An opportunity will be provided for students to engage in an optional research project to meet out-of-state certification requirements. The student will select an advisor from the Department and submit, in writing, an outline of the proposed topic. An interim report will be followed by the submission of the final research project. Approval of the Department Chairperson is required. Pass/Fail (1 Credit).

CNS 999 Independent Study

A student may elect a course of independent study to satisfy the elective requirements. This course is for the student who wishes to pursue an intensive study in a specialized area. This course may be taken only with the approval of the Curriculum Committee and the Chairperson of the Department. The student will be assigned a faculty member under whose direction the study is to be formulated, conducted, evaluated and graded. It may be repeated once with the permission of the Department Chairperson.

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Last Updated: April 2005

Send any questions, comments or suggestions to rburns@iona.edu

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