A marriage and family counselor can help families find ways to deal with difficult issues ranging from sex addition to adoption, postpartum depression, divorce and sibling violence. When neurosis, infidelity and illness strike, the effects challenge all members of a family. According to the American Association for Marriage and Family Counseling (AAMFT), family therapists are trained to understand family dynamics and the processes involved in grieving and loss.
What
The behavior and crisis situations that affect one member of a family influence the rest of the family members in a number of ways. Children and spouses may feel ignored or unappreciated. Family members may try unsuccessfully to help a grieving or ill family member. Marriage and family counseling typically deals with one problem and looks for ways to find a solution. It is short-term and focused. Therapists usually divide the counseling time between individuals and the family group. The AAMFT reports that the average counseling time for family issues is 12 sessions.
Therapists
Mental health practitioners who counsel families are trained to treat various psychological disorders within the context of a family. They evaluate individuals and their relationships. A Marriage and Family therapist (MFT) typically has earned a Master's or Doctoral degree in psychology. As a rule, an MFT has about 2 years of clinical experience under the tutelage of a licensed MFT before seeing clients privately.
Counseling
The family counseling process can be used to treat the emotional, mental and physical hardships that follow family crisis. Counseling may be in order when alcohol or drug abuse is noticed, when the behavior of family members changes following a death or fatal diagnosis or when couples cannot stop fighting. While working with the individual and family members, counselors first help the family identify the problems and then find ways to resolve the issues through compromise and education. The goal of marriage family counseling is to restore positive relationships.
Other Services
In addition to working to improve family relationships, marriage and family therapists often provide other services such as supervising visitation sessions in divorce proceedings, substance abuse counseling and referrals and employee assistance programs. Many times, family counseling is ordered by the legal system when the court becomes involved in family disputes. Typically, unresolved family traumas affect friends and co-workers as well as other family members and require assistance to improve job performance and repair community relations.
Choices
Families can find an MFT through a family doctor, social worker or online reference like the AAMFT or the Family & Marriage Counseling Directory. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic recommend checking the credentials of a therapist and finding out about specific training and experience to make sure the counselor is familiar with the kinds of issues the family is experiencing. Many insurance companies offer family counseling benefits, and most therapists also offer a sliding scale for payment.
