Abstracts Category : Other

Marriage and Family Therapy and the Law: Discovering Systemic Common Ground

by Jason C Richards

Many important decisions regarding couples and families are made by the legal system. However, this systems adversarial nature often results in relational losses for clients, even when one wins a case. Some believe a solution may exist in legally-minded marriage and family therapists, who, as experts in family systems theory, are in a unique position to help facilitate healing in a flawed, but well-meaning family court system (Brooks & Madden, 2012; Madden, 2008). However, the literature reveals that new therapists may lack appropriate legal knowledge when they graduate, suggesting a need for different preparation by marriage and family therapy programs (Nelson & Graves, 2011). This dissertation aims to comprehensively examine the literatures current body of knowledge concerning effective teaching methods for educating therapy students in the law; it then aims to explore issues of student engagement by examining the views of marriage and family therapy students concerning their personal legal skills, the legal system, and the legal education of therapists. By addressing student views and applying tried-and-true methods of effective legal instruction, future educators will be able to apply this dissertations findings to ensure that they are training legally-competent therapists who will engage effectively and appropriately with clients and professionals in the legal system. Advisors/Committee Members: Williams-Reade, Jackie, Chand, Ian P., Huenergardt, Douglas, Thompsen, Calvin.