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Evidenced-Based Practice and Practice-Based Evidence in Family Therapy

Module description

Evidenced-based practice (EBP) has become a crucial factor in contemporary family therapy practice. Practitioners need to be able to analyse their practice with reference to the literature and research and to build in significant ways of measuring their outcomes. Practitioners should also be able to analyse and promote the implementation of EBP in practice settings to reduce the gap between research and practice. This module will help you explore the development of EBP and its application to family therapy. It will give you a working knowledge of the evidence for family therapy in specific settings and it will help you understand that evidence as well as how to facilitate the implementation of EBP and practice-based evidence.   

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aim of this module is to enable you to:

• Develop a critical awareness of the research in family therapy and the impact of power in research.
• Understand the differing types of evidence including practice-based evidence.
• Identify factors that impact the uptake of EBP across multiple levels.
• Implement an EBP model in your work, including outcomes/ feedback from different stakeholders.
• Adapt the evidence to different settings in which family therapists practice.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Ability to apply research evidence in contemporary family psychotherapy practice as well as systems development/ interventions
• 2. Critique differing types of evidence, using the evidence to develop your practice/ service
• 3. Critique differing manualised approaches and apply them as appropriate
• 4. Ability to analyse and promote factors that facilitate the uptake of EBP in routine service settings

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Describe EBP in relation to contemporary changes in family therapy including CYP-IAPT
• 6. Explain in detail at least one EBP model from a clinical and research point of view, analyse systems in order to facilitate the implementation of EBP
• 7. Analyse the research literature relevant to an aspect of your practice and identify further research questions

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 8. Construct a coherent written and verbal description of research and the role of EBP in family therapy
• 9. Evaluate your own development professionally from an EBP perspective
• 10. Develop team working skills and data-handling abilities as well as research skills

Syllabus plan

The module will run over the last term of Year One and will be interspersed with reflective learning sessions (including supervision groups and systemic self-awareness groups). Reading seminars will concentrate upon student  r analyses using the Clinical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklists, and applications to systemic practice. Teaching will be in groups and will have a high element of experiential learning.

Indicative topics:

• What is evidence in evidence -based practice and how does it relate to practice-based evidence?
• Different methods of gathering evidence/ process and outcome
• Feedback and co-production with service users and other stakeholders
• Collaborative approaches to understanding the factors that constrain and facilitate the implementation of EBP
• Evidence-based models: MST/ FFT/ EFT/ MDFT etc
• Using manuals: pros and cons
• Contemporary ‘easy’ methods of gathering evidence; collaborative feedback processes
• Finding a reflexive space in evidence-based practice and developing practice-based evidence.

In terms of the ERG competencies this module will cover:

• Problem specific competencies such as Eating Disorders, Conduct Problems, Depression.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

One assessment is required for this module. In all cases re-assessment will be the same as the original assessment. Where you have been referred/deferred for any form of assessment detailed above you will have the opportunity to retake within four weeks from the date that feedback was provided.

If you pass re-assessments taken as a result of deferral, your re-assessment will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment and the overall module mark will not be capped.

If you pass re-assessments taken as a result of referral (i.e. following initial failure in the assessment), the overall module mark will be capped at 50%.

If you fail re-assessments taken as a result of referral (i.e. following initial failure in the assessment), you will be failed in the module and as a consequence you will be failed in the programme and your registration as a student of the University will be terminated.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Specific reading will be distributed prior to each teaching day.

• AAMFT (2005) Clinical updates for family therapists. Alexandria: AAMFT.
• Hubble, M.; Duncan, B. and Miller, S. (1999) The heart and soul of change. Washington DC: APA.
• Lebow, J. (2006) Research for the psychotherapist. New York: Routledge.
• Sprenkle, D. and Piercy, F. (2005) Research methods in family therapy. New York: Guilford.
• Sprenkle, D.; Davis, S. and Lebow, J. (2009) Common factors in couple and family therapy. New York: Guilford.
• Spenkle, D. (2002) Effectiveness research in marriage and family therapy. Alexandria: AAMFT.

Implementation of EBP:

• Bauer, M. S., Damschroder, L., Hagedorn, H., Smith, J., & Kilbourne, A. M. (2015). An introduction to implementation science for the non-specialist. BMC Psychology, 3(1), 32. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-015-0089-9
• Damschroder, L.; Aron, D.;Keith, R.;Alexander,J. and Lowery, J. (2009) Fostering implementation of health services research findiongs into practice: a consolidated framework for advancing implementation science. Implement Sci. 4: 50
• Shepherd, M & Butler, L (2021) The underuse of couple therapy for depression in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Services (IAPTS): a service evaluation exploring its effectiveness and discussion of systemic barriers to its implementation. Journal of Family Therapy, 43, 493-515.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=6019 (all resources will be made available on ELE, including additional material covered in the tutorials, the required readings, information about assessment and additional material (e.g., videos))

Key words search

Family therapy, evidence-based practice, manuals