SHORT-TERM TRAINING PROGRAM FOR MARRIAGE AND FAMILY COUNSELING

• General knowledge block: 6 credits
• Basic and Advanced Counseling Skills: 2 credits
• Consultation and Therapy Block: 8 credits

Serial Number	Course name	Number of credits	Number of credit hours
			Theory	Practice
1	Family life cycle and psychological characteristics	2	15	15
2	Marriage and family counseling in the context of Vietnamese culture.	2	15	15
3	Sex in a marriage	2	15	15
4	Advanced counseling skills	2	10	20
5	Systemic therapy in marriage and family counseling	2	10	20
6	The approach focuses on solutions within marriage and family counseling.	2	10	20
7	Narrative therapy in marriage and family counseling	2	10	20
8	Monitoring the practice of marriage and family counseling.	2	5	25

1. Number of credits: 2
2. Language of instruction: Vietnamese
3. Information about the instructors:

• Full name: Tran Thu Huong
• Title: PhD
• Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

4. Overall objective

5. Course learning outcomes:

• 1. Knowledge:
• Learners will gain a basic understanding of the marital life cycle: the concept of the marital life cycle, theories and perspectives on the marital life cycle, the stages of the marital life cycle, and family issues.
  2. Skills
• Learners apply their knowledge to research, identify, assess, and propose support and intervention solutions for family problems.
  3. Attitude (personal moral qualities)

• Learners develop a positive and constructive attitude toward family issues when providing counseling services.

6. Assessment methods: multiple choice/essay
7. References

8. Course content summary

9. Detailed content
   1. General issues

• The concept of the marriage life cycle
• Several theories about the marriage life cycle.
  2. The lifecycle of a couple's relationship and its psychological characteristics.

• Pre-marital period
• Marriage period
  • Newlywed stage: Starting a family
  • The period when a family has its first child.
  • The period when the family has children going to school.
  • The stage when families have grown-ups, move away, and prepare for retirement.
  • The elderly couple stage
• The period of termination of a marital relationship.
  • Separation, divorce
  • Widow
  • The period when a spouse dies in old age.

• 3. Practice identifying the psychological issues of each stage of a marriage.
• Presenting the counseling case
• Identifying the stages of a marital relationship.
• Prominent psychological characteristics
• Psychological issues in marital relationships
• Lessons learned and recommendations related to counseling practice.

1. Number of credits: 2
2. Language of instruction: Vietnamese
3. Information about the instructors:

• Full name: Tran Thu Huong
• Title: Associate Professor, PhD
• Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

4. Overall objective

5. Course learning outcomes:

• 1. Knowledge:
• Present and analyze the fundamental aspects of the cultural context model when counseling couples experiencing psychological difficulties (violence, conflict, etc.); socio-cultural factors influencing couple relationships. For example, the social age of marriage, education, employment status, income, having children before marriage, number of children, preference for single status, traditional and contemporary societal views on gender roles, social media, domestic violence, social stress, and mental health.
  2. Skills

• Ask questions, empathize, use scales, and analyze the relationship between socioeconomic factors and the couple's psychological difficulties.
  3. Attitude (personal moral qualities)
• Respect and accept the cultural diversity, behaviors, and sexual orientations of our customers.

6. Assessment methods: multiple choice/essay
7. References

• Almeida, R.V. & Durkin, T. (1999). The cultural context model: Therapy for couples with domestic violence, Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, Vol. 25, No. 3, 313-324.
• Poulsen, S. S. & Thomas, V. (2007). Cultural issues in Couple Therapy, Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy, 6(1-2): 141-152.

8. Course content summary

9. Detailed content
   1. Cultural context models in marriage and family counseling.

• The concept of culture
• Intercultural interaction
• Women as bearers of culture
• Cultural context model: Separating cultural circles for men and women.
  2. Sociocultural factors influence marital relationships.
• Social marriage age
• Employment status
• Education
• Income
• Give birth
• Gender
• Social stress
• Gender violence
  3. Tools and scales for assessing socio-cultural aspects within the family.
• Clinical interview
• Scale
  • Social stress scale
  • Gender Role Scale
  • Scale of violence in couples' relationships

• 4. Practice case analysis
• Present the song
• Analyzing the socio-cultural context of the customer.
• Lessons learned and recommendations for practice.

