Systemic family therapy stands at the intersection of healing, connection, and transformation. The MLG Awards not only celebrate the incredible achievements of today’s leaders in the field but also pay homage to the foundational work of systemic family therapy’s pioneers, such as Salvador Minuchin and Dr. Marion Lindblad-Goldberg. Minuchin’s groundbreaking contributions established structural family therapy as a cornerstone for understanding and addressing relational dynamics, while Dr. Lindblad-Goldberg advanced this legacy by integrating ecological and trauma-informed approaches. This award recognizes the profound impact systemic family therapy has on families, communities, and professionals. By honoring those who exemplify these values, the MLG Awards inspire ongoing innovation and excellence in a field dedicated to addressing complex challenges and fostering meaningful change. It’s more than an award; it’s a continuation of a legacy that transforms lives, one relationship at a time. Join us in celebrating the extraordinary contributions of systemic family therapy practitioners who, like Minuchin and Lindblad-Goldberg, are committed to making the world a brighter, more connected place.
Shared News
A Year of Growth, Connection, and Gratitude
As we close out the calendar year, the Philadelphia Child and Family Therapy Training Center (PCFTTC) reflects on 2024 with deep gratitude for our incredible community of systemic family therapists, faculty, alumni, and partners.
This year, we’ve witnessed remarkable milestones:
- Expanding our Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy (ESFT) reach through international training opportunities, including Georgia and Canada.
- Representing PCFTTC at the AAMFT Conference at Disney World, connecting with colleagues and embracing innovation in family therapy.
- Welcoming new graduates, celebrating their achievements, and watching them take their next steps in the field.
- Launching our Certification Programs.
- New publications advancing the practice of ESFT
- 700 blog subscribers!
Through it all, we’ve seen our community grow stronger, embracing systemic approaches that honor the resilience of families and the dedication of those who serve them.
As we step into 2025, we are excited to continue offering cutting-edge training, supervision, and resources to empower therapists. Together, let’s build on this year’s momentum and keep advancing the transformative work each of you do with professionals and the families they serve.
From all of us at PCFTTC, we wish you a joyous close to this year and a new year filled with hope, health, and connection. Thank you for being part of our journey!
Warm regards,
The PCFTTC Team
Ecomaps, structural maps, and Home Alone…Oh my!
Home Alone: A Perfect Movie for Practicing Family Assessment Tools
The 1990 classic Home Alone isn’t just a beloved holiday movie—it’s also a surprisingly effective way to practice family assessment tools. While the film’s focus is on an 8-year-old boy named Kevin, left behind during the holiday chaos, it offers a clear depiction of family dynamics, relational challenges, and conflict resolution, all of which are key aspects of family therapy.
- Systemic Family Dynamics: The McCallister family is a perfect example of a system that’s slightly dysfunctional. As the story progresses, we can assess the relationships between various family members. Kevin’s relationship with his parents and siblings displays both systemic challenges and opportunities for growth. The chaotic family environment, including misunderstandings and unacknowledged needs, mirrors real-world family dynamics in therapy.
- Communication Patterns: One of the most prominent family therapy tools is the evaluation of communication patterns. In the movie, communication breakdowns, like Kevin not being heard or taken seriously, demonstrate how important it is for families to develop open and effective communication strategies. By examining these patterns, therapists can gain insights into how members interact, ignore each other’s needs, and fail to listen.
- Coping Mechanisms: Kevin’s journey is one of emotional and physical survival, but it also reveals how family members cope with stress differently. The McCallisters, especially the parents, struggle to manage stress, and Kevin’s solution is both resourceful and humorous. As a family therapist, observing how individuals cope with anxiety, pressure, or chaos can help guide conversations around healthy coping strategies.
- Parental Leadership and Attachment: Throughout the movie, Kevin’s relationship with his parents (and especially with his mother) is crucial. We can analyze how parental leadership affects attachment and security. Kevin’s mother’s eventual realization of her neglect and her need to be with him demonstrates the importance of parental reflection and intervention.
- Co-Regulation and Family Resilience: As the story concludes, we see the McCallister family come together, reinforcing the idea of resilience. The reunion emphasizes the importance of co-regulation, where family members help each other restore balance and emotional equilibrium. Family therapy often focuses on this idea—how families can navigate crises and emerge stronger by supporting each other through healthy emotional regulation.
Incorporating these family assessment tools while watching Home Alone offers an engaging way to reflect on family systems, communication, and resilience. It’s a reminder that behind the humor and slapstick, the heart of the story is about reconnecting and understanding family bonds—a valuable lesson for both therapists and families alike.
Elevate Your Expertise, Impact Competency Development with ESFT at PCFTTC
In the rapidly evolving field of mental health care, ensuring a consistent, systemic approach across the care continuum is vital. Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy (ESFT) is an evidence-based model that understands behavior within the intricate web of family and community relationships. Rooted in systemic, trauma-informed, strength-based, and attachment-focused principles, ESFT provides the tools necessary to disrupt negative cycles and foster transformative change in family dynamics.
