Mercy Faculty Share Expertise on Podcast for Therapists in Training

Two faculty members from the Department of Psychology and Social Work were invited as guests on a podcast that explores the work of relationship-based therapists. Evan Imber-Black, Ph.D., professor and program director of the Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) Master’s Program, and Saliha Bava, Ph.D., associate professor of Marriage and Family Therapy, discussed their views in two episodes produced by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).

Imber-Black’s episode focused on her early career influences and her many contributions to the field of marriage and family therapy. As the author of several books and a frequently invited keynote speaker, as well as a past president of the American Family Therapy Academy and winner of numerous awards, Imber-Black engaged in an insightful and informative discussion with the host, who focused primarily on her body of work on the topic of family rituals and secrets, considered a major contribution to family therapy.

Bava, a practicing clinician, is an international trainer of collaborative and dialogic practices and an AAMFT-approved supervisor who consults on diversity, equity and inclusion and coaches other therapists in business and clinical practices. Bava’s episode focused on a chapter titled, “Systemic Therapy and Global Mental Health,” which she co-authored for the Handbook of Systemic Family Therapy. She and her host discussed global mental health and the rising need for “cultural and respectful curiosity” in clinical training for MFTs as they cross borders.

Graduate students in the MFT program at Mercy were invited to listen to the two episodes for later discussion, and the response was enthusiastic. “The podcast, which is aimed at MFTs in training, provides the latest information on emerging trends in the profession but it’s also accessible to the average listener,” said Bava. “It’s one more way to advance the profession, by showing the many ways that MFTs can offer help and healing to families and couples.”

“We have a very strong MFT program at Mercy,” said Imber-Black. “We graduate about 15 to 18 students every year who go on to build strong, successful careers as marriage and family therapists, researchers and clinicians. We are small but mighty.”