Winter 2020/Fuller Online

CN504

Roozeboom

CN504: FAMILY THERAPY AND PASTORAL COUNSELING (4 Units: 160 hours). William Roozeboom.

DESCRIPTION: The individual-in-family-within-community is the focus of study in the pastoral care and counseling of families. Family systems theory, theology, and family therapy will be integrated as the student explores her/his own multigenerational family system and applies learning to one’s own role in his/her family of origin and to family ministry.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: At the completion of this course, the student will have gained: (1) a greater understanding family systems theory and new ways of connecting with family of origin; (2) learning clear self-definition and differentiation with clean boundaries; and (3) balancing separateness and connectedness in systems in healthful ways. Additionally, (4) the student will discover new clarity of self-in-relation with oneself, with others, and with God; and (5) the student will be able to think through and apply systems theory in relationships and ministry – particularly in working with families in pastoral care and counseling.

RELATIONSHIP TO PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES: Addresses MAT PLO4 (I/D/M) “Students will have demonstrated academic capacities appropriate to an area of focus in a theological discipline or to interdisciplinary theological study.” Addresses MAICS Area of Interest Class PLO4 (D/M) “Students will have demonstrated capacities to pursue vocations that engage the mission of God globally.”

COURSE FORMAT: This course will be conducted online on a ten-week schedule aligned with Fuller’s academic calendar for a total of 40 instructional hours, which is outlined below in the assignment and assessment section. Students are required to interact with the material, with each other, and with the instructor regularly through online discussions, reading, and other assignments that promote active learning. The course focuses on assisting participants in understanding, differentiating, and deepening relationships in their family of origin in personal development as a basis for work in family intervention.

REQUIRED READING: a minimum of 1,370 pp. from the required reading.

Anderson, H., Foley, E., Miller-McLemore, B., & Schreiter, R., (Eds.). Mutuality Matters: Family, Faith, and Just Love. Sheed & Ward, 2004. ISBN: 978-0742531550, Pub. Price $41.00 [261 pages].

Friedman, Edwin. Generation to Generation: Family Processes in Church and Synagogue. Guilford Press, 2011. ISBN: 978-1609182366, Pub. Price $35.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [319 pp., 168 pages assigned].

McGoldrick, Monica. Genograms. 3rd ed. Norton, 2008. ISBN: 978-0393705096, Pub. Price $37.50 [416 pp., 224 pages assigned].

Richardson, Ronald W. Becoming a Healthier Pastor: Family systems theory and the pastor’s own family. Fortress Press, 2004. ISBN: 978-0800636395, Pub. Price $17.00 [150 pp., 135 pages assigned].

Taibbi, Robert. Doing Family Therapy: Craft and Creativity in Clinical Practice, Third Edition. Guilford Press, 2015. ISBN: 978-1462521203, Pub. Price $41.00 [324 pages].

Course Reader with selected chapters, articles, and other resources.

RECOMMENDED READING: Available in the course syllabus.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1,370 pages of required reading in theory and cases [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1, 2, & 3] [90 hours].
Participation in course activities: online sessions, forum reflections, and participation in experiential processes (5%, includes Assignment 1). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 2 & 4] [10 hours].
Forum Posts and Responses. You will post reflections on the readings and a respose to your classmates periodically during the course. Each forum post will consist of two parts: (1) Your post engaging the readings in a critically reflective way (up to 750 words), and (2) a response to one of your classmates’ posts, engaging with their post in light of the readings (up to 500 words). (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 4 & 5] [15 hours].
Family Case Assessment and Approach. Present a paper exploring the dynamics of a family pastoral counseling situation in your ministry. In the paper, you will want to reflect theoretically and theologically on a situation of pastoral care and counseling with a family. You will provide: (1) a description of the problem, (2) your understandings of the problem(s) and situation using family systems theory concepts and providing a solid contextual analysis, (3) your theological reflections on the situations, and (4) your tentative plan/approach in working with this family (approx. 10 pages) [15 hours] (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1 & 5].
Present a four-generation analysis of your family system, including a genogram [10 hours] and discuss the implications for your sense of self, your relationships, and ministry. Additionally, you will explore your own level of differentiation of self and how this shapes your ability to minister effectively in your particular context (approx. 20 pages) [20 hours] (40%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1, 4, & 5] [30 hours total].

PREREQUISITES: None. This is a central pastoral counseling course open to all students.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets 144 MDiv core requirement in Pastoral Counseling (MIN 5). Option to meet the Recovery Ministry (RM) or Asian American Contexts areas of interest.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.