• Full name: Nguyen Van Luot Email: luotnv@vnu.edu.vn
• Title: Associate Professor, PhD
• Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

4. General Objectives
This course provides students with foundational knowledge about the sexual aspects of relationships, marriage, and extramarital affairs; factors affecting sexuality in relationships and marriage; and sexual decline and treatment/counseling within marriage. Through this, learners gain a comprehensive understanding of sexuality in relationships, helping couples to have a healthy and happy sex life.
5. Learning outcomes for the course:
Upon completion of the course module, students will be able to
- In terms of knowledge: equipped with fundamental general knowledge about sexuality in intimate relationships at different stages, from partner selection, love and sex; sexuality in marriage and other intimate relationships.
- Regarding skills: able to analyze and evaluate sexual life in formal and informal relationships; practice some sexual therapy/treatment methods in intimate relationships.
- Regarding attitudes (personal moral qualities): being trained to develop appropriate attitudes about sexual life in intimate relationships.
6. Assessment methods: multiple choice/essay
7. References
1. Nguyen Van Luot – Tran Van Tinh – Bui Phuong Thao (2021). Lecture notes on Sexual Psychology (internal circulation). Faculty of Psychology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
2. Khuat Thu Hong, Le Bach Duong, Nguyen Ngoc Huong (2009), Sex in contemporary Vietnamese society: a topic easy to joke about but difficult to talk about, The World Publishing House.
3. Richard Parker, Peter Aggleton (2007), Culture, Society and Sexuality (anthology), translated by CCIHP, published in Vietnam in 2013 by Culture and Information Publishing House.
4. Lehmiller, J. (2014). The Psychology of Human Sexuality, Wiley Blackwell, p.196 – p.224.
5. LeVay, S., Balbwin, J., & Balbwin, J. (2019). Discovering Human Sexuality, 4th edition, Oxford University Press, p. 191 – p. 224.
8. Course Summary (Approximately 250-300 words)
This course provides learners with a general understanding of sexuality in intimate relationships. It examines sexuality in the early stages of a relationship, such as attachment and partner selection; love, sex, and couple happiness; sex in marriage; sexuality in unstable relationships; factors affecting couples' sexuality; manifestations of sexual deviance; and methods of counseling and therapy for sexuality in intimate relationships.
9. Detailed content
9.1. Starting a relationship: commitment and partner selection
1. Attachment
+ Attachment theory
+ Close bond in childhood and adulthood
+ Individual differences in attachment;
+ Individual differences in strategies for choosing a romantic partner.
2. Choosing a mate
+ What kind of romantic partner do people want to choose?
+ Criteria for choosing a mate;
+ Gender differences in standards for choosing a partner;
+ Gender differences in mate selection strategies
9.2. Love, Sex, and Marital Happiness
1. Love (the structure and nature of love)
2. Does better sex lead to better relationships?
3. Do good relationships lead to better sex?
4. Sex and couple's satisfaction
9.3. Sex in marriage
1. Sex in marriage
2. Factors affecting sexuality in marriage
3. Is infidelity driven by sexual factors?
4. What can be done to improve sexual satisfaction in marriage?
9.4. Sex in other relationships
1. One-night stand
2. Couples who are in a relationship for sexual reasons (friends with benefits)
3. Sex in open relationships...
4. Using dating apps to find sex.
9.5. Factors Affecting Sexuality in Couple Relationships
1. Sexual norms
2. Communication in sex
3. Skills and knowledge about sex
4. Socio-cultural factors
5. Biological factors
6. Socio-demographic factors
9.6. Sexual Disorders
1. What is sexual dysfunction/impairment?
2. Types of sexual dysfunction and their causes
3. Types of sexual disorders and their causes
9.7. Sex Therapy and Counseling
1. General Introduction
2. History of sexual therapy
3. Theoretical foundations for sex therapy
4. Sexual therapy treatments (behavioral therapy; cognitive-behavioral therapy; couples therapy).

