Core Family Therapy Concepts
Free · On-demand · 3 CE hours · Learn at your own pace
On-Demand Course
at your pace and convenience.
This engaging, self-paced course is approved for 3 continuing education (CE) hours. To earn CE hours, you will need to complete 1) all required course activities and 2) the course evaluation survey. A certificate of attendance will be made available on the Student Dashboard upon course completion.
What You'll Learn
After completing this course, you will be better prepared to:
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focus on process and avoid getting caught in content;
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work from a relational, systemic perspective even if only one person is present; and
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manage conflict by encouraging emotional regulation.
Who This Course Is For
Behavioral health providers across the globe, including:
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family therapists, art therapists, mental health counselors, social workers, psychologists, and other mental health clinicians,
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problem gambling treatment providers,
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Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors (CADCs),
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Certified Gamling Addiction Counselors (CGACs),
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problem gambling treatment supervisors, and
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prevention specialists.
What Is Included
Strengthen your confidence in working with families by learning to see beyond the immediate issue and focus on the relational patterns shaping it. This online training introduces foundational family therapy concepts and practical strategies for working from a relational, systemic perspective—even when only one family member is in the room. You’ll learn how to stay focused on process rather than getting pulled into content, recognize important interactional dynamics, and navigate conflict by supporting emotional regulation.
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The course features immersive case studies, presentations, readings, research snapshots, handouts, and other resources.
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This course includes videos of experienced mental health clinicians demonstrating clinical skills in scenarios adapted from real sessions. Clients are portrayed by actors. This provides authenticity while protecting client privacy.
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We suggest you take your time, view content as many times as you like, and access suggested readings and resources when possible. It is not necessary to complete the course in a single sitting. You are free to open and close a course as many times as you like.
Who Developed This Course
Senior Instructor Teresa McDowell
Teresa McDowell, EdD, LMFT is professor emerita at Lewis & Clark, where she served as department chair and co-founded the college’s Problem Gambling Services. With over 40 years of experience as a clinician, educator, administrator, and consultant, Teresa focuses on workforce development, equity-based clinical practice, integrated treatment for problem gambling, and clinical supervision. She is a social researcher, program evaluator, and consultant with Partners in Social Research and Senior Instructor for ACORN. Dr. McDowell has authored more than 50 scholarly publications and is lead author of Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy: Applying Third Order Thinking to Theory and Practice (3rd Ed., 2026).
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What About CE Hours
Certificate of completion will be made available on the Student Dashboard after you complete all required course activities and the course evaluation survey.
ACORN is approved by the Mental Health & Addiction Certification Board of Oregon (MHACBO), Provider ID: 26-0044, to provide continuing education courses. Additionally, ACORN is approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7274. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. ACORN is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Next in Sequence
Once you complete this course, continue with:
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Risk, Safety Planning, and Suicide Prevention with Families
5.0 average rating (18 reviews)3 CE hours. On-demand. Reviews some of the risks associated with problem gambling and prepares providers for including families in safety planning, screening for violence, and identifying abuse. Free, courtesy of Oregon Health Authority PGS.
Free
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Facilitating Family Debt Disclosure
5.0 average rating (4 reviews)3 CE hours. On-demand. Explains how to facilitate debt disclosure between family members in problem gambling treatment and provides guidance on how to include all family members in assessment. Free, courtesy of Oregon Health Authority PGSs.
Free
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Including Family in Service & Wellness Planning
5.0 average rating (4 reviews)3 CE hours. On-demand. Shows how to include family members and important others in Service Plans to address problem gambling and how to develop goals with families that support gambling recovery. Free, with funding from Oregon Health Authority.
Free
