According to the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT), marriage and family therapy is a type of counseling that addresses patterns of behavior within family systems or marriages. This therapy is typically brief in nature, and unlike some more open-ended styles of psychological counseling, marriage and family therapy focuses on creating specific treatment goals, with a defined timeline and end point for the treatment.
Function
According to the Mayo Clinic, marriage and family therapy is a type of psychotherapeutic counseling that helps married couples or families interact more constructively, especially when conflict is present in a relationship. A marriage and family therapist will help clients identify key issues within the relationship, and together they will formulate goals for how the clients can attempt to use new communication techniques or change specific patterns of behavior that may be destructive to the marriage or the family.
Features
The Mayo Clinic notes that marriage and family therapy typically involves two or more people who enter treatment together with a licensed marriage and family therapist. This can be a married couple, domestic partners or family members who agree to seek counseling support for issues that may cause conflict or difficulties in the home or extended family setting. Meetings with a therapist will bring the group together to discuss key points of concern. The therapist can help the clients define the issues and set goals for improving communication and resolving conflict.
Benefits
The AAMFT states that research studies have repeatedly supported the effectiveness of marriage and family therapy. Almost 90 percent of clients report an improvement in their emotional well-being after a course of therapy, and two-thirds report feeling physical improvements. The AAMFT also notes that 73 percent of parents who enter into therapy to address a child's behavioral issue report a significant improvement in their interactions with the child and the child's school performance.
Choosing a Therapist
The AAMFT notes that when choosing a therapist, clients should consider a therapist's training, number of years in practice and any specialties. The Mayo Clinic also notes that families and couples may want to schedule a consultation to learn more about how the therapist structures treatment and ask questions regarding logistical matters such as scheduling and payments. Couples and families may consider meeting with and interviewing more than one therapist prior to selecting a provider.
Expert Insight
The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists notes that current treatments in the field of marriage and family therapy have moved towards greater levels of interagency cooperation. If a therapist working with a family or couple encounters an issue that falls beyond the scope of the treatment, such as a need for psychotropic medication, the therapist is often able to refer the client to a physician or psychiatrist. Marriage and family therapists often work in close collaboration with these other health professionals, and this method often increases the effectiveness of treatment.
