Realization of a Family Systems Care Unit: A Real-Life Laboratory for Clinical Practice, Education, and Research at a Swiss University of Applied Sciences

The Family Systems Care Unit (FSCU) is a real-life laboratory including a counseling service for family-systems-centered therapeutic conversations with families with burdening health issues. Health care students and professionals observe these conversations for vicarious learning. Video-recorded conversations are used for research and educational purposes. Since 2020, the FSCU has been developed using project management and action learning strategies. As of June 2025, 34 families had used therapeutic conversations. Fifty health care students and professionals observed conversations and participated in the clinical team's pre- and post-sessions. Thirteen students completed their master's theses. A case vignette illustrates a family confronted with one family member's decision to obtain medical aid in dying, demonstrating the interconnectedness of the FSCU's clinical work, education, and research. The FSCU is a care model that addresses today's health care and higher education needs. The objectives of this article are to present how this FSCU was realized over a 5-year project period.