To view the full document of incorporation, please click here.
Purpose of Association:
The New Zealand Association of Family Therapy is dedicated to the support, networking, and improvement of practice of everyone working with families and/or systems. The term therapy in the association name is meant in its broadest meaning of “acting in the service of healing” rather than being limited to a provision of professional treatment. Members of the NZAFT will aspire to:
Acknowledge the many components of healing (personal, familial, community, systemic), the relation they have to each other, and the necessity of addressing issues from multiple directions.
Appreciate and accept diverse perspectives and voices.
Promote a systemic approach in their practice.
Maintain high standards and integrity in their work and interactions with others.
Ensure that their practice is appropriate in regard to boundaries and privacy issues.
Continually seek to improve their knowledge, wisdom, and practice, while understanding the scientific evidence for their choices.
Act with humility, care, and empathy in relation to all members of the system while keeping to the highest standards of ethical and legal practice.
Because the code of the association is only aspirational, the conduct of its members is not regulated under the authority of NZAFT, and issues of propriety or legality of conduct should be referred to other professional bodies with whom the member is affiliated.
General Membership:
Free membership in the NZAFT is open to everyone interested in family therapy, systemic practice, or family support.
Members will receive the electronic association newsletters, be eligible for posting on the therapist locator page of the website, and receive member discounts to events.
A membership fee of $25 will be required to cover administrative costs of reviewing the application documentation.
Clinical Members will receive a certificate designating their having met the NZAFT criteria for one of two sub-categories:
Clinical Practitioner--Family Therapy Criteria. To qualify for this status, the member must have completed:
30 hours of Family Therapy Training. These 30 hours must have been in a course or programme specifically teaching family therapy, not from workshops which covered a family therapy system or technique.
An additional 20 hours of training in workshops related to family therapy systems or techniques.
A minimum of 6 months practice in Family Therapy.
Clinical Practitioner--Family Work Criteria. To qualify for this status, the member must have completed:
30 hours of training in courses covering working with systems, facilitating family/whanau groups, or couples/ family counselling.
An additional 20 hours of training in workshops related to working with families or systems.
A minimum of 6 months practice in working with families or systems.
Be an NZAFT Clinical Family Therapist or Clinical Family Practitioner.
Have received training in supervision practice.
Have at least 6 months experience in providing supervision to at least 3 supervisees.
A fee of $25 will be required to cover administrative costs of reviewing the application documentation.
Supervision offered by Approved Supervisors will receive the NZAFT “tick” of approval, and the supervisor will be listed on the website as an Approved Supervisor.
Approved Trainer--Family Therapy Criteria. In an effort to ensure that training receiving NZAFT approval is of high quality, the following standards must be met:
Trainers must have successfully completed 250 hours of training, 175 of which should have been within a 2 year training program in family therapy that has been approved by NZAFT.
Trainers must have had at least 1000 hours of family therapy practice as the primary therapist.
Trainers must have distinguished themselves in the field of family therapy either by writing books/articles, providing workshops, or serving on boards.
A fee of $50 will be required to cover administrative costs of reviewing the application documentation.
Training offered by Approved Family Therapy Trainers will receive the NZAFT “tick” of approval, and the trainer will be listed on the website as an Approved Family Therapy Trainer.