Module manager: Kate Hall
Email: k.hall1@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
See programme entry requirements
| FAMT5661M | Systemic Psychotherapy Research |
| FAMT5771M | Systemic Psychotherapy Theory (One) |
FAMT5450M FAMT5470M
This module is not approved as an Elective
This module provides the first-year teaching of systemic practice skills, their theoretical basis and related clinical issues in working with families. Students will develop a clinical portfolio (with theoretical entry assessed in module FAMT5771) to document their clinical practice development and outcomes which is then further developed in Modules FAMT5772 and FAMT5882 in the second year. Students will learn about clinical skills and techniques from a range of therapeutic schools, be able to place them in theoretical context and develop these in supervised clinical practice. Students will build a self-reflexive capacity to examine their use of self in clinical practice with an emphasis upon considering the influence of personal and professional life experiences upon this. The contexts for this is both in the live supervised clinical practice and in tutor led small group personal professional development sessions. Attention to the ethics of systemic family therapy, with reference to issues of power and social difference in terms of anti-discriminatory and decolonising practice, is an important focus within this module. A key feature of this module is developing student’s clinical practice within a family therapy training clinic with live supervision and connection to their systemic practice in their own professional work context. Students’ clinical practice will be developed and extended in Module FAMT5882 in the second year of the programme. An adult learning approach is used, and students will build upon their existing professional knowledge and abilities through on-going reflective practice, tutor led teaching, clinical supervision and self-directed learning.
This module aims to provide students with teaching and learning activities to develop and consolidate systemic therapeutic skills.
Students will learn about the clinical methods and techniques associated with contemporary systemic psychotherapy models of practice and make theory to practice links in their weekly clinical placement under live supervision.
Students will participate in small group teaching and learning on personal and professional development and the influence of this on their use of self in practice.
Students will develop skills in presenting and accounting for their clinical practice to prepare them for independent practice in health and social care contexts.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject and be able to :
1- Build a therapeutic alliance with members of a family or other relational group presenting for systemic family therapy and undertake a systemic assessment of presenting problems.
2- Develop a systemic formulation / systemic hypothesis of presenting problems in collaboration with a family or other relational group and plan intervention.
3- Apply a range of interventions used in systemic family therapy with flexibility and creativity, adapting them to suit different client needs and preferences.
4- Evaluate own systemic practice effectiveness based on family and supervisor feedback.
5- Demonstrate a model specific range of systemic interviewing and intervention skills in clinical practice and show the ability apply and adapt these to meet the client’s needs.
6- Identify and assess issues of risk with close attention to practices of power and control affecting vulnerable client groups.
7- Recognise aspects of own self and cultural location which may be resources or limitations to clinical practice and plan own personal and professional development needs.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
Skills Learning Outcomes
Academic Skills
AS2 – Presentation skills: Present the theory of systemic family psychotherapy in a clear, concise, and structured manner, in both verbal and written form.
AS4 – Ethics: Identify and challenge social discourses and power practices that marginalise and oppress people creating inequity in mental health experience and healthcare.
Work ready skills
WR1 – Reflection: Practice within their level of competence, manage their fitness to practice and act accordingly if impaired by health or related constraints.
WR3 - Time management, planning and organizing: Manage time efficiently to prepare for lectures, tutorials, clinical practice and supervision by reading and reviewing given literature, reviewing practice recordings and feedback and preparation of assignments to meet deadlines for submission of assessments.
WR4 - Team work and collaboration: Work positively and effectively with others and collaborate with other healthcare professionals bringing different perspectives and contributions.
Digital Skills
DS3 – Digital communication: Use the technical practice contexts and digital applications in the service of ethical clinical practice including online therapy and supervision.
Sustainability Skills
SS3 – Ethical professional – Work safely and within their level of competence fit for independent practice in statutory and non-statutory settings and critically compliant with the Association for Family Therapy Code of Ethics and Practice.
The syllabus will cover the following topic areas through a combination of lectures, seminars and clinical supervisory discussions:
- Systemic assessment
- Systemic hypothesising and formulation.
- Visual representations of family systems such as genograms and eco maps.
- Action methods creativity and play to engage younger clients
- Neurodiversity
- Reflecting team practice
- Systemic interviewing skills
- Skills in generating new potential in therapy including process interruption, relational reflexivity, reflexive questions, sculpts and client feedback processes.
- Making use of systemic supervision
- The development of the self of the therapist.
- Examining the cultural embedded and embodied self of the therapist
- Self and other reflexivity.
- Working people across the lifespan
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Practice | 20 | 5 | 100 |
| Fieldwork | 80 | 1 | 80 |
| Lecture | 20 | 1.5 | 30 |
| Seminar | 6 | 2.5 | 15 |
| Private study hours | 225 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 225 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 450 | ||
Students have three formative assessments in this module for which detailed developmental feedback is given.
