The literature describes a wide array of projects and approaches for applying family systems theory and practice in school settings. However, to date, no articles describe coursework to prepare students for this work. This article describes a one semester-unit course, entitled “Family Counseling in the Schools” to complement other training in family systems counseling for students interested in family-school intervention. The article links literature on changes in the cultures of the social institutions of schools, families, and family counseling with the systemic conceptual framework that underpins the course. The description of the course focuses on (a) objectives, (b) content and learning process activities, (c) homework assignments, and (d) student responses to the course.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Adelman, H. S.
(1996). Restructuring support services: Toward the concept of an enabling component. Kent, OH: American School Health Association.
2.
Aguirre, L. M.
(1995). California’s efforts toward school-linked, integrated comprehensive services. Social Work in Education, 17, 217-225.
3.
Amatea, E.
, & Sherrard, P. (1991). When students cannot or will not change their behavior: Using brief strategic intervention in the school. Journal of Counseling and Development, 69, 341-369.
4.
Aponte, H.
(1976). The family-school interview: An eco-structural approach. Family Process, 15, 303-312.
5.
Apter, S. J.
(1982). Troubled children: Troubled systems. New York: Pergamon.
6.
Baca, L. M.
, & Cervantes, H. T. (1989). The bilingual special education interface. Columbus, OH: Merrill.
7.
Baker, A.
, & Sodon, L. (1998, April). The challenges of parent involvement. The Digest, No. 134. New York: ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education, Columbia University. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EDO-UD-98-4)
8.
Beal, E.
, & Chertkov, L. (1992). Family-school intervention: A family systems perspective. In M. Fine & C. Carlson (Eds.), The handbook of family-school intervention: A systems perspective (pp. 288-301). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
9.
Berndt, L.
, Dickerson, V., & Zimmerman, J. (1997). Tales told out of school. In C. Smith & D. Nylund (Eds.), Narrative therapies with children and adolescents (pp. 423-454). New York: Guilford.
10.
Bower, M.
(1998, April/May). More than showing up: From the executive director. Family Therapy News, 29, 6.
11.
Boyd-Franklin, N.
(1989). Black families in therapy. New York: Guilford.
12.
Boyd-Franklin, N.
, & Bry, B. H. (2000). Reaching out in family therapy. New York: Guilford.
13.
Brosnan, F.
(1983). Overrepresentation of low socioeconomic minority students in special education programs in California. Learning Disability Quarterly, 6, 517-525.
14.
Caffery, T.
, Erdman, P., & Cook, D. (2000). Two systems/One client: Bringing families and schools together. The Family Journal, 8, 154-160.
15.
California Teachers Association
. (1998). Report on survey results. California Educator, 2, 20-21.
16.
Carlson, C. I.
, Hickman, J., & Horton, C. B. (1992). From blame to solutions: Solution-oriented family-school consultation. In S. L. Christenson & J. C. Conoley (Eds.), Home-school collaboration. Silver Spring, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.
17.
Carnevale, M.
, & Terry, L. (1992). Parent and child satisfaction with family counseling in the schools. Unpublished manuscript, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA.
18.
Christenson, S. L.
, & Conoley, J. C. (1992). Home-school collaboration. Silver Spring, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.
19.
Cowie, K.
, & Quinn, K. (1997). Brief family therapy in the schools: A new perspective on the role of the rural school counseling professional. The Family Journal, 5, 57-69.
20.
D’Antonio, M.
(1994, December 4). The fragile sex. Los Angeles Times Magazine, pp. 18-22, 70.
21.
Durrant, M.
(1995). Creative strategies for school problems. New York: Norton.
22.
Dryfoos, J.
(1994). Full-service schools: A revolution in health and social services for children, youth, and families. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
23.
Evans, W.
, & Carter, M. (1997). Urban school-based family counseling: Role definition, practice applications, and training implications. Journal of Counseling and Development, 75, 366-374.
24.
Falicov, C.
(1998). Latino families in therapy. New York: Guilford.
25.
Fine, M.
, & Carlson, C. (Eds.). (1992). The handbook of family-school intervention. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
26.
Fish, M. C.
, & Jain, S. (1992). Family-school intervention using a structural model. In M. Fine & C. Carlson (Eds.), The handbook of family-school intervention (pp. 302-314). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
27.
Foster, M.
