What is Marriage and Family Therapy?
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.
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.
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.
Who are Marriage and Family Therapists?
Marriage and family therapists (MFTs) are mental health professionals 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.
Marriage and family therapists are a highly experienced group of practitioners, with an average of 13 years of clinical practice in the field of marriage and family therapy. They evaluate and treat mental and emotional disorders, other health and behavioral problems, and address a wide array of relationship issues within the context of the family system.
Marriage and family therapists broaden the traditional emphasis on the individual to attend to the nature and role of individuals in primary relationship networks such as marriage and the family. MFTs take a holistic perspective to health care; they are concerned with the overall, long-term well-being of individuals and their families.
MFTs have graduate training (a Master’s or Doctoral degree) in marriage and family therapy and at least two years of clinical experience. Marriage and family therapists are recognized as a “core” mental health profession, along with psychiatry, psychology, social work and psychiatric nursing.
Since 1970 there has been a 50-fold increase in the number of marriage and family therapists. At any given time they are treating over 1.8 million people.
Why use a Marriage and Family Therapist?
Research studies repeatedly demonstrate the effectiveness of marriage and family therapy in treating the full range of mental and emotional disorders and health problems. Adolescent drug abuse, depression, alcoholism, obesity and dementia in the elderly — as well as marital distress and conflict — are just some of the conditions marriage and family therapists effectively treat.
Studies also show that clients are highly satisfied with services of marriage and family therapists. Clients report marked improvement in work productivity, co-worker relationships, family relationships, partner relationships, emotional health, overall health, social life, and community involvement.
In a recent study, consumers report that marriage and family therapists are the mental health professionals they would most likely recommend to friends. Over 98 percent of clients of marriage and family therapists report therapy services as good or excellent.
After receiving treatment, almost 90% of clients report an improvement in their emotional health, and nearly two-thirds report an improvement in their overall physical health. A majority of clients report an improvement in their functioning at work, and over three-fourths of those receiving marital/couples or family therapy report an improvement in the couple relationship. When a child is the identified patient, parents report that their child’s behavior improved in 73.7% of the cases, their ability to get along with other children significantly improved and there was improved performance in school. Marriage and family therapy’s prominence in the mental health field has increased due to its brief, solution-focused treatment, its family-centered approach, and its demonstrated effectiveness.
Today more than 50,000 marriage and family therapists treat individuals, couples, and families nationwide. Membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) has grown from 237 members in 1960 to more than 25,500 in 2015. This growth is a result, in part, of renewed public awareness of the value of family life and concern about the increased stresses on families in a rapidly changing world.
How can I find a Marriage and Family Therapist?
AAMFT Clinical Fellow members meet stringent training and education requirements that qualify them for the independent practice of marriage and family therapy. AAMFT requires Clinical Fellow members to abide by the AAMFT Code of Ethics, the most stringent ethical code in the marriage and family therapy profession. This code delineates specific ethical behavior and guidelines for members to follow to ensure the ethical treatment of clients. Clinical Fellow membership in AAMFT signifies an MFT’s dedication to his or her ongoing professional development. Each month, AAMFT Clinical Fellow members receive important updates on current clinical and research developments in the field, as well as numerous opportunities throughout the year to attend professional development conferences.
Marriage and Family Therapist
What are the qualifications to be a Marriage and Family Therapist?
Marriage and family therapy is a distinct professional discipline with graduate and post graduate programs. Three options are available for those interested in becoming a marriage and family therapist: master’s degree (2-3 years), doctoral program (3-5 years), or post-graduate clinical training programs (3-4 years). Historically, marriage and family therapists have come from a wide variety of educational backgrounds including psychology, psychiatry, social work, nursing, pastoral counseling and education.
The Federal government has designated marriage and family therapy as a core mental health profession along with psychiatry, psychology, social work and psychiatric nursing. Currently all 50 states support and regulate the profession by licensing marriage and family therapists.
The regulatory requirements in most states are substantially equivalent to the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy’s Clinical Fellow membership standards. After graduation from an accredited program, a period – usually two years – of post-degree supervised clinical experience is necessary before licensure or certification. When the supervision period is completed, the therapist can take a state licensing exam, or the national examination for marriage and family therapists conducted by the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB). This exam is used as a licensure requirement in most states.
Everything you need to know about becoming a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT).
Family is considered the most basic unit of society, thought of as the first form of community and government. Michael Novak, a well-respected philosopher, famously considered family as the first, best, and original Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. So it’s a no-brainer that, when a family’s behavioral patterns negatively affect an individual member, a need for treatment arises. In marriage and family therapy, the treatment plan not only serves the individual, but the entire family unit. This is where licensed marriage and family therapists can step in.
What is Marriage and Family Therapy?
Marriage and family therapy is brief, solution-focused, specific with achievable therapeutic goals, and customized to fit the “end in mind” meaning a reconciled family unit that works together to solve their problems.
Marriage and family therapists handle a wide array of serious clinical problems, which include but are not limited to: depression, anxiety, marital issues, individual psychological problems, and complications surrounding the parent-child relationship.
__________
Who are you called to be?
Pursue your purpose at PLNU.
__________
Essentially, Licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) are mental health professionals and practitioners trained in psychotherapy and family systems, with clinical practice experience averaging 13 years. LMFTs are licensed to evaluate, diagnose, and treat mental and emotional disorders, health issues, and behavioral issues, and a wide range of relationship dynamics within the context of couples, marriage, and family systems.
