Understanding Marriage and Family Therapy
In your search for marriage counselors, you will come across a professional called the Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT). The MFT comes up as the perfect guide if anything goes wrong in your married life. Why marriage and family therapy and not just marriage therapy? This is the question we will try to answer in today’s post.
The concept of bringing therapy for a troubled marriage together with therapy for family comes because of the fact that the family (current and former) dictates to a great extent the behavior of individuals in their relationships. The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) puts the connection in the following words in its website:
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 embedded.
The MFT is an expert. He/she is a mental health professional. AAFMT describes him/her in the following words:
…trained in psychotherapy and family systems, and licensed to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders within the context of marriage, couples and family systems.
An MFT can help treat a range of problems. He/she will not just focus on the current problem (marital discord) but try to look at the underlying problems causing the conflicts and problems in your marriage. You can visit an MFT if you are depressed, have an anxiety disorder, have problems with your spouse or have problems with your children.
Related Posts
- What is Marriage and Family Therapy
- Who Needs Marriage and Family Therapy?
- Marriage and Family Therapy Guidelines
- Family Therapy Starts with Family
- Family Therapy and Group Dynamics
