Marriage and Family Therapy

What is a Marriage and Family Therapy?

(Courtesy of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists)

A family's patterns of behavior influences the individual and therefore may need to be a part of the treatment plan. In marriage and family therapy, the unit of treatment isn't just the person - even if only a single person is interviewed - it is the set of relationships in which the person is imbedded.

Marriage and family therapy is:

• brief
• solution-focused
• specific, with attainable therapeutic goals
• designed with the "end in mind."

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.

People seek therapy because their lives aren't working and they want their life to be different.  By seeking psychotherapy they are willing to take responsibility for their actions, work towards self-change and create greater awareness in their lives.  These changes can make a huge difference in the way they run their lives.

Who are Marriage and Family Therapists?

Marriage and Family therapists are relationship specialists who treat persons involved in interpersonal relationships.  They are trained to assess, diagnose and treat individuals, couples, families and groups to achieve more adequate, satisfying and productive marriage, family and social adjustment.  The practice also includes premarital counseling, child counseling, divorce or separation counseling and other relational counseling.  Marriage and Family Therapists are psychotherapists and healing arts practitioners licensed by the State of California.  Requirements for licensure includes related doctoral or two-year master's degree, passage of a comprehensive written and oral examination and at least 3000 hours of supervised experience.

Is there a way that you feel unfulfilled, depressed, anxious, isolated, driven, or out of touch with yourself that nothing seems to help?  Perhaps you have tried to fix things on your own, but that has not worked.  It may be difficult to talk with those around you about what is troubling you.  You may feel criticized, misunderstood, inarticulate, or that you are boring others.  You might notice yourself finding unproductive or destructive ways of coping such as withdrawal, denial, addictions, avoidance or by being overly controlling.

Distress Signals

• Emotional Stress or anxiety
• Feelings of loneliness, isolation
• Depression
• Moodiness
• Excessive alcohol or drug use
• Conflicts  with co-workers and peers 
• Family conflict or tension
• Divorce or separation 
• Difficulty coping with loss of a loved one

How do I know if my child needs therapy?

Distress Signals

• Child is sad and withdrawn
• Child is anxious or fearful
• Inability to follow directions
• Child is oppositional
• Is hyperactive and has difficulty sitting still
• Troubles in school
• Poor peer relations
• Inability to maintain relationships
• Poor social skills
• Angry outbursts and inability to control anger
• Child is harmful to self or others