The AAMFT Podcast

Jose Szapocznik, of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, is the developer of Brief Strategic Family Therapy and one of the nation’s leading family therapists specializing in Hispanic families. In this episode, he discusses how he provides therapy consistent with Hispanic culture and using the family’s language. He shares how BSFT uses techniques from structural family therapy; transf...

Frank Dattilio, PhD, ABPP, is a leading figure in systemic therapy and clinical and forensic psychology, pioneering the integration of cognitive behavioral therapy with family systems. In this episode, he shares how his family of origin built resilience and shaped his career pursuits and gives practical insight into how CBT is used in a systems context. Frank reflects on the state of the professio...

Dr. Harlene Anderson is a founding member of the Houston Galveston Institute, and a cofounder for the Postmodern Collaborative Approach to therapy. With a psychology background, family therapy gave Anderson the systemic language and vocabulary to collaborate with clients as co-constructor. She discusses how speaking the family’s language models a listening/speaking process for families to use with...

Peter Fraenkel is internationally recognized clinical psychologist, writer, and presenter who specializes in last chance couples therapy. In this episode, he discusses his origins in the field and how he uses an integrated systems approach to work with couples on the brink of divorce. He shares techniques for an action-oriented, empirical approach using principles that help couples generate new th...

This week’s episode features chairs of AAMFT’s Topical Interest Networks to discuss emerging trends in their topic area and the benefits of being a member of the group. Dr. Christopher Belous, chair of the Couples and Intimate Relationships topical interest network, is an associate professor and the clinical director of the family therapy program at Purdue University Northwest. He discusses the va...

Linda Hershman has been in practice for more than twenty years and is a frequent presenter, educating public and practitioners on healthy divorce. As divorce trends towards older demographics, Linda breaks down the risk factors, demographics, emotional/economic fears, and the impact on adult children that accompany gray divorce. She discusses how therapy can help family systems navigate the decisi...

Norm Epstein and Don Baucom are the creators of the cognitive behavioral couples therapy model. In this episode, they recount their individual backgrounds as well as how they met and began collaborating. The discuss the emotional component of CBT and the critical understanding that it is not just a set of techniques, but requires a thoughtful and authentic therapist to relate to the couple. Norm s...

Bill O’Hanlon is a speaker and author, known for his work in developing Solution-Oriented Therapy. In this episode, he discusses the model as providing systemic, non-blame context to influence positive change in the present maintenance and future shift of problems. He talks about Milton Erickson’s impact on him, and the difference between the solution-focused and solution-oriented approaches. Fina...

Jay Lebow is a Clinical Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University known for his contributions to the field of MFT and his work with high-conflict divorce. In this episode, he talks about assessment, offering communication structure and rules for couples while navigating messy divorce, and the importance of establishing a safe environment for all parties to move forward. Understanding the...

John and Julie Gottman are the co-founders of The Gottman Institute, a research-based approach to relationships and marital stability. The world-renowned Gottman Method combines John’s research with the application of Julie’s clinical work with couples. In this episode, they share the origins of the method, stories from their decades of work, and personal anecdotes from their marriage and professi...

Dr. Andy Christensen is a professor of psychology at UCLA and the co-developer of integrated couples behavior therapy (ICBT). He has spent his career researching the effectiveness of evidence-based treatment for couples in distress. In this episode, Dr. Christensen discusses acceptance and tolerance techniques, the empirical support for the model, and a new online ICBT program for couples.

Jackie Williams-Reade is an associate professor at Loma Linda University and a therapist, researcher, trainer, and speaker. In this episode, she discusses integrating spirituality into practice, defining religion versus spirituality, and normalizing these conversations in the classroom to become more comfortable with them in the therapy room. She talks through helping a client build spiritual reso...

Stefanie Frank, JD, former legal counsel for AAMFT, discusses common questions, gray areas, and ethical dilemmas about interfacing with the legal system as a systemic family therapist. She covers a wide berth of topics including best practices for expert witnesses, responding to subpoenas, HIPAA compliance, notetaking, and privilege, and termination as part of ethical practice.

Patricia Papernow is widely recognized as one of the world’s foremost experts on blended families. In this episode, she discusses what has and hasn’t changed over her four decades of researching and working with blended families. Dr. Papernow provides practical insight for couples, co-parenting, and integrating children into stepfamily dynamics.

This panel of LMFTs shares their perspectives in the classroom and beyond on healing from racial trauma. They discuss how to help Black clients and people of color name and understand symptoms and lived realities as historical, racial trauma, how systemic thinking can bridge the connection between dysfunction and healing, and how all people are racialized beings with internalized narratives. As ac...

Froma Walsh is an internationally respected leader in the field of MFT and the foremost authority on family resilience, developing a resilience-oriented, community-based approach to strengthen families in crisis. Go behind the model in this episode and learn about Dr. Walsh’s journey from the Peace Corps in Morocco, to finding a home in family therapy, to forming her resilience practice around liv...

Kathleen Laundy, PsyD, LMFT has over 40 years’ experience in private practice and the collaborative educational system. She is the chair of the MFTs in Schools Topical Interest Network and is involved in the Oxford Symposium in School-Based Family Counseling. She discusses how systemic thinking has grown in school systems and how MFTs can produce effective change in schools.

Jill and David Scharff are the founders of the International Psychotherapy Institute and collaborators on many books, most notably Object Relations Couple Therapy. They take us on the journey through their early careers, developing the object relations therapy technique and how it should be integrated into MFT training, starting the IPI, and what has driven them through their decades of work.

Cloe Madanes is a world-renowned teacher and innovator of strategic family therapy. In this episode, she discusses her origin story, her career journey, and her personal and professional relationship with Jay Haley. She shares a story about being hypnotized by Milton Erickson, as well as working with other pioneers of systemic therapy. Finally, she discusses her most recent project of partnering w...

Erica Hartwell is an associate professor at Fairfield University, where she has launched a certificate program for working with sexual and gender minorities. She is the chair of the Queer and Trans Advocacy Network. In this episode, Erica discusses how to provide affirmative and effective care for clients with a different social identity than you, and how QTAN’s seat at the table can help the prof...

Dr. Alexandra Solomon is a licensed clinical psychologist at The Family Institute at Northwestern University. In this episode, she talks about therapists taking a holistic approach to help clients reclaim their sexuality and to communicate their desires to build satisfying relationships, and why it's important to train young MFTs to become more comfortable dealing with sexual issues in the therapy...

In a special edition of The AAMFT Podcast, Eli shares his interview with the late Dr. Karen Wampler, a major contributor to the field of marriage and family in the areas of academia and research. They discuss her role as editor-in-chief of the upcoming Handbook of Systemic Family Therapy , into which she poured her immense talents and vision to spearhead this work that will have an enduring impact...

Katherine Hertlein is a professor at UNLV whose research and publications have been recognized with multiple awards including a Fulbright Scholarship. In this episode, she discusses how technology influences couple and family therapy and how social media, online infidelity, and telehealth impact the delivery of services.

Richard “Dick” Schwartz, PhD, is the creator of the Internal Family Systems model and the founder of the Internal Family Systems Institute. He discusses how the model came together and overcoming the struggles of initial rejection from the field. In an authentic conversation, he reflects on his work and life.

Leslie Anderson, LMFT, and Sheeza Mohsin, LMFT, talk about their experiences as MFT minority students and instructors. They discuss diversity, inclusion, and dialogues about race dynamics in the classroom, how majority groups can model inclusion and use privilege to benefit marginalized communities, and how the profession can attract more minority candidates. Finally, Jermaine Lowery, Director of...