Proposal for a European Masters in Family Therapy Jim Sheehan & Per Jensen

Purposes and Functions of a European Masters in Family Therapy For EFTA To strengthen the identity of Family Therapy in Europe To have a recognisable award structure that does justice to the strength of European family therapy To develop the profile of EFTA within European institutions providing family therapy education, training and service

Purposes and Functions of a European Masters in Family Therapy For Individual Professionals in Training To obtain an award at a significant level that is recognisable across Europe To build links and bonds with student colleagues from other parts of Europe through shared training experiences An opportunity to obtain a richer and more diversified training experience by receiving some of their training in other European training centres

Purposes and Functions of a European Masters in Family Therapy For EFTA Training Institutes An opportunity to receive a greater variety of students from other parts of Europe into their programmes for planned modules An opportunity to provide a richer training experience for their own students and trainers/faculty

The Design of an Award of European Masters in Family Therapy EFTA could contract with either one European University or a number of European Universities for the provision of the award of: European Masters in Family Therapy EFTA could develop a consortium of Award providers from European Universities already providing family therapy education at Masters level.

Possible Values Underpinning a European Masters in Family Therapy The operation of a European Masters in Family Therapy might be underpinned by: An Ethic of Hospitality Of individuals towards other individuals Of institutes and institutions to other institutes Of teachers to other teachers Of knowledges to other knowledges Of languages to other languages Of training traditions to other training traditions

A European Family Therapy Association Membership for Students A small registration fee for the European Masters might entitle individuals to a Student Membership of EFTA and receipt of a Website Newsletter for Students EFTA might set up online professional chat rooms for students to dialogue in different languages.

A Model of Operation of a European Masters in Family Therapy Currently the criteria set for psychotherapy training in Europe is that it is a postgraduate, part-time training of no less than 4 years duration and students are required to undertake no less than 1600 hours training in total with specified minimum numbers of hours to be completed in each of the following: (a)supervised clinical practice (b)the theory and methodology of psychotherapy, and (c)personal psychotherapy exercises

A Model of Operation of a European Masters in Family Therapy One model for the awarding of a European Masters in family therapy might be that a student would successfully complete no less than 150 (and no more than 200) hours of training in no less than 3 different training institutes in countries other than that in which they are training. Universities or Institutes wishing to participate in the European Masters would be asked to design one or more 50 hour training modules which they would open to European Masters candidates. Students would

A Model of Operation of a European Masters in Family Therapy be required to undertake one of these modules per year in each of the final three years of their training. The assessment of students in these training modules would be the responsibility of the host institution and they would communicate student results both to the individual and the individual’s home training institution who would be responsible for monitoring each individual’s progress towards satisfactory completion of the four-year training.

A Model of Operation of a European Masters in Family Therapy The criteria for these modules - content areas, design, assessment procedures - would be set by a wing of EFTA

A Model of Operation of a European Masters in Family Therapy In terms of training hours students proceeding towards the European Masters in Family Therapy would not have to undertake any additional hours training than those required for gaining the Masters award from their own home-based institution. The ‘extra’ piece that would make them eligible for the European Masters would be the undertaking of 3 training blocks in 3 different European countries than their own.

Proposal for a Curriculum for a European Masters in Family Therapy Before a European Masters in Family Therapy could be awarded students would have to satisfy the awarding University that their 4-year postgraduate training in Family Therapy included the following modules or their equivalents:

Proposal for a Curriculum for a European Masters in Family Therapy Module Group A: Foundational Understanding Module I Theory of Science and Systemic Foundational Understanding Module II Theories of the Family Module III Systemic Practice and Method

Proposal for a Curriculum for a European Masters in Family Therapy Module Group B: Theories of the Family and Systemic Practice Module IV Knowledge about the Family and Family Therapy Module V Methodical Work with Families and Larger Systems, and Work with Special Problems and Problem Contexts Module VI Interaction Between Professionals Module VII Research Methodology and Construction of a Research Proposal

Proposal for a Curriculum for a European Masters in Family Therapy Module Group C: Depth Understanding and Method Module VIII Introduction to Quantitative and Qualitative Research Module IX Master’s Thesis Seminar Module X Master’s Thesis

Proposal for a Curriculum for a European Masters in Family Therapy Module Group D: Practice and Supervision Module XI Clinical Practice at Masters Level Module XII Clinical Supervision

Proposal for a Curriculum for a European Masters in Family Therapy Module Group E: Personal Development and Relational Context Module XIII Participation in Personal/Professional Development Groups

Financing of a European Masters in Family Therapy What level of fees would a candidate have to pay for registering with the University granting a European Masters? Who would pay for the ‘modules’ taken away from home by the student? Would the student pay? Would the students’ home institution pay in lieu of the fact that the student was not undertaking complete training in their own institution? Might some funding organ within the EU be found to support student travel and accommodation to some degree?