Empower Your Organization with ESFT Training
Position your organization as a leader in modern mental health care by equipping your team with ESFT’s robust family systems therapy approach. Our comprehensive certification program goes beyond training—it includes full program implementation support, preparing your team to deliver personalized, context-sensitive interventions that meet today’s mental health challenges.
Key Clinician Goals with ESFT:
- Resolve Core Issues: Break negative interaction cycles within families.
- Promote Healthy Development: Foster self-regulation and social-emotional skills in children.
- Strengthen Family Dynamics: Cultivate emotionally connected, growth-promoting environments.
- Enhance Community Support: Coordinate with community systems to support sustained family progress.
Comprehensive ESFT Integration:
- Across Care Levels: From outpatient services to psychiatric residential treatment, ESFT’s versatility enhances care at all levels.
- Single and Multiple Provider Integration: Ensure consistent messaging and treatment approaches across your organization or network, fostering strong commitment to family systems integration.
Why Invest in ESFT Training?
- Ongoing Expert Support: Access continuous guidance from family systems experts.
- Enhanced Clinical Skills: Elevate your team’s therapeutic abilities.
- Supervisory Excellence: Build strong supervisory frameworks within your organization.
- Unified Treatment Language: Establish a consistent approach across all services.
Expand Your Professional Horizons at PCFTTC
At the Philadelphia Child and Family Therapy Training Center (PCFTTC), our continuing education and competency development programs are designed to keep you at the forefront of systemic family therapy. Whether you’re a therapist looking to deepen your expertise or a supervisor aiming to enhance leadership skills, our certificate programs are crafted to support your growth at your own pace.
Explore Our Certificate Programs:
- Systemic Thinking Certificate: Grasp the complexities of systemic thinking, social ecology, and culturally informed methods.
- Family System Certificate: Master the application of systemic interventions with precision.
- Systemic Family Therapy Certificate: A comprehensive, year-long program with monthly group supervision.
- Certificates for Supervisors and Trainers: Specialized programs to enhance supervisory and training capabilities.
Why Choose PCFTTC?
- Expert-Led Instruction: Learn from leaders in systemic family therapy.
- Flexible Learning: Online courses designed to fit your schedule.
- Relevant Topics: Stay ahead with courses covering the latest trends and techniques.
- Earn CE Credits: Accredited courses to meet your continuing education requirements.
Start Your Journey Today!
Don’t miss the opportunity to elevate your expertise and make a lasting impact in your field. Visit PCFTTC.com to explore our full range of courses and certifications, and take the next step in your professional growth. Let’s build stronger, more resilient families and communities—together.
Dr. Steve Simms & Dr. Tom Todd Talk All Things Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic
Dr. Tom Thomas found a deep interest in a new care approach, “Family Therapy,” and was drawn to explore it further in Philadelphia. He attended training sessions conducted by Salvador Minuchin. At The Child Guidance Clinic in Philadelphia, he studied families and took part in a project evaluating the effectiveness of structural family therapy for adolescent girls and their families dealing with anorexia nervosa. During his internship, he also learned from Dr. Lester Lubrosky, a prominent psychiatrist at the University of Pennsylvania renowned for his research on the dodo bird effect, which compares the impact of different clinical models. Dr. Lubrosky stressed the importance of the therapeutic relationship, motivating Dr. Todd to enhance his relationship-building skills under the mentorship of Harry Aponte. By the third session, Dr. Todd consistently noticed positive changes in the families he worked with.
The Child Guidance Clinic, situated in South Philadelphia next to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), relocated to a new facility in the University of Pennsylvania Medical complex in 1974. The period of seven years from Minuchin’s arrival in Philadelphia to the Clinic’s relocation marked significant progress in developing the theories, practice, and research of Structural Family Therapy. The following seven years post-relocation allowed for further development and, notably, the dissemination of these ideas and practices.
The innovative rich tradition of systemic thinking inherited from the original Family Therapy Training Center established by Dr. Salvador Minuchin is still practiced at PCFTTC.com. Join the alliance as a lifelong member and equip yourself to adopt a strength-based approach that is relational, contextual, developmental, and trauma-informed when assisting children, youth, adults, and families in need of care across the continuum of services.
Celebrate the ESFT-FBMHS Graduate Jessica W.
Jessica says – “The training through the Philadelphia Child and Family Therapy Training Center has taught me to look through a systemic lens to support staff within supervision. I have been able to help staff see how their own life experiences impact the way they enter homes and see families. The training center has provided me with an alliance of individuals who are all working toward a common goal of inspiring families to be their own best resource for lasting generational change as they navigate trauma, tragedy, and hardship in a new way. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to continue to learn and grow both personally and professionally and support staff on their own learning journey to be ethically competent clinicians. “
