Marriage and family therapists treat a wide range of serious clinical
problems including: depression, marital problems, anxiety, individual
psychological problems, and child-parent problems.
Research indicates that marriage and family therapy is as effective, and
in some cases more effective than standard and/or individual treatments
for many mental health problems such as: adult schizophrenia, affective
(mood) disorders, adult alcoholism and drug abuse, children's conduct
disorders, adolescent drug abuse, anorexia in young adult women,
childhood autism, chronic physical illness in adults and children, and
marital distress and conflict.
Marriage and family therapists regularly practice short-term therapy; 12
sessions on average. Nearly 65.6% of the cases are completed within 20
sessions, 87.9% within 50 sessions. Marital/couples therapy (11.5
sessions) and family therapy (9 sessions) both require less time than
the average individuated treatment (13 sessions). About half of the
treatment provided by marriage and family therapists is one-on-one with
the other half divided between marital/couple and family therapy, or a
combination of treatments.
Q: Who
are Marriage and Family Therapists?
A: Marriage and Family Therapists (in BC called
Registered Marriage and Family Therapists or RMFTs) are mental
health professionals trained in psychotherapy and family systems and
in most jurisdictions licensed to diagnose and
treat mental and emotional disorders within the context of marriage,
couples and family systems. Here in BC RMFT are also
Clinical Members of the American Association for Marriage and Family
Therapy (AAMFT).
Marriage and family therapists are a highly experienced group of
practitioners, with an average of 13 years of clinical practice in the
field of marriage and family therapy. They evaluate and treat mental and
emotional disorders, other health and behavioral problems, and address a
wide array of relationship issues within the context of the family
system.
Marriage and Family Therapists broaden the traditional emphasis on the
individual to attend to the nature and role of individuals in primary
relationship networks such as marriage and the family.
RMFTs take a holistic perspective to health
care; they are concerned with the overall, long-term well-being of
individuals and their families.
RMFTs have graduate training (a Master's or
Doctoral degree) in marriage and family therapy and at least two years
of supervised clinical experience. Marriage
and family therapists are recognized as a "core" mental health
profession, along with psychiatry, psychology, social work and
psychiatric nursing.
Since
1970 there has been a 50-fold increase in the number of marriage and
family therapists. At any given time they are treating over 1.8 million
people.
Q: Why
use a Registered Marriage and Family
Therapist?
A: Research studies repeatedly demonstrate the effectiveness of marriage
and family therapy in treating the full range of mental and emotional
disorders and health problems. Adolescent drug abuse, depression,
alcoholism, obesity and dementia in the elderly -- as well as marital
distress and conflict -- are just some of the conditions Marriage and
Family Therapists effectively treat.
Studies also show that clients are highly satisfied with services of
Registered Marriage and Family Therapists.
Clients report marked improvement in work productivity, co-worker
relationships, family relationships, partner relationships, emotional
health, overall health, social life, and community involvement
In a
recent study, consumers report that marriage and family therapists are
the mental health professionals they would most likely recommend to
friends. Over 98 percent of clients of marriage and family therapists
report therapy services as good or excellent.
After
receiving treatment, almost 90% of clients report an improvement in
their emotional health, and nearly two-thirds report an improvement in
their overall physical health. A majority of clients report an
improvement in their functioning at work, and over three-fourths of
those receiving marital/couples or family therapy report an improvement
in the couple relationship. When a child is the identified patient,
parents report that their child's behavior improved in 73.7% of the
cases, their ability to get along with other children significantly
improved and there was improved performance in school.
Marriage and family therapy's prominence in the mental health field has
increased due to its brief, solution-focused treatment, its
family-centered approach, and its demonstrated effectiveness. Marriage
and family therapists are licensed or certified in 48 states and are
recognized by the federal government as members of a distinct mental
health discipline.
Today
more than 50,000 marriage and family therapists treat individuals,
couples, and families in the US and Canada.
Membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)
has grown from 237 members in 1960 to more than 23,000 in 1996. This
growth is a result, in part, of renewed public awareness of the value of
family life and concern about the increased stresses on families in a
rapidly changing world.
Q: What are the qualifications for a Marriage
and Family Therapist?
A: Marriage and family therapy is a distinct
professional discipline with graduate and post graduate programs. Three
options are available for those interested in becoming a marriage and
family therapist: master's degree (2-3 years), doctoral program (3-5
years), or post-graduate clinical training programs (3-4 years).
Historically, marriage and family therapists have come from a wide
variety of educational backgrounds including psychology, psychiatry,
social work, nursing, pastoral counseling and education.
The
S Federal government has designated marriage
and family therapy as a core mental health profession along with
psychiatry, psychology, social work and psychiatric nursing. Currently
48 states and most Canadian provinces also
support and regulate the profession by licensing or certifying marriage
and family therapists with many other states considering licensing
bills.
The
regulatory requirements in most states and provinces
are substantially equivalent to the American Association of Marriage and
Family Therapists Clinical Membership standards used
in British Columbia to become a RMFT. After graduation from an
accredited program, a period - usually two years - of post-degree
supervised clinical experience is necessary before licensure or
certification. When the supervision period is completed, the therapist
can take a state licensing exam, or the national examination for
marriage and family therapists conducted by the AAMFT Regulatory Boards.
This exam is used as a licensure requirement in most states.
Q: What Is Your Training in
Marriage and Family Therapy?
A: As a
Clinical Member of AAMFT for nearly 20 years, and a RMFT (#26863), I completed
graduate work specifically in Family Therapy at Goddard College in
Vermont leading to a Master's Degree in Family Theray as well as two
years of full time supervised training before obtaining my AAMFT
Clinical Member status. Later, during my APA clinical internship I
completed additional coursework and clinical supervision at the doctoral
level.
Q: Are there specific
theories or models you are trained in and follow?
A:
I provide therapy and counselling services to individuals,
couples and families using the clinically proven techniques of
Cognitive Behavior and Rational Emotive Therapy and the theories and
practices of Dr. John Gottman (The
Gottman
Institute). I have also trained in Imago
Relationship Therapy with Harville Hendrix during the 1990's at Union
Theological Seminary in New York City. Additionally, as part of my
training I underwent supervision in Structural, Strategic and Bowen's
systems theory therapy. Today I would say the focus of my work comes
from Dr. Gottman's newest researched based interventions.
Q: Do you work with
entire families?
A: Often families come to
therapy and issues may not be related directly to family system
problems. When they are, an entire family may be seen. Sometimes, after
an initial evaluation we may focus on parenting skills, and at other
times individual members of the family are seen for individual therapy.
This is a decision we make together at our first meeting based upon the
initial consultation and your needs and perceptions of the issues.
Almost always our work together focuses on issues relating to the family
structure.
Q: Do you have suggestions for self-help reading for couples who need
help just with their relationship?
A: The book I most often
recommend is Dr. Gottman's The Seven Principles for Making Marriage
Work or Why Marriages Succeed or Fail.
These are an excellent place to start.
Q: How much does Couple or Marriage Therapy
cost? And how long does it go on?
A: My fees are guided by
those recommended by the British Columbia Psychological Association,
$150.00 per hour. On average couples are seen for six to eight sessions
with any necessary follow-up consultation. Usually my goal is to connect
you with a method for improving your relationship and teaching you the
skills you need to learn that method yourself. Often that means spending
part of our session talking about issues, skills and problems for the
week and part of it spend working through a structured intervention
program such as Dr. Gottman's that you will be able to move forward with
yourself.
Finally, supervised
interns are available at significantly lower costs for those interested.
