The AAMFT Podcast

Erica Hartwell is an associate professor at Fairfield University, where she has launched a certificate program for working with sexual and gender minorities. She is the chair of the Queer and Trans Advocacy Network. In this episode, Erica discusses how to provide affirmative and effective care for clients with a different social identity than you, and how QTAN’s seat at the table can help the profession best support society.

Dr. Alexandra Solomon is a licensed clinical psychologist at The Family Institute at Northwestern University. In this episode, she talks about therapists taking a holistic approach to help clients reclaim their sexuality and to communicate their desires to build satisfying relationships, and why it's important to train young MFTs to become more comfortable dealing with sexual issues in the therapy room.

In a special edition of The AAMFT Podcast, Eli shares his interview with the late Dr. Karen Wampler, a major contributor to the field of marriage and family in the areas of academia and research. They discuss her role as editor-in-chief of the upcoming Handbook of Systemic Family Therapy, into which she poured her immense talents and vision to spearhead this work that will have an enduring impact on the profession.

Katherine Hertlein is a professor at UNLV whose research and publications have been recognized with multiple awards including a Fulbright Scholarship. In this episode, she discusses how technology influences couple and family therapy and how social media, online infidelity, and telehealth impact the delivery of services.

Richard “Dick” Schwartz, PhD, is the creator of the Internal Family Systems model and the founder of the Internal Family Systems Institute. He discusses how the model came together and overcoming the struggles of initial rejection from the field. In an authentic conversation, he reflects on his work and life.

Leslie Anderson, LMFT, and Sheeza Mohsin, LMFT, talk about their experiences as MFT minority students and instructors. They discuss diversity, inclusion, and dialogues about race dynamics in the classroom, how majority groups can model inclusion and use privilege to benefit marginalized communities, and how the profession can attract more minority candidates. Finally, Jermaine Lowery, Director of AAMFT’s Minority Fellowship Program talks about opportunities and eligibility for the fellowship program. 

In this episode, Eli sits down with Dr. Jaime Goff and Dr. Sara Blakeslee Salkil to discuss the MFT Licensure exam. Jaime holds a Ph.D. in Couple and Family Therapy from Michigan State University and a Certificate in Executive Coaching from Southern Methodist University. Sara is the program director of the online Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy program and Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies.First, they share some of the biggest fears and concerns students have surrounding the exam. Then they provide some background information on the exam. They share their best tips and tricks on how to prepare for the exam.  If you are preparing to take the exam, this is the podcast for you!

Scott Sells holds a Ph.D. in both Marriage and Family Therapy and Social Work from Florida State University. He has over 20 publications and has authored three books including “Treating the Traumatized Child: A Step-by-Step Family Systems Approach.” Scott specializes in working with impossible or stuck cases whose families have not been successful with other counselors.First, Scott explains what first drew him to the field and how he started as an MFT. He then discusses how he induced the PLL model and the experiences that led to developing it. He gives valuable tips to young therapists including the importance of maintaining balance in your life. In the final moments, Scott gives details about the model and the techniques he uses in his sessions.

Fred P. Piercy, PhD, is professor and head of the Department of Human Development at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Dr. Piercy has won both national and university teaching awards. He has written over 160 published articles, 5 books, and 35 funded grants. Dr. Piercy served as the editor of the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy from 2012-2017. In this episode, Dr. Piercy discusses how he first gained interest in the profession and what led him to be an MFT. He begins with his journey into Academia and his favorite thing he has ever written. Fred explains how research shaped the MFT field over the years and the future of doctoral education. Lastly, he talks about the many lessons that he has learned from his students.

Dr. Toni Zimmerman is an expert on all things AAMFT Supervision. She has directed the CSU Family Therapy program for almost 25 years. She has won many awards in her academic career and she is a staple in the Fundamentals of Supervision training program at AAMFT. Eli sits down with Toni to discuss the trends in MFT Supervision and her impact in the field. She first discusses her origin story and some of the biggest changes in the field since she started, including a discussion about video supervision. She gives advice to supervisees on how to have difficult conversations with their supervisor when there may be an issue. And she provides tips on how to interview potential Supervisors.Lastly, Toni goes into to details about the AAMFT Approved Supervisor Designation and how it excels over other programs.