Family Therapy Training in Northern California
In order to provide recommendations for family therapy training programs, the AFTNC has compiled this list of opportunities in Northern California. This list is not exhaustive and training programs have had some evaluation, although the AFTNC can not garantee quality of training. If you know of additional training programs that are not listed here or do not believe that a training program that is listed is providing quality family therapy training, please email help@aftnc.com
Graduate Training
Trainings Listed are for MFT, LCSW, MD, and/or PsyD/PhD students
Alameda Family Services
Alameda Family Services is a human services organization, active in Alameda and the East Bay, whose programs improve the emotional, psychological, and physical health of children, youth, and families
What students are saying (50% response rate):
- 100% said they mostly did family therapy in this training, and they sometimes did couples therapy
- 100% said they felt competent to very competent in family therapy after their training
- 100% said they felt competent to very competent in couples therapy after their training
- The majority said they received in depth training in Brief Strategic Family Therapy, Multidimensional Family Therapy, Multisystemic Family Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Social Justice Therapy
- They received moderate training in Interpersonal Therapy.
- They received elementary training in Couples Therapy, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, Functional Family Therapy, Gottman Method Couples Therapy, and Solution Focused Therapy.
- 60% said 70-100% of their training was in family therapy
- 80% said 10-30% of their training was in couples therapy
- 40% said that in 80-100% of their nonfamily therapy/couples cases they interacted with family, partners, or systems
- 60% of respondents said they worked with the systems involved with their clients including: social services, extended families, foster parents, biological parents (if in foster care), friends, school, doctors, community, in most of their cases.
- 80% of respondents used videos/audio tapes while reviewing with their supervisor, 100% used live supervision with reflecting teams
Post Graduate Training
Trainings and consultation groups listed are open to postgraduates, but may also accept prelicensed individuals.
Bay Area Family Institute of Training (BAFIT)
Family Therapy Workshops and Live Training
Pamela Parkinson, Ph.D., LCSW is a clinical psychologist and clinical social worker, who offers training and consultation to child and family CBO’s throughout the Bay Area. She has worked in various settings and trained as a family therapist behind the one-way mirror in the 1980’s in Atlanta, Georgia, Los Angeles, CA, and Palo Alto, CA. She provides training in family therapy through workshops and 12 week live training using evidence-based common elements. Email Pamela Parkinson at ParkinsonP2@comcast.net
Dan Wile, Ph.D.
Collaborative Couples Therapy: Workshops and Consultation Groups
Dan Wile, Ph.D. has been working with couple, writing about, and teaching couples therapy for the past 25 years and has published books on the subject. Dr. Wile provides two-day intensive workshops in Collaborative Couples Therapy, Monthly consultation groups in couples therapy, and one day workshops. Fore more information about Dan Wile, Ph.D.’s trainings, please go to www.danwile.com
Institute for the Advancement of Psychotherapy
Family Therapy and Couples Therapy Workshops, Live Training, and Consultation Groups
The Institute for the Advancement of Psychotherapy (IAP) provides workshops, 10 week live training using the “one-way mirror”, provides ongoing consultation groups in two types of therapy Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy: Sam Jinich, PhD and Karen Rogers, MFT teach and consult for the EFT training. Dr. Jinich is a certified EFT supervisor and Ms. Rogers is on her way to certification. Both have been treating couples for many years and have been training in and treating couples using EFT for the past ten years. Evolving Structural Strategic Family Therapy with Adolescents: Jim Keim, LCSW and W. Keith Sutton, Psy.D. teach and consult for the ESSFT training. Mr. Keim was the clinical director for Jay Haley and Cloe Madanes at the Family Institute of Washington D.C. and he has published several chapters on working with oppositional children. Dr. Sutton specializes in working with adolescents and their families and has worked with teens for the past twelve years.
For more information about the Institute for the Advancement of Psychotherapy’s trainings, please go to www.sfiap.com