BEYOND LAW AND ETHICS - AN INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSE IN FAMILY-LAW ANDFAMILY-THERAPY

The professions of family therapy and law share many clients and areas of overlap. Law-related coursework in family therapy programs is typi cally limited to legal, ethical, and professional issues. However stud ents can also benefit from understanding other areas of overlap, such as divorce, child custody, and mediation. This article discusses the c urriculum for an interdisciplinary course that educates both family th erapy and law students. The course provides: (1) a substantive educati on about similarities and differences between the professions, how the y operate as systems, and specific areas of overlap, (2) opportunities to learn clinical skills, and (3) opportunities for personal insight about skills, personality types, and negotiation styles, and how these may differ between the professions.