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Medical Family Therapy​

The field of collaborative health care is growing swiftly. That’s where Medical Family Therapy comes in, providing psychosocial and spiritual services to those suffering with chronic illness. Post-graduate students with advanced training in medical family therapy are vital to today’s health care team.

Tina Sellers in a Medical Supervision course

What is Medical Family Therapy?

The medical field is developing integrated health care teams to address the physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational needs of patients. Due to complex treatment protocols and life effects of chronic illness, health care systems are struggling to provide adequate care. Post-graduate students with advanced training in medical family therapy are vital to today’s health care teams.

Watch a video featuring Tina Schermer Sellers to learn more about what a career in medical family therapy is like.

The change in American health care

Since 1995, leading medical journals have published studies showing that an integrated treatment protocol resulted in prolonged survival rates, significant cost savings, and an increased quality of life for cancer and heart disease patients.

Seattle Pacific University has seen an increase in alumni obtaining jobs in different medical centers working with infertility, cancer, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, diabetes, heart disease, and the depression and anxiety that often accompany chronic conditions. This is an ideal time to join the movement toward integrated health care.

As a graduate of the Medical Family Therapy Certificate program, you are prepared to do the following:

  • Work as a behavioral health provider in outpatient medical clinics.
  • Give psychosocial and spiritual care to patients and families dealing with chronic illness or chronic stress.
  • Provide practical support to physicians and nurses treating complex illnesses and complex cases.
  • Assess and treat the most common psychosocial and health behavior-related issues complicating treatment and medical outcome.

Choose your path

Whether you are a student in the Marriage and Family Therapy master’s degree program or a professional or post-graduate student, you can begin the MedFT application process right for you:

Admissions

The Medical Family Therapy program begins in Autumn Quarter and admits students once a year. Application deadline is July 1. Apply now. 

Program tuition

For the 2017-18 academic year:

  • The Medical Family Therapy certificate program is $760 per credit.
  • To graduate with the MedFT Certificate, you must complete a minimum of 16 credits.

Review additional information about costs and financial aid.

Training seminars for professionals

Need CEUs? Check out upcoming training seminars to further your education:

“I was surprised I was given such a valuable role in the medical clinic. My work was valued as an integral component of treatment from the beginning and I was respected as a professional.”
— MedFT graduate on an internship serving rheumatology patients
Child

It’s All About Families

What’s a career in medical family therapy really like? Tina Sellers explains.

Watch the video.

Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education

National Accreditation Since 1996

Our competency-based curricula is associated with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

COAMFTE Student Achievement Data

Claudia Grauf-Grounds

Why I Teach at SPU

Claudia Grauf-Grounds, Emerita Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy

“I thrive when teaching. Watching the eyes of students light up, or hearing a small group eagerly engage in a task assignment (an amazing feat for school-hardened graduate students) still makes my day. I felt the calling to teach graduate students quite clearly while attending Fuller Theological Seminary. My strengths in teaching stem from my ability to integrate ideas, communicate clearly, organize my lessons, creatively assign projects, model what I am teaching, and remember how it was for me to learn things for the first time. As referenced by Parker Palmer, We Teach Who We Are (Palmer, 1998).”

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