The Couple, Marriage, and Family Practitioner: Contemporary Issues, Interventions, and Skills

"This textbook purposefully, professionally, and politically correctly covers CACREP standards and COAMFTE key elements and brings awareness to the application of systemic models and techniques in today's world. Current day concerns such as COVID-19, relevant social justice issues, and telebehavioral health are discussed along with ethical implications to help develop appropriate and timely systemic skills. Educators who are seeking a resource that provides an excellent and objective presentation of systemic history, ethics, skills, current issues, and even current topics more specifically related to youth will find this the ideal resource."

Tracy Baldo Senstock, PhD

Associate Dean, School of Counseling

Walden University

Delivers the knowledge and skills to help today's diverse clients in an increasingly complex world

Sweeping in breadth and depth, this is the most comprehensive guide available to examine contemporary issues and interventions in couple, marriage, and family therapy. Designed for masters and doctoral level students, it helps clinicians to examine their professional identity; family systems and systems theory; current issues facing today’s families, couples, and children; and how to apply skills, interventions, and assessments to provide optimal service to clients. The book is distinguished by its focus on the intersection of marriage and family therapy and the counseling professions. Also included is key information about multiculturalism, intersectionality, nontraditional families, and other social justice issues as well as a dedicated chapter centered on working with people of color and underrepresented couples and families.

The text also covers issues affecting today's youth and relevant youth-based skills, interventions, and assessments; and contemporary issues related to crisis, disaster, mental health, technology, and telebehavioral health. Voices from the Field sections from diverse practitioners underscore important information. Each chapter provides clear definitions, descriptions, and relevant scholarship along with activities and examples showcasing the use of systemic theory, contextual issues, major interventions, relevant technology, and skills. Instructors will have access to an Instructor's Manual, a Test Bank, and chapter PowerPoints. Purchase includes digital access for use on most mobile devices or computers.

Key Features:

• Delivers an in-depth exploration of family-based issues, theories, and skills related to diversity, multiculturalism, intersectionality, and racism/discrimination
• Examines professional identity, the connection between contemporary issues and systemic theory, professional organizations, practice-based information, and more
• Uniquely addresses the integration of foundational counseling skills and systematic interventions
• Presents Voices from the Field, first-person accounts from diverse clinicians working with people of color, LGBTQIA+ clientele, and other underrepresented populations
• Each chapter includes student activities and additional resources to facilitate learning
• The Instructor's Manual provides a detailed matrix indicating how the text maps to CACREP and COAMFTE accreditation standards

Stephen V. Flynn, PhD, LPC, LMFT-S, NCC, ACS, is a professor of counselor education, a research fellow, the founding director of the Marriage and Family Therapy program, and the Play Therapy program coordinator at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, New Hampshire. Dr. Flynn teaches counseling; couple, marriage, and family; child and adolescent; and research and writing courses for the Counselor Education, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Educational Leadership graduate programs at Plymouth State University. He is a licensed professional counselor (Colorado), a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT; Colorado, New Hampshire), a national certified counselor, an approved clinical supervisor, an American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) clinical fellow, and an AAMFT approved supervisor.