Technology in Couple and Family Relationships

Description

Technology is reshaping how couples and families connect—and disconnect. As digital tools redefine intimacy, communication, and boundaries, clinicians must be equipped to navigate these shifts with insight, empathy, and practical strategies.

As a behavioral health provider, your clients are bringing new relational challenges into the therapy room—issues rooted in gaming, social media, surveillance, and blurred digital boundaries. This course helps you meet those challenges with clarity, compassion, and evidence-based tools.

Dr. Katherine Hertlein, PhD., is an internationally recognized leader in the field of technology and relationships. With over 90 published articles and 12 books, her groundbreaking work has redefined how clinicians understand the impact of technology on couple and family dynamics. Dr. Hertlein developed the Couple and Family Technology (CFT) framework, offering the first comprehensive approach for treating technology-related relational concerns across behavioral health disciplines.

In this course, Dr. Hertlein provides a clear, research-backed framework while drawing on real clinical experiences and cross-disciplinary theories. Her teaching style integrates warmth and clarity, guiding clinicians to examine both the risks and relational opportunities technology presents.

Participants will explore the sociotechnological model, ecological elements like ambiguity and accessibility, and the therapeutic application of tools such as the technology-focused genogram. The course also addresses online infidelity, technoference, video gaming conflicts, parenting in digital spaces, and strategies for improving relational satisfaction through intentional technology use.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand the impact of digital dynamics: Learn how technology alters communication, boundaries, and intimacy within couple and family relationships.

• Gain practical clinical tools: Explore frameworks, assessments, and strategies that you can immediately apply with clients facing technology-related relational issues.

• Support healthy relational tech use: Learn to help clients harness technology to improve connection, resolve conflict, and maintain emotional closeness.

Why this course?

• Cutting-edge expertise: Dr. Hertlein’s original framework and decades of research give you insights not available in traditional CE courses.

• Practical, relevant content: You’ll walk away with tangible skills to address issues your clients face every day—screen time, surveillance, social media conflict, and more.

• Mission-driven education: Telehealth Certification Institute is committed to equipping clinicians like you with top-quality continuing education that’s ethical, evidence-based, and relevant.

Learning Objectives:

• List the core elements of the couple and technology framework.

• List benefits of technology in couple relationships.

• List the benefits of technology in family relationships.

• List strategies for improving couple relationships using technology.

• List strategies for improving family relationships using technology.

This course invites you to expand your clinical lens and gain the confidence to guide your clients through today’s most pressing relational tech challenges with competence and care.

Enroll today and empower yourself to make a greater impact in the lives of couples and families navigating the digital age.

Format and Access

This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Instruction consists of 6 hours of video instruction and a post-test.

Course Details

Availability: 

From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.

Who Should Attend: 

This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.

Teaching Methods: 

This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.

How to Attend: 

Course access and completion instructions.

Instructor and Disclosures

Instructor

About Dr. Katherine Hertlein, PhD

Dr. Hertlein earned her PhD at Virginia Tech and her master's degree from Purdue University Calumet. Across her academic career, she has published over 90 articles, 40 book chapters, and 12 books in the areas of couple therapy, infidelity, sex therapy, behavioral health, and the impact of technology on couple and and family relationships. Her contributions in sex therapy promote a paradigm shift in the treatment of sexual dysfunctions in couple relationships, are considered seminal texts, and used by couple and family therapy programs widely. Her contributions in the area of technology include the development of the core competencies for behavioral health which can be applied to all of the behavioral health disciplines, and the creation of the first comprehensive framework detailing the effect of technology on relationships which has been applied cross-culturally.

Disclosure Statement: 

The instructor for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.

CE Hours

Credit Hours:

This course consists of 6 continuing education hours of credit.

Counselors:

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0048.

Marriage and Family Therapists: 

Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations.  You can check with your board to determine if your licensing board would accept this course.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0135, effective May 8, 2025.

Social Workers:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2024 – 05/02/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 6 clinical continuing education credits.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.

Addiction Professionals:

This course has been approved by Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #193104, Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is responsible for all aspects of the programming.

Psychologists:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.

Art Therapists: 

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists #CAT-0093.

Other Professionals:

This course qualifies for 360 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations.  Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.

This is a non-interactive, self-study course.

Accommodations and Policies

Close Captioning is available for live webinars and recorded video presentations.

You can click on the following links to view our policies:

• Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.
• Cancellation Policy
• Grievance Policy
• Support Options
• Disclosure Statement