Systemic Family and Couple Therapy: An Introduction



Overview

This course introduces systemic family and couple therapy approaches that help people with psychological difficulties to mobilise the strengths of their relationships, to make disturbing symptoms unnecessary or less problematic.

The course would be of value for those in organisational consultancy and development, the fields of health, psychology, education and social care. The teaching focus is on ways of observing and understanding the interactions between people in family, couples, organisations and professional relationships. It looks at methods of intervention and different applications of systemic theories, and perspectives with people across the developmental lifespan.

The module is of value in a variety of settings, including interviewing for research projects and mediating discussions. Systemic questioning is of value in most settings. An active method is promoted to help mobilise problem-solving abilities in families and groups. Interviewers are encouraged to be reflective on their own views and attitudes and awareness of how their views might affect their work with families or groups. The module involves in-class practice exercises in order to understand context and reflexivity.

Programme details

Course starts Tuesday 21 April 2026

This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Tuesdays, 10.30-12.30pm.

Week 1: Introduction to systemic family and couple therapy.

Week 2: The family as patient, the emergence of Systemic Family and couple therapy.

Week 3: Systemic family therapy approaches and models.

Week 4: The family life cycle and psychotherapy, developmental tasks and inter-generational patterns.

Week 5: Constructing own genogram. Using this to identify patterns of relationship, historical influences and stressors on the family.

Week 6: Attachment theory and understanding family and couple relationships.

Week 7: Thinking about ethnicity, race, age, gender, ability, culture, education and sexuality in systemic family and couple therapy. Looking at how inequalities and power differentials impact on people’s lives and systemic practices.

Week 8: Understanding the use of systemic questions and techniques (such as hypothesising and circular questioning) to clarify goals and gather systemic information.

Week 9: Listening, observing and developing understanding of interactions between individuals, couples, families, organisations and systems.

Week 10: Looking for family resilience.

Certification

Academic credit

Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS Points)

Please note, students who do not register for assessment and accreditation during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun. If you wish to gain credit from completing this course you must register to do so before the course starts.

Only those who have registered for assessment and accreditation will be awarded CATS points for completing work to the required standard. Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail.

Learn more about the Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme.

If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee for assessment and accreditation.

Digital certificate of completion 

Students who are registered for assessment and accreditation and pass their final assignment will also be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Information on how to access the digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course attended. You will be able to download the certificate and share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Course fee (with no assessment) £300.00
Assessment and Accreditation fee £60.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. See details of our concessionary fees for short courses.

Tutor

Dr Alice Sawyerr

Dr Alice Sawyerr is a Consultant Chartered Psychologist and Consultant Systemic Family Psychotherapist. She lectured in Psychology, Research Method and Systemic Family Therapy at University of London for 20 years. She provides assessment and Expert Witness Reports in Family Court cases in the UK.

 

Course aims

Course aims

  • To provide an introduction to the underlying theory, principles of systemic practice with families, couples and other systems.
  • To provide an overview and framework of different approaches and models of systemic family and couple therapy.
  • To facilitate students critical reading of practice and research text.

Course objectives

  • To give students a better understanding of the topic of systemic family and couple therapy.
  • To help students to understand the impact of psychological and relationship difficulties/ problems on individuals, couples and families.
  • To provide students with the basic tools, opportunity and confidence to effectively interview more than one person in the seminars, using a range of systemic questions and techniques (as students are expected to actively participate and share their knowledge, understanding and experiences in the seminar discussions).

Teaching methods

The course will consist of mini lectures, seminars, discussions, working in pairs, using a range of systemic interviewing and question techniques. Use of audio-visual aids such as video clips, role-play, and use of case vignettes to understand context and reflexivity.

The course offers opportunities to observe and to practise key systemic skills such as genogram construction, circular questions and offering reframes or alternative perspectives in a classroom setting.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will have been given the opportunity to:

  • develop basic understanding of systemic theories and principles underpinning systemic practice with families, couples and organisations;
  • demonstrate the skills to construct a genogram in a way that leads to better understanding the complexities of family relationships, strengths and vulnerabilities;
  • communicate verbally and in writing, knowledge and awareness of the influence of the wider social context (including gender, race, age, ability, culture, education, sexuality) on self and clients, with an ability to consider how inequalities and power differentials impact on people’s lives and systemic practices.

Assessment methods

Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.

Assessment

Assessment of this course is based on an assignment of 1500 words, due at the end of the course.

Application

How to enrol

Please use the 'Book now' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form.

How to register for accreditation and assessment

To be able to submit coursework and to earn credit (CATS points) for this course, if you wish to do so, you will need to register and pay an additional £60 fee. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. 

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun.

If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Level and demands

The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, ie first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support