(WEBINAR) Family 101 Series: Introduction to the Family Systems Perspective

CE Type:APACPRPIACETSW

# of CE's: 3.0

0.3 IACET CE's

CE/CEU Type: SW, IACET, APA, CPRP       # of CE/CEU's: 3.0 CE's    0.3 IACET CEU's

About This Course

This introductory course places family therapy in a developmental context. It describes the origins of family therapy then traces its development into the twenty first century. Emphasis will be placed on appreciating and understanding the fundamental family systems principles that underlie all family therapy models. Family therapy’s progress and failures in the twentieth century are reviewed and explained. Finally, links between progress in identifying and understanding adverse childhood experiences and family therapy’s emergence as a strength based, collaborative, trauma informed approach for seeing, understanding, and responding life altering, life threating child-based mental health concerns is explained. Participants will also explore the use of video recorded sessions.

Learning Objectives: 

  • The participant will be able to describe the transition from the origins of family therapy to the current development in the twenty-first century.
  • The participant will be able to identify five fundamental family systems principles that underlie all family therapy models.
  • The participant understands how adverse childhood experiences occurring in the family and/or the broader social ecology derail child development and undermine family life.

Intended Audience: 

Human Services Professional, Counselors, Psychologist, Therapists, Social Workers

Instructional Level: 

Introductory

Completion Requirements: 

Participants must attend the entire session, participate in all activities, and submit an evaluation within the 7 days of training to receive credits and a certificate. All CEU certificates and certificates of attendance will be received through the DBHIDS Learning Hub. Once you have completed your evaluation you will have access to your CEU or Certificate of Attendance through your DBHIDS Learning Hub Account.

Credit Statements:

BHTEN is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.
As an IACET Accredited Provider, BHTEN offers CEUs for its programs that qualify under the ANSI/IACET Standard.  BHTEN is authorized by IACET to offer CEUs for this program.
(0.3 CEU = 3.0 Training Hours)

3.0 CE credit hours for Psychologists awarded.  BHTEN is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.  BHTEN maintains responsibility for this program and its content

Behavioral Health Training and Education Network BHTEN, #1779, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards have the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 9/22/25-9/22/28. Social workers completing this course receive 3.0 General continuing education credits.

The Behavioral Health Training & Education Network (BHTEN), provider #4158280, is approved by Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (PRA) to provide continuing education to Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioners (CPRPs) and CPRP candidates.

This activity is approved for a maximum of 3.0 contact hours of continuing education in psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery in the following CPRP Focus Domain(s): ## - DOMAIN TITLE.  CPRPs and CPRP candidates should only claim credit commensurate with their participation in the activity

Course Instructors

April 15, 2026

Steve Simms

PhD, LMFT

Dr. Steve Simms is a licensed psychologist, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and an approved AAMFT supervisor. He is the director of the Philadelphia Child and Family Therapy Training Center and an independent practitioner in Media, Pennsylvania. He specializes in helping caregivers free children, adolescents and young adults trapped in self-defeating, life altering, life threatening patterns. He has extensive experience in teaching and consulting with in-home family therapy programs, public and private mental health/alcohol and drug treatment programs, and public children and youth services. He is a former staff psychologist at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic and the Division of Oncology, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, as well as, a former Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He has authored and co-authored scientific papers, clinical papers, and chapters in pediatric oncology, pediatric psychology, family therapy, and clinical supervision. His book, Breaking the Cycle: How to Turn Conflict into Collaboration When You and Your Patient Disagree with co-authors Dr. George Blackall and Dr. Michael Greene was released in April, 2009.