The Master of Relational and Family Therapy (MRFT) program is an integrated and continuous full-time course of study over six semesters (24 months) beginning in May of each year that provides an immersive course of study of integrated clinical practice in relational systemic family therapy. The course of study offers theory, knowledge, and ideas related to research, social-cultural attunement, sexuality, trauma, and mental health. The MRFT program values and recognizes individual dignity; respects the unique values and goals of each individual and family; embraces inclusivity with respect to race, culture, class, gender, sexual identity, religion, ethnicity, and other social locations; and emphasizes growth, development, and situational change. We teach and practice strength-based perspectives that respect the diverse experiences and diverse communities of both students and clients. The MRFT program is grounded in a relational and systemic perspective, with major emphasis on the clinical training given to selected post-modern and foundational therapy models (including, but not limited to, Dialogic-Collaborative Language Systems Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Integrative Practice).

Students in the MRFT program simultaneously participate in theory, clinical knowledge, and practicum courses over the two-year course of study. Students complete six semesters of practicum/clinical skills training and supervision at the on-site Maplewoods Centre for Family Therapy and Child Psychology, which is an interdisciplinary mental health clinic open to the public and university community members. The MRFT Program is a recognized education, training and clinical experience program with the CRPO and provisionally accredited by the Canadian Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Administrative Staff

Chair
Tricia van Rhijn (245 MINS, Ext. 52412)
tricia.vanrhijn@uoguelph.ca
Graduate Program Coordinator
Scott Maitland (225 MINS, Ext. 56156)
fran.gpc@uoguelph.ca
Graduate Program Assistant
Shauna Porter (Ext. 53968)
rptp@uoguelph.ca

Graduate Faculty

This list may include Regular Graduate Faculty, Associated Graduate Faculty and/or Graduate Faculty from other universities.

Admission Requirements

Applicants to the Master of Relational and Family Therapy (MRFT) are required to have completed an honours (four-year) baccalaureate degree or equivalent in the social or applied human arts or sciences (e.g., family relations, sociology, psychology, social work) with a minimum 75% average in the last two years of study and a minimum 70% average in social science research methods. Applicants who demonstrate relevant work or volunteer experience are preferred; however, we will not accept applicants who are regulated in Ontario to practice the profession of Psychotherapy or its equivalent (e.g., RSW Social Worker; Psychologist, etc.). An applicant’s requirements may be in progress at the time of application. The applicant process is competitive. All applicants will be required to provide a letter of interest and selected applicants will be invited for an interview as part of the selection process.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Master of Relational and Family Therapy (MRFT) will:

