by Darrel Lourdes
At the Andolfi Center Kuala Lumpur, we are committed to training therapists through the highest standards of family therapy education. This commitment recently brought Darrel Lourdes, Bawany Chinapen, and Sit Fong to Rome, Italy, from 25–29 May 2026, where they had the privilege of observing the teaching methods of Professor Maurizio Andolfi and his colleagues.
The visit took place at the Accademia di Psicoterapia della Famiglia in Rome, one of the world's leading institutions for family therapy training. With a faculty of 32 teachers and more than 400 students, the Accademia has been training family therapists for over three decades. During our time there, we observed students and faculty engaged in live clinical work, and we were deeply impressed by the consistently high quality of the therapy being conducted.
We were part of an international learning group that included professionals from the Netherlands, Australia, the Dominican Republic, Chile, China, and Malaysia. This diversity created a rich learning environment where different cultures and perspectives came together around a shared commitment to helping families.
Equally impressive was the team at the Accademia itself. The staff and faculty demonstrated a rare combination of competence, professionalism, warmth, and generosity. Their gracious hospitality reflected the values that Professor Andolfi has long championed: respect for people, curiosity about cultures and people, and a commitment to lifelong learning.
What stood out most was the use of live supervision, one of the original methods developed by the pioneers of family therapy. In a live session, two therapists work directly with a family while another team of therapists observes from behind a one-way mirror together with an experienced supervisor. The observing team reflects on the family's interactions, the therapeutic process, and the interventions being used. At important moments, feedback is communicated through an intercom system, allowing therapists to receive guidance while remaining fully engaged with the family.
This method remains one of the most powerful ways to train family therapists because family therapy is too rich and complex to be learned solely through lectures or slides. Therapists must learn how to connect theory with practice in real time. They develop skills in relational questioning, the use of metaphors, family sculpting, movement, and positioning within the room to reveal family structures and dynamics, and many other interventions that can only be fully appreciated through direct observation and practice.
Live supervision also highlights another central teaching of Professor Andolfi: the importance of the self of the therapist. Every therapist brings their own family history, experiences, strengths, and vulnerabilities into the therapy room. Effective supervision helps therapists become aware of how these personal factors can either enrich or interfere with the therapeutic process.
The experience in Rome reaffirmed our belief that excellent therapists are developed through a combination of rigorous training, live clinical experience, personal reflection, and ongoing supervision. At the Andolfi Center Kuala Lumpur, we continue to learn directly from the traditions and practices of some of the most respected family therapy educators in the world. We also use live supervision as a way of getting better at our therapeutic competency.
For the families who seek our help, this means something important: they are meeting therapists whose training goes beyond textbooks. They are working with professionals who continue to learn from master clinicians, who value reflection as much as technique, and who are committed to delivering thoughtful, competent, and compassionate care.
Strong families deserve well-trained therapists. That commitment remains at the heart of everything we do. When your family seeks help, you want more than a therapist with qualifications. You want a therapist who has been trained to see the whole family, understand relationships across generations, and respond with wisdom, skill, and humanity.
For our upcoming programs, you can find full details and registration links on our Events Page or stay updated through our Instagram and Facebook pages. For any specific inquiries, please reach out to us at enquiry@andolfi.my.
Warm regards,
Darrel Lourdes
Managing Director
Andolfi Family Therapy Centre