1. Number of credits: 2
2. Language of instruction: Vietnamese
3. Information about the instructors:

• Full name: Nguyen Thi Anh Thu
• Academic title/degree: Doctor of Philosophy
• Title: Lecturer
• Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

4. Overall objective

5. Course learning outcomes:

• 1. Knowledge:
• Mastering basic counseling skills
• Identify the client's problem.
  2. Skills
• Capable of applying counseling skills in case practice.
  3. Attitude (personal moral qualities)

• Have a respectful and accepting attitude towards customers.
• Respect professional ethical standards.

6. Assessment methods: multiple choice/essay
7. References

• Tran Thi Minh Duc (2009), Textbook on Psychological Counseling, Vietnam National University Hanoi Publishing House.
• Nguyen Tho Sinh (2006), Basic Psychological Counseling, Labor Publishing House, Faculty Documentation Room.
• Tran Thi Minh Duc (2010), Counseling skills for children who violate the law, Lucky House Publishing House, Faculty Documentation Room.

8. Course summary (approximately 250-300 words)

9. Detailed content
   1. Basic counseling skills (through specific exercises)

• Listening skills: Experiment with your own listening abilities.
• Feedback skills: Practice your feedback skills.
• Questioning skills: Practice your questioning skills.
• Empathy skills: Practicing empathy skills
• Silent handling skills: Practicing silent handling skills
  2. Identify the client's problem.
• Client's counseling goals
• Identify the client's problem.
• Case analysis
  3. Consultation case guide
• Practice and discuss counseling cases.
• Sharing experiences from practicing counseling cases.

1. Number of credits: 2
2. Language of instruction: Vietnamese
3. Information about the instructors:

• Full name: Nguyen Thi Minh Hang
• Title: Associate Professor, PhD
• Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

4. Overall objective

5. Course learning outcomes:

• 1. Knowledge:
• Present and analyze the fundamental basis for the emergence and development of systems theory, and the basic viewpoints of systems theory on the difficulties in marital and family relationships.
  2. Skills

• Establishing goals for marriage and family counseling based on systems theory, and defining the procedures and techniques of the therapy.
  3. Attitude
• Respect and be sensitive to the cultural aspects of clients when applying systems therapy in marriage and family counseling.

6. Assessment method: general multiple-choice test for the entire program.
7. References

8. Course content summary

9. Detailed content
   1. The fundamental tenets of family systems theory

• The emergence and development of therapy
• The fundamental arguments
  • Individual differences
  • The family trio
  • Emotional process
  • Projection process
  • Emotional separation
  • Multigenerational transfer
  • Sibling position
  • Social stress
• The current status of systemic therapy
  2. Establish goals, procedures, and therapies.
• The goal of systemic therapy in marriage and family counseling.
• Establish a consultation process.
• Therapies
  • Process questions
  • Analyzing a family tree diagram.
  • Neutralize the trio.
  • The position of the ego – personal distinction

• 3. Practice case analysis
• Present the song
• Analyzing customer problems from a systems theory perspective.
• Establishing goals, procedures, and practices for therapy.
• Lessons learned and recommendations for practice.

1. Number of credits: 2
2. Language of instruction: Vietnamese
3. Information about the instructors:

• Full name: Bui Thi Hong Thai
• Academic title/degree: Associate Professor, PhD.
• Title: Lecturer
• Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

4. Course objectives

5. Course learning outcomes:

• 1. Knowledge:
• Understanding the fundamental philosophies and principles of solution-focused counseling.
• Identify the techniques to use and how to conduct each consultation session.
• Identifying ethical and gender issues in couple counseling.
  2. Skills

• Establishing consultation objectives that align with a solution-oriented approach to the specific situation is crucial.
• Solution-focused questioning techniques can be applied in counseling sessions.
• Successfully implemented a consultation process using a solution-focused approach.
  3. Attitude (personal moral qualities)

• Respect the client.
• Sensitivity to ethical and gender issues in couples counseling.