1. Systemic Relational Praxis
   1. Consistently demonstrate understanding and the application of systemic-relational perspectives and theories across all professional activities, including therapeutic practice skills, supervision, and clinical documentation.
   2. Integrate and apply systemic relational theory and practice skills, critical application of the Relational and Family Therapy (RFT) literature and research, adherence to the CAMFT/ACTCF Code of Ethics, and demonstration of an RFT professional identity.
   3. Demonstrate an integration of Systemic-Relational Praxis with Integrated Reflexivity and Attunement to Social Cultural Contexts.
2. Integrated Reflexivity
   1. Engage in reflexivity and supervision to grow awareness of one’s own processes and experiences and how these may facilitate and constrain interpersonal interactions.
   2. Through Self-of-the-Therapist recognize, take responsibility for, and systemically-relationally manage the ways that they are activated in professional relationships.
   3. Demonstrate an integration of Integrated Reflexivity with Systemic Relational Praxis and Attunement to Social Cultural Contexts.
3. Attunement to Social Cultural Contexts
   1. Demonstrate understanding and awareness of social justice frameworks that actively seek and value diverse perspectives.
   2. Critically analyze and demonstrate an understanding of the effects of colonization, intersectionality, power dynamics, diversity, oppression, and social locations in the context of therapeutic conversations and across professional relationships.
   3. Demonstrate an integration of Attunement to Social Cultural Contexts with Integrated Reflexivity and Systemic Relational Praxis.
4. Foundations
   1. Integrate and apply knowledge of human development and relationships across the life span and the significance of contextual factors such as spiritual, moral, social, emotional, cognitive, behavioural, sexual, gender, and biological development.
   2. Integrate an understanding of mental health problems and their effects from a variety of perspectives (e.g., trauma, psychopathology, social justice) and how change happens in therapeutic practice.
   3. Develop and apply a theory of change consistent with the therapist’s theoretical orientation within an Equity, Diversity and Inclusive (EDI) framework.
   4. Recognize and integrate awareness of self in relation to professional role and therapeutic process.
   5. Demonstrate an ability to work within selected collaborative strengths based and post-modern approaches to systemic relational practice while also integrating knowledge of relevant comparative psychotherapy approaches.
5. Collegial and Interpersonal Relationships
   1. Demonstrate use of clear, concise, and appropriate communication whether verbal, nonverbal, oral, written or electronic.
   2. Demonstrate respect for others and maintains effective and collaborative working relationships.
6. Professional Responsibilities
   1. Compliance with relevant regulatory, legal, ethical, and professional obligations and best practice standards.
   2. Develop and apply ethical decision-making processes, appropriately seeks clinical supervision, and maintains personal health and self-care reflective of the profession.
   3. Maintain professional, ethical, and academic integrity in all program activities and clinical work.
   4. Evaluate and enhance professional practice through self reflection, goal setting, and soliciting feedback.
7. Therapeutic Process
   1. Demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively and reliably with a variety of people across multiple contexts in written, oral, and mixed media formats.
   2. Demonstrate ability to build and maintain good therapeutic relationships and engage clients effectively.
   3. Ensure Safe and Effective Use of Self (SEUS) in all professional relationships.
   4. Demonstrate an ability to appropriately conduct a risk assessment and safety planning.
   5. Demonstrate ability to structure and facilitate all aspects of the therapeutic process in accordance with the Relational and Family Therapy Program’s (RFTP) approach to clinical work and best practice standards.
   6. Establish and maintain core conditions for therapy.
   7. Adhere to and remain on track with assigned clinical caseload to complete a minimum of 350 Direct Client Contact (DCC) hours and 100 hours of didactic supervision meeting established competency expectations for clinical work.
8. Professional Literature and Applied Research
   1. Remain current with and demonstrates an ability to critically review current research within the field.
   2. Demonstrate ability to critically analyze and integrate relevant knowledge from psychotherapeutic and systemic-relational literature to clinical practice.
   3. Demonstrate literacy through an ability to extract information from a variety of resources (e.g., scientific, non-scientific, mainstream and social media), assess the quality and validity of the material and use it to discover new knowledge.

Program Requirements

Students in the MRFT must complete a minimum of 9.50 graduate credits, as outlined below:

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Year 1
Semester 1
FRAN*6800	Orientation to Clinical Practice	0.00
FRAN*6810	Practicum 1 - Relational Systemic Practice	1.00
FRAN*6890	Foundations of Relational and Family Therapy	0.50
FRAN*6920	Research in Relational Family Therapy	0.50
Semester 2
FRAN*6800	Orientation to Clinical Practice	0.00
FRAN*6820	Practicum 2 - Dialogic and Collaborative Practices	1.00
FRAN*6880	Sociocultural Attunement and Humility	0.50
Semester 3
FRAN*6830	Practicum 3 - Solution Focused Therapy	1.00
FRAN*6910	Professional Ethics and Issues in Relational and Family Therapy	0.50
Year 2
Semester 4
FRAN*6840	Practicum 4 - Narrative Therapy	1.00
FRAN*6870	Resiliency and Trauma Informed Practice	0.50
Semester 5
FRAN*6850	Practicum 5 - Integrative Practice	1.00
FRAN*6940	Gender, Sexuality and Clinical Interventions	0.50
Semester 6
FRAN*6860	Practicum 6 - Transitions and Reflections	1.00
FRAN*6930	Perspectives on Health and Well-Being	0.50