Supervision Profile
Clinical Portfolio
The portfolio is a PSRB requirement for students collate their work towards meeting practice requirements, feedback from clients and supervisors and the student’s response to this by inclusion of a reflexive learning journal. The Portfolio forms a record of clinical practice including the collation of practice hours, formative feedback on progress is given by response to the student’s learning journal entries. As part of the portfolio the student evaluates their own clinical practice and the supervisor responds to this. This document is designed to form a reflexive dialogue between supervisee and supervisor to review, guide, give feedback to and evaluate the student’s clinical practice.
The feedback to the first entry each year is formative and the second is pass/fail with pass for progression to the second year . There is a complimentary assessment in Module FAMT5771M and again in the second year modules FAMT5882M and FAMT5772M which together form a comprehensive review of the student's clinical practice and use of systemic psychotherapy theory.
Presentation of recorded clinical practice
Formative Presentation of recorded clinical practice is an opportunity for the student to present a succinct overview of their clinical practice to meet a range of learning outcomes. Students can present material and a focus for discussion of their choice and are given feedback on their presentation. This format anticipates the main context in which qualified Systemic Psychotherapists publicly account for their practice in brief summaries in clinical practice and multi-disciplinary teams, but also to the people in distress who attend for therapy. Feedback to this formative assessment is detailed and specific and supports progression to future presentations (as the student’s practice develops in detail and sophistication) and also to other formats for the presentation of clinical practice.
Students also receive fortnightly written and verbal feedback on their clinical practice from their clinical supervisor.
Students meet with tutors in small group contexts for 6 x 2.5 hour personal professional development groups (PPD) and receive feedback from tutors to their contributions to discussions of theory, practice and PPD.
Students meet with tutors individually and again as needed on request to review feedback and progress on all assessments.
Individual tutorials are scheduled at the beginning of this module and further tutorials are offered on request from tutor (who meets with students in small group settings twice each term), supervisor (who meets with students in small group settings weekly) or Programme Lead in which feedback can be discussed and developed as needed.
Student progress is closely monitored, and any difficulties are identified at the earliest opportunity and tutorial and clinical supervisory support is offered.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Formative assessment - Presentation of recorded clinical practice | 0 |
| Coursework | Formative - First presentation of Portfolio of Clinical practice including evaluation of practice and own participation in supervision, a reflective learning journal, and documentation of practice hours and supervision undertaken to date. Reflexive learning journal, supervisor and client feedback | 0 |
| Coursework | Formative - Clinical practice - No submission requirement Approximately fortnightly feedback from clinical supervisor | 0 |
| Coursework | Summative assessment - Presentation of recorded clinical practice | 50 |
| Coursework | Essay - case study 3000 words - Present a practice case study from your agency practice to the casework. | 50 |
| Coursework | Summative - Pass for Progress - Portfolio of Clinical practice including evaluation of practice and own participation in supervision, a reflective learning journal, and documentation of practice hours and supervision undertaken to date. Reflexive learning journal, supervisor and client feedback | 0 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
The coursework assessment in this module assesses both the student’s knowledge and understanding of systemic family therapy practice. The PSRB The Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice (AFT) stipulate the practice hours under live supervision which provides the context for the student to learn the application of theory and skills to practice. AFT also stipulate that the student undertakes additional practice hours in their own employment context or by placement and organises clinical supervision on a 1/6 hour ratio by a qualified family therapist (agency supervisor). The quality of this practice is not directly assessed by the University but the student is required to keep a log of the practice and verify the hours of practice and supervision with their supervisor. The case study assessment is based on this practice. Evidence of all practice hours is presented to the University at the end of the programme to meet conditions for course completion and professional qualification . This is included in a Portfolio in this module and module Systemic Psychotherapy Practice (two) FAMT5882M. The formative and summative theory seminar assessments provide a context for students to work together in group contexts to critically review theoretical concepts and present their findings to the class group. Students gain skills in the critical analysis of contemporary systemic theory and the presentation of this with and to their peers offers the development of ‘work ready’ skills in teamwork and collaboration, time management, planning and organising the seminars and then communication of professional knowledge to a typical professional audience. The Clinical Portfolio has both formative and summative assessment which compliment those in Systemic Psychotherapy Practice (two) FAMT5882M and together form a reflexive exchange between the student and their clinical supervisor who provides detailed feedback on the student’s actual practice in the clinical context and their ability to take a reflexive position in the review of their practice. A pass / fail with pass required for progression for the student's clinic practice is given with the summative clinical profile entry. This reflexive assessment cycle is repeated in the second year of the programmes and over two years these assessments build to form a detailed account of the student’s progress towards clinical competence. The format gives a context for the early identification of any difficulties in reaching the learning outcomes and for the structured response required to address such difficulties. The essay provides a summative assessment of the learning outcomes directly related to the processes of systemic practice. This is based on casework in the student’s required professional agency practice. A case study is a PSRB requirement. In this module more than one assessment component assesses the same subject specific learning outcomes because the requirement of clinical practice are such that assessed work cannot easily attend to some aspects of systemic family therapy practice and not others. For example attention to risk which would always be required for passing a clinically based component whether clinical practice, presentation of clinical work or in essay format. No compensation: All elements of the module assessment must be passed independently. In the event of failure of one component, the module mark will be capped at 50 on successful resit of a similar type to the original assessment.
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Last updated: 30/04/2026
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