Professional Certificate in Family Therapy Skills
LEVEL
Professional Development
AWARD
PCI College Professional Certificate in Family Therapy Skills
COURSE STATUS
Closed for Applications
DURATION
5
day(s)
Full-Time
DELIVERY
Online
COMMENCEMENT DATE
TBD
LOCATIONS
Online
Family dynamics are the primary architects of our emotional, behavioural, and relational health. However, working with families requires a sophisticated shift from an individualistic focus to a systemic approach.
This PCI College professional certificate is designed to empower practitioners to navigate the complex, multi-layered environment of family systems. By gaining proficiency in systemic observation, communication, and intervention, you will become equipped to facilitate change that resonates through generations, helping families move from patterns of dysfunction to cycles of healing and connection.Â
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
- Poster Presentation
- Reflective statement
Who is this course for?
This programme is designed for experienced counsellors, psychotherapists, and social care professionals who wish to integrate specialised family therapy skills into their clinical practice.Â
- Counsellors & Psychotherapists: Expand your practice by learning how to include family members in the therapeutic process when appropriate.Â
- Social & Care Professionals:Â Develop a systemic lens to better support families navigating crisis, child protection, or family breakdown.Â
- Family Support Workers:Â Gain structured, evidence-based tools to improve communication and conflict resolution within family units.Â
- Advanced Practitioners:Â Deepen your clinical capability by mastering the complexities of intergenerational trauma and systemic patterns.Â
What are the benefits of doing this course?
This certificate provides the professional rigour required to work effectively within the “system” of a family, offering a unique set of tools that individual therapy alone cannot provide.Â
- Systemic Competence: Learn to move past the “identified patient” to address the systemic imbalances driving the family’s distress.Â
- Clinical Versatility:Â Gain the ability to adapt your therapeutic style to accommodate multiple voices, perspectives, and agendas simultaneously.Â
- Conflict Transformation:Â Master strategies to de-escalate intense family conflict and promote collaborative problem-solving.Â
- Enhanced Intervention:Â Move beyond standard talk therapy to include systemic techniques that bring hidden family dynamics to the surface.Â
What will you learn?
The curriculum is designed for intensive skill-building, combining deep theoretical study with rigorous, experiential practice in the “family room.”Â
- Systemic Theory:Â An in-depth study of systemic models, including the life cycle of the family, boundaries, and hierarchy.Â
- Mapping Dynamics:Â Advanced practice in genogram construction and the identification of intergenerational patterns and legacies.Â
- Facilitation Skills:Â Developing the “therapist-as-conductor” role: managing multiple perspectives and holding space for conflicting family narratives.Â
- Systemic Intervention:Â Practical techniques for disrupting stuck family patterns and encouraging new ways of interacting.Â
- Clinical Practice:Â Intensive experiential learning, including role-play and supervised case analysis, to bridge the gap between theory and clinical reality.Â
Day 1
- Induction
- History of Family Therapy in Ireland and abroad
- Integrating Genograms into your clinical work circular causality and circular questioning
Day 2
- Family dynamics
- Parental Alienation triangulation, corrupted and enmeshed boundaries
- Pathological alliances as well as the impact of parental conflict and divorce on children and young people.
Day 3
- Social constructionism and the social graces
- Neutrality and hypothesising
Day 4
- Narrative approaches, theory and practice
- Reflecting team
Day 5
- Integration Day
Eligibility
Qualification in Counselling, Psychotherapy or other helping professionals with therapeutic experience.
Students currently in training (BSc Degree Year 2 onwards) will be considered, on the understanding that the Professional Certificate qualification cannot be used until they have qualified.
IT Skills
Students require sufficient IT skills to complete the course.
Additional Entry Requirements
Students can expect to be provided with advice and support concerning any learning difficulties that they may encounter. Any diagnosed learning difficulty, e.g. dyslexia, must be noted on the application.
Fees
Standard Rate: Applies to all non-affiliated participants.
PCI College Graduate: Discounted rate available for graduates of BSc Degree and Postgraduate programmes.
Current BSc/MSc Students & Alumni Members: Preferential rate available. Join our Alumni Group on LinkedIn to access this discount
Course Fees – Northern Ireland
Course Total