This course draws a distinction between aspects of normal child development and factors related to more enduring types of childhood problems and is designed to meet the emergent needs for MFTs to be trained in the area of child and adolescent psychopathology. The essential assessment and treatment issues of the major diagnoses found in childhood will be identified, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant and Conduct disorders, Depression, Anxiety, and results from pathogenic care of children. The necessity of family therapy approaches to the treatment of these disorders will be a primary focus. Special emphasis will be placed on the importance of understanding and working within a biopsychosocial framework as an effective means of weaving systems thinking into the fabric of the traditional, individually-oriented mental illness assessment and treatment perspective.
Notes
Required course.