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Marriage and Family Therapy

Thom deLara, Chair, 315-443-9830
Peck Hall, 601 E. Genesee Street

Faculty Deborah Coolhart, Thom deLara, Joseph P. Fanelli, Rashmi Gangamma, Thomas Schur, Linda Stone Fish, Dyane Watson
Clinic Supervisor Tracey Reichert-Schimpff
Internship Coordinator Lisa Tedeschi

Graduate Program

Linda Stone Fish, Graduate Program Director, 315-443-3024

The Department of Marriage and Family Therapy offers an M.A. and a Ph.D. and provides training in marriage and family therapy theory, research, and practice. The faculty seeks to promote the advancement of the practice and profession of marriage and family therapy through scholarly research, education, training, and clinical practice.

Dual M.S.W./M.A. program in Social Work and Marriage and Family Therapy

The interdisciplinary program allows students to complete degrees in two distinct professions, the Social Work, MSW and the Marriage and Family Therapy, MA in three years. The dual degree exposes students to the philosophical and legal distinctions of both degrees, creates a unique opportunity for MSW students to deepen their clinical training with couples and families, and introduces MFT students to a broader range of social work and social welfare course offerings, as well as the art of clinical diagnosis which is in the scope of practice of the Social Work profession.

The dual degree is offered as both a 96-credit, three -year program (for students not admitted to the Advance Standing MSW program), or a 78-credit two-year program (for students admitted to the MSW Advance Standing program).

The program extends the advanced clinical preparation of the MSW to include an additional year of intensive MFTclinical supervision. It combines the MSW ability to work with systems of all sizes with the more singular focus on families by MFT.

Certificate of Advanced Study in Trauma-Informed Practice

The 15 credit Certificate of Advanced Study in Trauma-informed Practice is structured for clinicians, mental health professionals, and practitioners from allied disciplines who intend to expand their knowledge and skills in the field of trauma response and intervention. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines trauma-informed practice as”… practice that is based on an understanding of the vulnerabilities or triggers of trauma survivors that traditional service delivery approaches may exacerbate, so that these services and programs can be more supportive and avoid retraumatization.” The core courses, and elective options, address the theoretical foundations of trauma, as well as evidenced-based trauma-informed practice approaches and techniques.

Admission to the CAS in Trauma-informed Practice is open to current graduate students and practicing mental health professionals and allied professionals with a completed bachelor’s degree, with a minimum GPA of 3.4. GRE’s are not required.

Completion of the Advanced Certificate program alone does not qualify an individual for licensure as a social worker, marriage and family therapist, or any other profession licensed under Title VIII of the Education Law, nor does it authorize a certificate holder to engage in those scope-restricted professions.

Facilities

The department is housed with the Couple and Family Therapy Center, a clinical training and research site at Peck Hall, 601 E. Genesee Street, Syracuse. The center is equipped for live and digitally recorded supervision. Individual, group, couple and family therapy is offered to members of the Syracuse community by marriage and family therapy graduate students under the supervision of the clinical faculty who operate from a family systems perspective.

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