Relational Teaching in Mental Health Education: A 20-Year Narrative Review

Abstract

Relational teaching emphasizes the development of the student in the context of the teacher-student relationship. Given that the field of marriage and family therapy (MFT) emphasizes relationships as central to the discipline, relational teaching practices provide an approach for MFT educators to train relationally attuned, socially just clinicians. We conducted a narrative review of published research from 2003 to 2023 on the conceptualization and application of a relational teaching framework in mental health clinical education programs. After screening, a total of 25 articles were identified for analysis. Four themes were identified within the literature: (1) using isomorphism to teach relational skills, (2) addressing power, (3) course application, and (4) obstacles to implementation. The findings of this study suggest that applying a relational framework to MFT education capitalizes on systemic concepts of isomorphism and social justice, conceptualizing the teacher-student relationship as a means to train students in relational processes that are essential in therapeutic relationships.