Center for Child and Family Development at the University of San Francisco School of Education Kicks Off Social Justice Series with Cloé Madanes on October 26

Globally renowned strategic family therapy educator to speak on healing family violence

SAN FRANCISCO (October 22, 2019) - The Center for Child and Family Development (CCFD) at the University of San Francisco (USF) School of Education will host a lecture on healing family violence by renowned innovator and educator of strategic family therapy, Cloe Madanes, on Saturday, October 26 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Handlery Room on the USF campus. This event is free and open to the public, and will kick off the 2019-2020 Social Justice Lecture Series for the Center for Child and Family Development. Attendees will learn about the use of strategic family therapy foundations in clinical work, as well as specific strategies and techniques to support families with trauma.

Cloe Madanes, HDL, LIC, is a female trailblazer and social change pioneer in the field of mental health. Her book Strategic Family Therapy: Behind the One-Way Mirror, is a classic in the field, and her books have been translated into more than twenty languages. She was awarded the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by the Trustees of the University of San Francisco in May 2001.

“As a champion of human rights for children and families, Ms. Madanes’ teachings and therapy have profoundly influenced the Center’s mission and passion for delivering social justice family counseling,” said Toni Nemia, LMFT, LPC, Interim Executive Director, USF Center for Child and Family Development.

“Children’s issues are social justice issues, and supporting children by strengthening the systems in which they are influenced and raised is critical to lower-risk factors in childhood and enhances resiliency throughout a child’s lifetime,” said Maryellen P. Mullin, a licensed marriage and family therapist, founder of San Francisco Family Therapy, and USF alumnae. “To help children, we must help parents and caregivers, and family therapy can have a profound and positive impact to heal a family system.”

Family systems have changed significantly in the past decades in the United States and abroad. Children experience divorce, blended families, cohabitation, parental death and single-parent households at high rates. Overlay this with family violence, community violence, immigration experiences and children growing up in a world of new and changing digital media, much of it negative, that are fast-changing how families interact. How do families cope? What does healing look like and how can it be accomplished?

“Cloé Madanes, Director of the Center for Child and Family Development's Council for the Human Rights of Children, is known internationally for her advocacy and for a social activist approach to family therapy,” stated Dr. Brian Gerrard, PhD, co-founder and current CCFD Board Member. “Attendees at her lecture will come away with a deeper sense of the importance of the social justice emphasis that is the hallmark of her unique therapy approach to heal family violence.”

The event will also feature exhibitors, including:

• Ever Forward Club: Ashanti Branch, Bay Area educator, administrator and Executive Director of the Ever Forward Club, as featured in The Mask You Live In. Ever Forward Club is a support group for African-American and Latino male students with a 100% high school graduation rate and 93% of its participants attending college.
• Girls Leadership Institute (GLI): Catherine McDonald Burns, GLI’s National Training Director with Marissa Viray, GLI’s Chief Partnership Officer. GLI supports girls and works with parents, caregivers, educators and clinicians through four central values: Authentic Communication, Courageous Growth, Equity, and Play.

The event is free and open to the public, and registration is required. The lecture will take place on Saturday, October 26, 2019 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm, held in USF’s Handlery Room located on the USF campus.

Those interested in attending the event can register online.

About the University of San Francisco

The University of San Francisco is located in the heart of one of the world’s most innovative and diverse cities and is home to a vibrant academic community of students and faculty who achieve excellence in their fields. Its diverse student body enjoys direct access to faculty, small classes, and outstanding opportunities in the city itself. USF is San Francisco’s first university, and its Jesuit Catholic mission helps ignite a student’s passion for social justice and a desire to “Change the World From Here.” For more information, visit the USF Home Page or USF Magazine.

Changing the World From Here: Campaign for the University of San Francisco is raising $300 million through 2022 to support student scholarships and financial aid, the creation of bold and innovative programs, and the renovation of current facilities and construction of new space, all part of expanding the university’s global influence. For more information, visit the USF Campaign Page.

About the USF Center for Child and Family Development

The USF Center for Child and Family Development (CCFD) was founded in 1983 by USF Associate Professor Brian Gerrard, Ph.D., Executive Director, and Emily Girault, Ph.D., building on USF’s core mission of education and justice for all peoples, especially the poor, marginalized, and culturally diverse. Across the years, the CCFD has served the mental health needs of thousands of children and their families in the largest school-based family counseling program in the country. In the 2018-2019 academic year, CCFD clinicians served more than 700 children and families in many Bay Area schools. For more information, please visit the Center for Child and Family Development.