Marriage and Family Counseling Course Description: Marriage and Family Counseling primarily deals with contextual issues on marriage and family, emerging challenges of the family in transition, critical study of various psychotherapeutic and family therapies, and enhancing skills for various forms of ministries, including counseling, that can foster health, healing, and growth in the families. Course Objectives: To enable the students to understand various causes and consequences of change in families in context with a view to shape theoretical and theological framework for understanding ministry to families. To facilitate the students to obtain theoretical and clinical insights by critically studying various psychotherapeutic traditions and family therapies seeking insights for the Indian context. To enable the students to understand the need for various forms of family ministries, including marriage and family counselling. To help the students to enhance their skills in managing growth-focused training programmes and care and counselling methods. Method of Teaching: Introductory Lectures Seminar papers by students with responses by the peers Analyzing Family Therapy sessions (video/verbatim) Practice Counselling Term paper on one of the current topic/issues/concerns on Marriage and Family in India Course Requirements: Class Work: 40% Final Exam: 60% Course Content: I. Introduction: Marriage and Family Counselling / Therapy as a Discipline Defining Family – Sociological and Psychological Perspectives Changing Pattern of Family in India Family in Transition and emerging trends Marriage and Family Care and Counselling – Definitions and Objectives Growth-Focused Care and Intervention-Focused Care and Counselling Pastoral Care to Families – an essential aspect of the ministry of the Church II. Understanding Gender and Sexuality Physiological-Biological aspect of sexuality Psychological-emotional aspect of sexuality Cultural-Social aspect of Gender formation and sexuality III. Biblical-Theological-Historical Foundations: Marriage and Family in the OT Marriage and Family in the NT Sexuality from Biblical Perspectives A Theology of Sex, Marriage, and Family for Today The Role of Faith and Faith Community in Marriage and Family IV. Marriage and Family Therapy in Major Psychotherapy Traditions – A Review Psychoanalytic-Psychodynamic Object Relations Theories – Internalized Objects and Relations Behavioral Therapies – Developing Relational Skills Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies – Right Thinking and Action Humanistic Psychotherapies – the Positive Potential Approach Transactional Analysis – Communication and enhanced quality of life Therapeutic Resources from the Indian Traditions V. Marriage and Family Therapies and their Clinical Applications Integrative Approach – Nathan Ackerman Family Systems Theory – Murray Bowen Structural Family Therapy – Salvador Minchin Conjoint Family Therapy – Virginia Satir Marriage Enrichment and Growth Model – Howard J. Clinebell VI. Growth-Focused Marriage and Family Enrichment Programmes Men and Women growing together in Faith Communities Growth-enhancing Religious resources in personality development Intensive Training Programmes – camps, conferences, etc Pre-marital Training sessions – orientation to marriage and family Post-marital training and care – focus on sustaining and nurturing Marriage and Family Counselling – Intervention and Care Marriage and Family Psychotherapy – Intervention and long term Care VII. Marital and Family Counselling: Process and Skills Discuss the helping process – theologically sound, clinically informed, contextually relevant methods in counselling process. VIII. Pastoral Care and Counselling in dealing with contemporary situations Emergence of Alternate Families (Gay-Lesbian) Cohabitation (Live-in Relationships) Single Parent Families Single men / women in the Church Domestic Violence Dowry related concerns in Indian Families Sexual problems Inter-caste, Inter-ethnic, Inter-faith families Religious and Spiritual issues in the Family Addiction problems in the family Bibliography Ackerman, Nathan. The Psychodynamics of Family Life. New York: Basic Books, 1958. _______________. Treating the Troubled Family. New York: Basic Books, 1966. Augustine, John S, ed. The Indian Family in Transition. Gaziabad: Vikas Publishing House Pvt Ltd., 1982. Bengston, Vem L. et.al (editors). Sourcebook of Family Therapy and Research. London: Sage Publications, 2005. Bhattacharya, Rinki. Behind Closed Doors: Domestic Violence in India. New Delhi: Sage Publications, 2004. 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Indian Case Studies in Therapeutic Counselling. Vellore: Christian Counselling Centre, 1975/2005. Rao, V.V. Prakasa & V. Nandini Rao. Marriage, the Family and Women in India. New Delhi: Heritage Publications, 1985. Satir, Virginia. Peoplemaking. California: Science and Behavior Books, Inc., 1972. ____________. Conjoint Family Therapy (Revised and Expanded). California: Science and Behaivor Books, Inc., 1983. ___________. The New Peoplemaking. Science and Behavior Books, Inc., 1988. Shah, A. M. The Family in India: Critical Essays. Hyderabad: Orient Longman Limited, 1998. Scarf, Maggie. Intimate Partners: Partners in Love and Marriage. New York: Random House, 1987. Schnarch, David M. Constructing the Sexual Crucible: An Integration of Sexual and Marital Therapy. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1991. Scott, Kieran & Michael Warren, eds. Perspectives on Marriage: A Reader. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. Smedes, Lewis. Sex for Christians: The Limits and Liberties of Sexual Living. London: Triangle / SPCK, 1993. Varghese, George (ed.), A Study Book on Counselling: Tiruvalla: CSS, 2012. Wall, John et.al. eds. Marriage, Health, and the Professions. Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2002. Wangerin, Jr., Walter. As for Me and My House: Crafting your Marriage to Last. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990. Worthington, Jr., Everett. Christian Marital Counseling: Eight Approaches to Helping Couples. Secunderabad: OM Books, 1996. Wynn, J.C. Family Therapy in Pastoral Ministry. New York: Harper & Row, 1981. Zeitlin, Marian F., et.al. Strengthening the Family: Implications for International Development. New York: United Nations University Press, 1995.