2018-2019 Couple Training Program (Year II)

Please Note: Trainees must be independently licensed mental health professionals who will need to submit a certificate of malpractice insurance, a copy of license, and a current curriculum vitae.

Questions: Call Alice Rapkin, PCFINE Administrator, with any questions at 781-433-0906, or send her an email at pcfine1934@gmail.com.

Program Structure

PCFINE’s couple therapy curriculum begins with a theoretical overview of our guiding principles. Each subsequent class focuses on specific techniques or focuses of clinical work, tying theory to clinical examples from both students and faculty. The first year of our training program covers topics that prepare clinicians with the fundamentals necessary for providing effective couple treatments (see below). There is also an optional second year program, pursued by a majority of our students, in which clinicians delve more deeply into specific, but common clinical issues facing couples therapy: e.g. infidelity; working with gay and lesbian clients; parenting issues; separation and divorce. In fact, after the second year, some clinicians choose to continue learning with their classmates and arrange for monthly group supervision over several years to follow. PCFINE welcomes our students to become involved in our professional organization which offers continuing education opportunities and professional support in sponsoring talks, case presentations and symposia.

The first year classes usually meet monthly on Sunday mornings, from 9:00 am-noon, September through June, and are held at the homes of class coordinators. Each half-year has two faculty coordinators present at all classes in addition to the faculty guest speaker there to teach that month's topic. This is to offer a window into the differences in approach that various senior clinicians take, and to allow for continuity of themes between classes. The classes are taught in the manner of a post-graduate seminar with active participation by the students both in exploring the theory presented and around discussion of clinical examples. A syllabus and readings are provided in advance for each meeting. There are a total of 10 sessions with the first and last classes involving longer sessions. As well there is an orientation brunch for students and faculty before the first class meets in September.

In addition to the monthly class meetings, students will be divided into small groups of 3 or 4 clinicians and assigned to a consultation group leader, a senior faculty member with whom they will meet monthly for two hours at a time mutually agreed upon by the members and the supervisor. This provides an opportunity for ongoing case discussion of the students' work as it is evolving over the course of the training program.