The target groups of the programme are practitioners who work with children, young people, the elderly, individuals, couples, families, and groups in family counselling, child welfare, NAV, mental health care, drug and alcohol dependency, educational institutions, and healthcare institutions, guidance in different contexts, and personnel and organizational work.

Students who complete the continuing education programme in family therapy and systemic practice (60 ECTS credits) can apply to start the Master’s programme (study programme MAFAM 4005 in local admission) in the third year of the programme.

Why choose the continuing education programme in family therapy and systemic practice?

• Close follow-up by lecturers
• Stimulating and multidisciplinary learning environment
• Close cooperation with the field of practice
• Many years of broad experience in the field
• Central location

The programme is divided into two programme options

In their admission application, students choose between two programme options: Systemic Practice and Systemic Couples and Family Therapy. The choice of programme option is linked to the student's work placement during the programme, which means that the work placement must meet the content requirements in the programme option chosen.

Programme option 1: Systemic Practice

Work placements can cover different types of work, like counselling and guidance, group management, team work, networking, organizational work, educational work, professional development and different forms of crisis management, support conversations, adaptation, work to assist children and their families, work with children, young people, the elderly, individuals, parents, families and groups.

Programme option 2: Systemic Couples and Family Therapy

Work placements can cover therapy and therapeutic work with children, young people, the elderly, individuals, couples, parents, families and groups.

Clinical profession-based continuing education

The further education programme is organized as a campus-based programme and builds on the Bachelor’s degrees in health, social and educational studies or the equivalent. The programme is closely linked to the student’s work experience before and during the programme. It is a requirement that students undertake work placements and receive supervision throughout the programme.

Learning outcomes

After completing the continuing education programme, the candidate should have achieved the following learning outcomes, with respect to knowledge, skills and general competence:

Programme option 1: Systemic Practice

• has in-depth knowledge of systemic practice, with specialized knowledge of the discipline’s theory of practice, values and systemic approaches
• has in-depth knowledge of the literature and research in the area of specialization, and is informed by this, both nationally and internationally
• is able to analyse professional issues drawing on the programme's basic concepts and take a critical approach that focuses on ethics, values and relations in systemic professional practice
• is able to collaborate and communicate with an awareness of the power relations, structures and discourses in society that affect the circumstances of people
• is able to work independently on different issues in complex contexts with the involvement of several parties, networks and large systems
• is able to approach systemic practice in a reflective, versatile and insightful manner, and has developed a high level of sensitivity and self-reflection in their dealings with other people and systems in their professional practice
• is able to contribute to new thinking and development of the discipline in collaboration with different groups of professionals, fields of practice and service users

Programme option 2: Systemic Couples and Family Therapy

• has in-depth knowledge of systemic couples and family therapy, with specialized knowledge of the discipline’s theory of practice, values and systemic approaches
• has advanced knowledge of health promotion perspectives on couples and family therapy
• is able to analyse professional issues drawing on the theory of family therapy, and take a critical approach that focuses on ethics, values and relations in professional practice
• is able to apply specialized knowledge about children and families as an integral part of a therapeutic repertoire of tools
• is able to work independently on different issues in complex contexts with the involvement of one or more family members and networks
• is able to carry out couples and family therapy in a reflective, versatile and insightful manner, and has developed a high level of sensitivity and self-reflection in their dealings with people

Work placement

Work placements take place at a professional enterprise where, over a period of time, students are responsible for planning and managing work based on a systemic perspective. A systemic perspective is defined here as work that builds on the theories and methodologies taught in the study programme. In addition to the students’ work placement institutions, VID also has some placements that the students can apply for from the second year of the programme.

Possibilities upon completion of programme

On completion of the programme, students will be qualified for positions in child welfare, family counselling, mental health care, NAV, educational institutions and healthcare institutions that require competence at the second cycle level. This includes positions that mainly entail therapeutic work with children, young people, individuals, couples and families, and positions related to guidance, personnel and organizational work, supervision of practitioners, and participation in interprofessional cooperation.

The continuing education programme can be counted towards the first two years of the Master’s degree in Family Therapy and Systemic Practice, allowing students to start in the third year of this Master’s programme.