The family is one unit. When one member suffers, everyone suffers. That’s why it is important for the whole family to band together and help that individual get back to health. Whether the family member is struggling with addiction, depression, a trauma, or one of many other psychological or health issues, the entire family should [...]
Are you contemplating couples and marriage counseling? If so, are any of the counselors you are considering degreed and licensed? Will they help you in controlling your anger? Do they give you specific strategies for becoming a better communicator and helping you improve your relationship with your spouse? Dr. Marty Tashman tells you how to [...]
It’s something you used to never hear about. But these days you are just as likely to hear someone talk about phone counseling as you are traditional face-to-face counseling. And it’s just effective. A professional counselor with a license to practice has a reputation and no one wants to sacrifice that. Therefore, a strict code [...]
Is your marriage ailing? Does it seem like the walls are about to cave in? Do you feel as if everything you do just falls apart and that all your efforts to reach out to your spouse are frustrated? You’re not alone. Every marriage experiences hiccups. There are times when couples with the best relationship [...]
If you have friends then you likely have discussions about marriage in general and perhaps even your marriage in particular. If you don’t have friends then you might have a counselor. Who do you speak to about marriage? I think it is OK to discuss marriage with friends and counselors. Getting feedback on a complex [...]
Panic attacks, or anxiety attacks, can be heart-wrenching experiences – literally. There is a misunderstanding about this physical disorder. Many people think it has to do with fear, but it really doesn’t. The “fear” associated with a panic attack is the reaction the individual experiences to the panic attack itself. The body starts to go [...]
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has published new qualification standards for members of the counseling profession. The American Counseling Association has worked closely with the American Mental Health Counselors Association and the National Board for Certified Counselors to open the door for mental health professionals within the VA. Finally, that door has swung open. [...]
The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) has several programs that it supports for students and professional therapists. One of those programs is the Minority Fellowship Program. The AAMFT Minority Fellowship Program is a support program for graduate students that encourages academic excellence and professionalism for counseling students wanting to make a career [...]
Every marriage has its difficulties. Some are more difficult than others. But overcoming the difficulties in your marriage – in any marriage – takes work. You might be asking yourself, “Is it worth it?” Every married couple that I know who has gone through the difficult struggle of working on their marriage has been glad [...]
Addictions are some of life’s worst nightmares. They can turn a love sour in ways so powerful you don’t know what you hit you. You know you love your spouse, but you also know the addiction hurts. What do you do? Let’s deal with several issues here. There’s the addiction then there’s the issue of [...]
In a great article on whether or not marriage and family therapists should seek counseling for their own situations, Jay Slupesky asks the question, “Can someone be a good marriage therapist without ever having been in marriage therapy as a client?” Then, he sets out to answer the question. If you were startled that a [...]
So you’re at that point in your relationship where you know you want to take it a little deeper and you’re sure that your boyfriend does too, but he is stalling on meeting his family. What do you do? Well, first, don’t pressure. Guys really don’t give in to pressure too well and you don’t [...]
If you’ve been considering marriage counseling then you might have an interest in a type of one-session marriage counseling called half-day intensive. But what is that exactly? A half-day intensive is a counseling session that takes place at once. Just as the name says, it takes place over the course of one half a day [...]
Marriage counseling can take place in many different formats. It isn’t always a face-to-face encounter with a therapist in a cozy room with a couch and a reclining chair opposite the room. There have been plenty of couples who have sought help and received it through traditional counseling, but that isn’t the only way. These [...]
One way that we humans learn is through socializing. We pick up on good and bad habits, learn new skills and exchange ideas through our social networks. That’s why marriage forums like Talk About Marriage have risen up in the last few years. They give married couples like you a way to connect with other [...]
One of the most misunderstood physical conditions I’ve ever seen is anxiety disorder. It is often thought of as a mental disorder, but it isn’t. It’s a physical disorder. And that’s the real power behind the issues that affect so many people. If you examine what happens to the body of a person suffering from [...]
Are you a recent graduate of a counseling program or higher education marriage and family therapy degree program? Are you ready to start your private practice? Get MFT private practice advice from the American Counseling Association. The advice comes from veteran mental health professionals Robert J. Walsh, NCC, LCPC and Norman C. Dasenbrook, LCPC. Between [...]
Childhood obesity is a growing problem in our society and there are more than one way to approach solving the problem. But one thing to keep in mind is that it isn’t just the child’s problem. It also affects the whole family. Because of the psychological nature of obesity, a family therapist may be able [...]
When you consider that the divorce rate in the U.S. is 50% then you’ve got to consider the importance of pre-marital counseling. That’s not to say that counseling before marriage will reduce the divorce rate, but it couldn’t hurt. As a matter of fact, couples who do receive pre-marital counseling have a far less chance [...]
Human beings are complex organisms. When you put two of us together for any reason there is bound to be conflict. No two people are alike or agree on everything. The problem with marriages that fail is that the couple have not learned how to resolve their conflict amicably. But that doesn’t mean they can’t [...]
You may wonder what marriage training is all about – and I will go into that in a moment. I like this quote from SmartMarriages: marriage is skill-based. Like football. The way we have it set up now a couple gets married and we send them out there to win based on “love and commitment.” [...]
There are often times when couples, or more commonly, one half of a couple, don’t want to go through with a formal counseling session. This can leave the other half of the relationship feeling a little lost, especially if they feel that help is required to stabilize their relationship. Self help can be dangerous, however, [...]
There is often a misconception that marriage counseling is only for those that are married. This misconception has led many counselors to change their status from marriage counselor to that of relationship counselor. The reality is, you don’t have to be married to seek marriage counseling. We live in an age where couples are less [...]
Something fairly new in marriage counseling is the one-session marriage counseling session. These offer couples a chance to save their marriage with a single two-hour or half-day intensive session with a licensed and practicing marriage counseling. But can you do it? Can you really save your marriage in such a short time with a counselor? [...]
Mort Fertel is an internationally recognized marriage counselor. He’s been on ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, the Fox News Network and has appeared in the nation’s top newspapers and periodicals to include New York Times, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Family Circle, Ladies Home Journal and many more. Today, he’s offering free marriage advice by e-mail. So [...]
If you want to practice marriage and family therapy (MFT) then you’ve got to have the proper licensure. Do you know where to go to find the licensure board for your state? Every state in the union requires a Master’s Degree or a Doctor’s Degree along with some clinical experience under supervision in order to [...]
According to Philadelphia counselor Arlene Foreman, marriage is an exclusive relationship. But is it? The marriage contract infers that needs for affection and sex will be met within the relationship. When these needs are not met within the relationship, the marriage becomes very vulnerable. Couples must make sure they spend adequate quality time together and [...]
Everyone experiences anger at some point in their lives. By the time it’s all over, we’ve all been angry thousands of times. But are we dealing with it effectively? In order to deal with anger effectively, it helps to identify what type of anger it is. The next time you get angry over something, try [...]
N0 matter how strong we think we are, we all need the advice of a counselor at some stage in our adult lives. We’re not superhuman and events will catch us out at some point in our lives. For some, every day is a struggle, for others, they have good time and then very bad [...]
Grief – it’s one of those terms that is normally associated with death. You will hear someone say that their partner is grieving over the loss of their parent for example. However, grief is associated with loss, not necessarily death. People, especially those that have had successful careers, will go through a grieving process when [...]