(1987). Schools. In M. Berger & G. Jurkovic (Eds.), Practicing family therapy in diverse settings (pp. 110-141). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
28.
Friesen, B. J.
, & Osher, T. W. (1996). Involving families in change: Challenges and opportunities. Special Services in the Schools, 11, 187-201.
29.
Gatto, J.
(1991, September/October). Why schools don’t educate. Family Therapy Networker, 22, 55-59.
30.
Gergen, K.
(1991). The saturated self. New York: Basic Books.
31.
Gilligan, C.
, Rogers, A., & Tolman, D. (1991). Women, girls, and psychotherapy: Reframing resistance. New York: Harrington.
32.
Henggeler, S. W.
, Schoenwald, S. K., Borduin, C. M., Rowland, M. D., & Cunningham, P. B. (1998). Multisystemic treatment of antisocial behavior in children and adolescents. New York: Guilford.
33.
Hines, P.
, & Boyd-Franklin, N. (1996). African American families. In M. McGoldrick, J. Giordano, & J. K. Pearce (Eds.), Ethnicity and family therapy (2nd ed., pp. 66-84). New York: Guilford.
34.
Huang, L. N.
, & Gibbs, J. T. (1992). Partners or adversaries? Home-school collaboration across culture, race, and ethnicity. In S. L. Christenson & J. C. Conoley (Eds.), Home-school collaboration (pp. 81-110). Silver Spring, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.
35.
Imber-Black, E.
(1988). Families and larger systems. New York: Guilford.
36.
King, B.
, Randolph, L., McKay, W. A., & Bartell, M. (1995). Working with families in the schools. In L. Combrinck-Graham (Ed.), Children in families at risk (pp. 393-413). New York: Guilford.
37.
Kral, R.
(1992). Solution-focused brief therapy: Applications in the schools. In M. Fine & C. Carlson (Eds.), The handbook of family-school intervention (pp. 330-346). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
38.
Leler, H.
(1983). Parent education and involvement in relation to the schools and to parents of school-aged children. In R. Haskins & D. Adams (Eds.), Parent education and public policy (pp. 114-180). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
39.
McGoldrick, M.
(Ed.). (1998). Revisioning family therapy. New York: Guilford.
40.
Molnar, A.
, & Lindquist, B. (1989). Changing problem behavior in schools. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
41.
O’Callaghan, B.
(1993). School-based collaboration with families: An effective model for a society in crisis. The Family Therapy Journal, 2, 286-300.
42.
Power, T.
(1985). Perceptions of competence: How parents and teachers view each other. Psychology in the Schools, 22, 68-78.
43.
Quirk, J. P.
, Fine, M. J., & Roberts, L. (1992). Professional and ethical issues and problems in family-school systems interventions. In M. Fine & C. Carlson (Eds.), The handbook of family-school intervention (pp. 414-427). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
44.
Selekman, M. D.
(1997). Solution-focused therapy with children. New York: Guilford.
45.
Sherman, R.
, Shumsky, A., & Rountree, Y. (1994). Enlarging the therapeutic circle: The therapist’s guide to collaborative therapy with families and schools. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
46.
Silvestri, K.
, Steinberger, C., & Scambio, E. (1996, December). Collaboration and reform: A model for MFT in the schools. Family Therapy News, 27, 22-27.
47.
Stacey, K.
(1997). From imposition to collaboration: Generating stories of competence. In C. Smith & D. Nylund (Eds.), Narrative therapies with children and adolescents (pp. 221-254). New York: Guilford.
48.
Stone, G.
, & Peeks, B. (1986). The use of strategic family therapy in the school setting: A case study. Journal of Counseling and Development, 65, 200-203.
49.
Weiss, H.
, & Edwards, M. (1992). The family-school collaboration project: Systemic interventions for school improvement. In S. L. Christenson & J. C. Conoley (Eds.), Home-school collaboration (pp. 215-243). Silver Spring, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.
50.
White, K.
, Taylor, M., & Moss, V. (1992). Does research support claims about the benefits of involving parents in early intervention programs?Review of Education Quarterly, 62, 91-125.
51.
White, M.
(1995). Schools as communities of acknowledgement. Dulwiche Centre Newsletter (2/3), 51-66.
52.
Winslade, J.
, & Monk, G. (1999). Narrative counseling in the schools: Powerful and brief. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
