Systemic family psychotherapy in China: a qualitative analysis of therapy process.

OBJECTIVES: Although the procedure of systemic family therapy has been extensively researched in Western culture, few studies on this subject have been conducted in China. The aim of this study was to specify the therapy-delivered interventions in Chinese systemic family therapy and to explore how Western-imported systemic therapy model is delivered in Chinese culture. DESIGN: A qualitative and exploratory research approach was taken in which thematic analysis was used to analyse the transcribed psychotherapy videotapes with Chinese families. METHODS: Twenty-six hours of video-recorded systemic family therapy sessions from 14 Chinese family cases were sampled. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the transcriptions of therapy sessions and identify therapist-generated interventions in therapy. Frequencies of different interventions were counted, and correspondence analysis (CA) was used to reveal the corresponding relationships between different interventions. RESULTS: Analysis led to two main themes related to therapists-delivered interventions: Therapist's intention and therapy technique. Results revealed 15 types of therapist's intentions and 16 categories of therapy techniques. CA indicated that therapists' intentions changed across different therapy stages and specific techniques were used to achieve corresponding intentions. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions delivered in Chinese systemic therapy are mainly adherent with Milan and post-Milan systemic models. Due to the shortage in systemic therapy service in China and Chinese culture advocating reverence to authority, components of psycho-education, guidance, and metaphor are adopted in Chinese systemic practice. Some directions for future research are suggested.

Internet-based intervention for the treatment of online addiction for college students in China: a pilot study of the Healthy Online Self-helping Center.

Internet addiction among college students has become a serious problem in China. This pilot study involved the development of an online expert system named Healthy Online Self-helping Center (HOSC) as an intervention tool to help those who wish to reduce online usage. The study also explored the effectiveness of HOSC for college students' Internet addiction behavior. Participants (N = 65) were recruited from a university in Beijing, and were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: using HOSC within a laboratory environment, using HOSC within a natural environment, using a noninteractive program, and a control group. All the participants were asked to answer questionnaires at the baseline and at the 1-month follow-up. The questionnaires included the participants' online hours per week, the legitimate ratio of Internet usage, online satisfaction, and the Young's Diagnostic Questionnaire. The results revealed that HOSC under both natural and laboratory environments could effectively reduce the participants' online hours per week as well as their Young's Diagnostic Questionnaire score, and improve online satisfaction at a 1-month follow-up. Participants using a noninteractive program also had similar results. The article concludes with a discussion of the limitations of the study, as well as the implications of the findings and future research directions.

Competency-based training: objective structured clinical exercises (OSCE) in marriage and family therapy.

The field of marriage and family therapy (MFT) has recently engaged in the process of defining core competencies for the profession. Many MFT training programs are adapting their curriculum to develop more competency-based training strategies. The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is widely used in the medical profession to assess clinical competence. These examinations involve using simulated clinical situations as a tool in conducting summative evaluations of trainee competence. This article describes an adaptation of the OSCE procedures for competency-based training of MFT students. Instead of using the procedures as a summative examination as is typical in medical education, this article proposes how to use them as formative exercises in the development of student competence. The development of the OSCE is discussed, including "blueprinting," focused competencies, procedures, and feedback protocols. The article concludes with suggestions of how to continue the development of the OSCE for evaluation in MFT education.

The core competency movement in marriage and family therapy: key considerations from other disciplines.

There is a growing movement to define competency within the field of marriage and family therapy (MFT), particularly with respect to the training of practitioners and the evaluation of clinical practice. Efforts to define competency, however, transcend the practice of MFT and much can be learned from the experiences of other disciplines. Professions such as education, law, and medicine have made strides toward addressing the complex issue of competency standards in their respective fields. This article describes some ways in which the issue of competency has been approached in other professions, as well as some common dilemmas posed by adopting a competency-based orientation, to shed light on the process of defining competency in MFT. Moreover, this article identifies some of the more useful conceptualizations, modes of pedagogy, and evaluative practices found in other professions.

Internships for future faculty: meeting the career goals of the next generation of educators in marriage and family therapy.

A key component of a doctoral education in marriage and family therapy (MFT) is the completion of an internship. Virtually all MFT doctoral internships are focused on advanced clinical practice and often are located in agencies unconnected with an academic setting. This article describes an MFT doctoral internship specifically designed to foster the skills needed as a faculty member. The primary purpose of this "future faculty" internship is to expose doctoral interns to faculty life, including participation in graduate teaching, clinical supervision, research, and faculty service-while still meeting typical clinical requirements. Results of semistructured qualitative interviews with five doctoral interns associated with the site are reported. Guidelines for the development of other doctoral internships designed for future MFT faculty members are discussed.

Using mock trials to teach students forensic core competencies in marriage and family therapy.

This article provides a description of a university-based project that used mock trials to train both practicum-level marriage and family therapy and law students in forensic work, and a qualitative investigation of student experiences with the training. The content of the training focused on American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) core competencies that relate specifically to the legal aspects of therapy. This article describes the didactic training the students received to prepare for the mock trials, the structure and protocol of the mock trials themselves, and the specific AAMFT core competencies addressed in the project. The results of an analysis of focus group interviews with participating law school (n = 15) and marriage and family therapy (n = 19) students are presented as well as the results of a 36-item Knowledge, Skills, and Comfort Level Questionnaire completed by participating marriage and family therapy students. Participants discussed the value of the training with regard to preparation for mock trial procedures, preparation for testimony, importance of documentation, and cross-discipline collaboration issues. The article concludes with a discussion of how this type of training may be used in developing students' skills with regard to forensic and legal core competencies, and future research directions.

Career aspirations and perceived level of preparedness among marriage and family therapy doctoral students.

The authors conducted a survey of marriage and family therapy (MFT) doctoral students in programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). MFT doctoral students (N = 82) from across the United States responded to a web-based survey that focused on career aspirations, training opportunities, and the level of preparedness they experienced during their doctoral education. Results of this survey indicated that students felt they were well prepared for many aspects of their chosen career path. Some respondents desired more training to prepare them for careers in academia. More men than women indicated a career in academia as their primary career aspiration. While most of the respondents perceived that their internship experiences were beneficial, some expressed the desire for more opportunities to supervise master's-level students, to write grants, and to teach graduate-level MFT courses. The authors conclude with a discussion of how these findings may influence the development of core competencies specific to doctoral education in MFT.

Breaking down the barriers to clinical service delivery: walk-in family therapy.

This article provides a description of a unique walk-in family therapy service designed to overcome barriers to clinical delivery, as well as a survey of client experiences with the therapy. This therapy modality is aimed at providing an immediately accessible, affordable, nonstigmatizing, single-session-focused resource. The service operates from a systemic, collaborative, consumer oriented, pragmatic, non-pathology perspective. Follow-up telephone interviews were conducted with 43 clients 3 to 6 months after they received treatment. Generally, former clients reported satisfaction with the service. The majority (67%) indicated some level of improvement, and 43% of participants found their single session sufficient to address their concerns. At the time of the session, the majority (86%) of clients were rated by their therapists as "customers" regarding their motivational readiness for change.