The Marriage and Family Therapy Program was founded at Syracuse University in 1967 by Bernice M. Wright, then dean of the College of Home Economics; Robert Pickett, then chair of the Department of Family Relations and Child Development; and Harvey Noordsy, then executive director of the Onondaga Pastoral Counseling Center in Syracuse.

Since then, the program has enjoyed a history of firsts.

In the beginning, the program was housed in the Department of Child and Family Studies, with students earning a master of arts in marriage and family counseling. The M.A. program was a 30-credit degree intended primarily for persons in the process of mid-life career change and clergy wishing to augment their pastoral counseling skills. Students took first-year core courses with clinical pastoral students at the Onondaga Pastoral Counseling Center, and were placed in practicum at the center and the marriage and family therapy office, first located at 744 Ostrom Ave., and later at 100 Walnut Pl.

In April 1975, it became the first marriage and family therapy program to receive full accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE).

In 1983, the Marriage and Family Therapy Program moved to 008 Slocum Hall. Initially, the space comprised two faculty offices and four small clinic rooms equipped for live supervision. In 1986, an additional therapy room was added and two existing rooms were enlarged, thus increasing opportunities for live and videotaped supervision. Also in the mid-1980s, the curriculum was revised to create a 45-credit M.A. program.

In the fall of 1989, with the assistance of a grant from Diana and Stephen A. Goldberg, the space was expanded and completely refurbished; and in February 1990, was officially named the Goldberg Marriage and Family Therapy Center. That year, dedication ceremonies were held in conjunction with the first annual conference of the newly formed Central New York Chapter of the New York Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (NYAMFT).

In the summer of 1993, the Goldberg Center was further expanded and rebuilt to become a “state of the art” training and research center, completely computerized for easy storage of and access to clinic data. In the spring of 1999, the center was re-named the Goldberg Couple and Family Therapy Center, to more accurately represent the types of services provided.

Throughout the years, the Marriage and Family Therapy Program maintained strong ties with the Syracuse community. In 1988, for example, a partnership was forged between the program and the Department of Family Medicine at the SUNY Upstate Medical University through the Human Sexuality Program, which provided treatment and training in sex therapy. A second joint program, the Family Medicine/Family Therapy Program, was established in 1989.

Over 275 master’s students have graduated from the Marriage and Family Therapy Program, which has grown to become one of the most respected graduate-degree granting programs in the field.

In 1992, the first doctoral program in marriage and family therapy was established at Syracuse University. The program received full accreditation by the COAMFTE in 1996, and was re-accredited in 2001. It is one of only fourteen doctoral programs accredited by the COAMFTE.

In 2001, when it became part of the new College of Human Services and Health Professions, the program was granted department status, thus becoming the first department of marriage and family therapy in the country. The new structure supported the program’s unique culture and opened up new opportunities for interprofessional collaboration.

The growth of the Department of Marriage and Family Therapy reflects the quality of its leadership. Five people have served as program director: Sol Gordon (1970-1976); Charlotte Kahn (1976-1984); Eleanor Macklin (1984-1998, with the exception of 1992-1993); Linda Stone Fish (1992-1993, 1998-2003); and Jonathan Sandberg (2003 to present). Dr. Stone Fish’s title changed from program director to department chair when the program received department status in 2001.

Dr. Macklin joined the program in 1982 and Dr. Stone Fish in 1985. Phyllis Blumberg, a former associate dean with the College for Human Development, was a member of the faculty from 1987 to 1991. Dean Busby and Kenneth Hardy joined the faculty in 1990, with Dr. Hardy serving as director of clinical training and research. Dr. Busby later assumed that position when Dr. Hardy served as chair of the Department of Child and Family Studies from 1995 to 1996.

In the summer of 1996, Anne Gosling became director of clinical training, while Dr. Busby remained director of clinical research. After Dr. Macklin retired in 1998, Jonathan Sandberg joined the faculty, becoming director of clinical research in the summer of 1999. During the 1998-1999 academic year, Tracey Laszloffy joined the faculty as a visiting professor.

In the spring of 1999, Dr. Busby left the Program and Suzanne Haas-Cunningham joined the faculty as a visiting professor. Janet Coria joined the program in 1995 as administrative assistant. Mona Mittal joined the faculty in the fall of 2002. In May 2003, Linda Stone Fish stepped down as department chair and Jonathan Sandberg took over the position.

In January of 2006, the department moved to its current location at 426 Ostrom Ave.