6. Assessment method: general multiple-choice test for the entire program.
7. References

• de Shazer, S., & Berg, I. K. (1997). “What works?”: Remarks on research aspects of solution-focused brief therapy. Journal of Family Therapy, 19, 121–124.
• Gale, J., & Newfield, N. (1992). A conversation analysis of a solution-focused marital therapy session. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 18(2), 153–165
• Gingerich, W., & Eisengart, S. (2000). Solution-focused brief therapy: A review of the outcome research. Family Process, 39, 477–498.
• Jordan, K., & Quinn, W.H. (1994). Session two outcome of the formula first session task in problem- and solution-focused approaches. Journal of Family Therapy, 22, 3–16.
• Murray, CE, & Murray, TL (2004). Solution-focused premarital counseling: Helping couples build a vision for their marriage. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 30(3), 349-358.

8. Course content summary

9. Detailed content
   1. General knowledge about marriage and family counseling focuses on solutions.

• The philosophy of counseling focuses on solutions.
• The basic principles of consultation focus on solutions.
• Identifying client types and the role of the counselor
• The "family tree" diagram of the consultation session focuses on solutions.
• Set consultation goals from a solution-focused perspective.
• Practice in real-life situations
  2. Questioning techniques in counseling focus on solutions.
• Types of questions asked before the first consultation session.
• Types of questions used for goal setting
• Types of exception queries
• Types of responsive questioning
• Effective question types
• Types of questions about meaning
• Practice asking different types of questions based on situational scenarios.
  3. The consultation process focuses on solutions.
• Getting acquainted and tasks to be performed.
• Session 1: Things to do and skills to use
• Subsequent sessions: tasks to perform and skills to use.
• Design homework assignments for the couple after each counseling session.
• Practice analyzing a couples counseling session.
  4. Practice couples counseling with a solution-oriented approach.
• Some points to note when conducting couples counseling sessions.
• Some ethical and gender aspects in couples counseling.
• Practice counseling sessions

1. Number of credits: 2
2. Language of instruction: Vietnamese
3. Information about the instructors:

• Full name: Nguyen Ba Dat
• Title: PhD
• Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

4. Overall objective

5. Course learning outcomes:

• 1. Knowledge:
• Present and analyze the fundamental basis for the emergence and development of narrative theory, the basic viewpoints of narrative theory on difficulties in couple relationships, and the changing psychology of customers.
  2. Skills

• Establish counseling goals for couples based on narrative theory, and develop procedures and practice counseling techniques of the therapy.
  3. Attitude
• Respect and be sensitive to the cultural aspects of clients when applying narrative therapy in couple counseling.

6. Assessment methods: multiple choice/essay
7. References

8. Course content summary

9. Detailed content
   1. The fundamental tenets of narrative theory

• The emergence and development of theory
• The fundamental arguments
• The current status of the theory
  2. Establish goals, procedures, and therapies.
• Counseling objectives according to narrative theory
• Establish a consultation process.
• Counseling therapies
  • Recounting their personal story, the couple
  • Establishing the meaning of the story
  • Edit the story
  • Decisions and actions are based on the newly created narrative.

• 3. Practice case analysis
• Present the song
• Analyzing customer stories
• Establishing goals, processes, and practices for counseling therapy.
• Lessons learned and recommendations for practice.

COURSE SYLLABUS
MONITORING THE PRACTICE OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY COUNSELING

The module on supervising marriage and family counseling practice supports learners in connecting and applying knowledge and skills to the practice of couple counseling, thereby enabling learners to organize and provide marriage and family counseling services to clients in a suitable manner within the Vietnamese cultural context.

Upon completion of this module, learners will be able to:

Michael Nichols (2009), Fundamentals of Family Therapy, Pearson Publishers.

The Marriage and Family Counseling Supervision module consists of three parts. The first part supervises learners in identifying client expectations, defining problems, and setting counseling goals through specific case studies when providing counseling services; the second part supervises learners in selecting theories and integrating counseling skills into client service delivery; and the third part supervises learners in handling sensitive issues related to ethical guidelines in couple counseling.