Family Therapy Fellowship

Family Therapy Fellowship

Program Description

The experience includes:

  • At least one graduate-level theory courses in family therapy practice.
  • Participation in a multidisciplinary family therapy team with other graduate students.
  • Observation of clinical interviews conducted by staff therapists and other graduate interns.
  • Participation on “reflecting teams” to offer feedback to families and other trainees.
  • Delivery of family therapy services, under supervision, using one-way screens, intercom, and bug-in-the-ear (optional).
  • Experience with a wide range of families having difficulties with their children and adolescents.
  • Additional enriched supervision of clinical skills using review of video recordings of own interviews.
  • Clinical teaching and supervision of clinical clerks, other family therapy interns, and/or psychiatry residents.
  • Supervision provided to clerks and/or residents.
  • Participation in CFTC research seminars and in a specific research project.
  • Participation in a journal club and/or a family therapy author’s group.

Educational Objectives

Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes
At the end of the fellowship, you will be expected to:

  • Apply systems, theory concepts to assess families as dynamic evolving systems.
  • Identify cultural values and societal discourses that influence family relationships.
  • Maintain multi-directional partiality (neutrality) in the conduct of conjoint family interviewing.
  • Conduct skilled clinical interviews with a variety of families and problomatic situations.
  • Clarify specific Pathologizing Interpersonal Patterns (PIPs) in families presenting with problems.
  • Formulate Healing Interpersonal Patterns (HIPs) as possible antidotes to specific PIPs.
  • Ask a series of reflexive questions to facilitate movement from PIPs to HIPs.
  • Conduct externalizing conversations to separate problems from family members.
  • Ask a series of questions to bring forth and stabilize Wellness Interpersonal Patterns (WIPs).
  • Work clinically in a multi-disciplinary service and accept feedback from colleagues.
  • Develop and carry out a research project, and/or publish in a peer reviewed journal.

Supplementary Information

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Main Location
Calgary Family Therapy Centre (CFTC) at One Executive Place NW, Calgary

Level of Training
Post-Specialty Psychiatry Training

Length of Rotation
Twelve months

Funding
An honorarium is available on a competitive basis.  Fellows with a license and qualified to bill Alberta Health Care may bill fee-for-service for up to one day of clinical work per week for patients outside the CFTC.

Qualifications
MD and FRCPC or equivalent.
Licensed to practice medicine in Alberta.

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Supervisors
Dr. Karl Tomm (Director, Calgary Family Therapy Centre)
Jeff Chang, Emily Talia, Shannon McIntosh, Alan McLuckie, Sumerlee Samuels, Joanne Schultz-Hall, Monica Sesma, Sally St George, Tamara Wilson, Dan Wulff

Description of Supervision
A primary clinical supervisor will be appointed, but the fellow will have access to several other supervisors at CFTC.  Research supervision will be provided by an academic faculty member.

Evaluation Method
Ongoing formal and informal feedback from supervisors.
One measure of successful completion will be an academic presentation at Grand Rounds or one publication in a peer reviewed journal.