Ep 8: Strengthening Systemic Thinking in MFT Training: Dr. Merchant and Dr. Ilkmen
From Learning and Teaching Systemic Therapy by Society for the Teaching of Marriage and Family Therapy
February 16, 2025 · 43 min · Episode 8
About this episode
This episode discusses the importance of strengthening theoretical skills in MFT training and explores various strategies for teaching and applying systemic therapy concepts.
Questions we explored in this episode: Why is it important for MFT students to strengthen their theoretical skills earlier compared to other counseling related fields? What are some tools to facilitate choosing a theoretical orientation? How do you balance teaching foundational theories while encouraging students to develop their unique therapeutic style? What challenges do your students face when applying theory to practice, and how have you helped them bridge the gap? What strategies have you used to help students broach topics around culture with their clients? How do you think current trends in systemic therapy (e.g., teletherapy, trauma-informed care, somatic-based approaches) influence the teaching of systemic theoretical orientations? Dr. Merchant is an Associate Professor and Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Abilene Christian University. She is also the Chair of the Department of Marriage and Family Studies. Dr. Merchant is an alumna of ACU (’04) and earned her Doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy at Texas Tech (’15). Dr. Merchant facilitated a Batterer Intervention and Prevention Program until last year. She is currently the Presiding Member of…
People in this episode
Guests: Dr. Merchant, Dr. April Nisan Ilkmen
Topics covered
- systemic thinking
- MFT training
- theoretical skills
- cultural topics
- teletherapy
- trauma-informed care
- therapeutic style
Keywords
- MFT
- systemic therapy
- theoretical orientation
- cultural competence
- teletherapy
- trauma-informed care
- therapeutic style
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Abilene Christian University, Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists, Association of Marriage and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards
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