Research also suggests comparable effectiveness of marriage and family therapy relative to individual treatment. In some cases, studies show that marriage and family therapy poses better results than individual therapy for mental health problems such as:
- Adult schizophrenia
- Affective or mood disorder
- Adult alcoholism
- Drug abuse in adolescents and adults
- Conduct disorders in children
- Anorexia in young adult women
- Childhood autism
- Chronic physical illness in adults and children
- Marital distress disputes
On average, marriage and family therapy lasts about 12 sessions with about 65.6% of cases concluding within 20 sessions and 87.9% within 50 sessions. Individual treatment lasts 13 sessions on average. Marital/couples therapy and family therapy require a shorter duration, each averaging at 11.5 sessions and nine sessions, respectively. About half of marriage and family therapists provide one-on-one treatments, whereas the other half is divided between marital/couples therapy, family therapy, or a fusion of treatments.
Why Do We Need a Marriage and Family Therapist?
Studies repeatedly indicate marriage and family therapy’s success and effectiveness in treating various mental, emotional, and health disorders, such as adolescent drug abuse, alcoholism, depression, obesity, dementia, and marital conflicts.
Research also suggests that clients were highly pleased with the services of their marriage and family therapists. Almost 90% of clients report a significant improvement in their emotional health, and nearly two-thirds attributed it to developments in their overall physical health. Over three-fourths of clients undergoing marital/couples therapy reported an improvement in the couple relationship. And nearly 74% of parents with children identified as patients also reported an enhancement in their behavior, sociability, and overall school performance.
Studies repeatedly indicate marriage and family therapy’s success and effectiveness in treating various mental, emotional, and health disorders.
The treatment even showed effectiveness beyond the family’s confines as clients reported a significant improvement in work productivity, work relationships, social life, community involvement, and overall well-being.
In another study, over 98% of past clients rated therapy services as good or excellent and reported that they would recommend marriage and family therapists to friends. Due to the brief, solution-focused, family-centered approach and its demonstrated effectiveness, marriage and family therapy continues to develop and mark its prominence in the field of mental health.
Today, the field of marriage and family therapy continues to grow, with more than 50,000 professionals treating individuals, couples, and families nationwide. From 237 members in 1960 to a whopping 25,500 members in 2015, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) has grown and is continuously increasing significantly. This progress may also be attributable, in part, to the renewed public awareness and perspective of the importance of family life.
How to Become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist depends on the state where you wish to practice. The following are the qualifications or credentials most states require candidates to have:
- Hold a minimum of master’s degree in marriage and family therapy, or relevant mental health fields such as psychology.
- Complete a supervised internship that meets the required number of hours of experience and types of practice in the field.
- Pass the MFT exam created and assessed by the AMFTRB (Association of Marriage and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards), or equivalent state-mandated examination.
- Obtain a state-issued license by applying to the relevant state board of examiners.
It’s worth noting that the process of becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist usually takes four years of full-time study, from pursuing a master’s program in marriage and family therapy such as PLNU’s Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling program to finally obtaining a license. However, the duration may be longer or shorter depending upon the licensing state’s clinical hour requirements.
Click on the image above to learn the differences between an LMFT and LPCC track.
It’s also important to note that preparing for and passing a state-required licensing examination may require additional time. Case in point, if you do not pass the MFT Exam on your first try, the soonest allowable time to register and retake the exam is three months later.
Marriage and Family Therapist Certification Requirements By State
As now established, each state has its standards for certifying and licensing marriage and family therapists. Although some of these discrepancies are subtle, others are significant enough to note. The significant differences among permitting and licensing standards of different states likely fall into the following categories:
Number of Post-Degree Client Contact Hours
Some states require a total of 1,000 hours of direct client contact. Others need over 1,500 hours. Idaho, for example, requires 2,000 hours of post-degree direct client contact within a two-year window.
Aside from the specific number of hours, the breakdown of these hours into different therapeutic settings — such as one-on-one therapy, group therapy, and couples therapy — varies.
The Ratio of Supervised to Non-Supervised Clinical Hours
While it’s imperative to document all post-degree direct client contact hours, they do not necessarily need to be supervised directly. The difference in the supervision requirement as part of the marriage and family therapy clinical experience is dependent on each state.
Who Qualifies as a Supervisor
Some states impose stringent qualifications as to what constitutes an acceptable supervisor for Marriage and Family therapy. Some states impose more relaxed qualifications. It is up to the candidates for MFT certification to conduct their background checks to ensure that their chosen supervisor meets the standard of experience and credentials.
Reciprocity Across State Lines
Given each state’s various standards of certifying and licensing marriage and family therapy candidates, they’re free to accept or reject an MFT license issued by another state. The AAMFT promotes license portability and interchange to make it more convenient for LMFTs to relocate without accomplishing redundant coursework, supervision, and other necessary efforts to address this issue. Some states, though, are still more flexible than others.
Fees
Each state is free to set its price from the issuance to the renewal of an MFT license.
Marriage and Family Therapist Job Opportunities
A degree in marriage and family therapy exposes you to different environments that eventually hone your skills needed to work in various diverse settings such as mental health clinics, hospitals, social service departments, and even schools. Licensed marriage and family therapists may also opt to practice privately.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) forecasts that marriage and family therapy professionals’ employment will increase by 22% from 2019 to 2029.
The following are a few job opportunities awaiting individuals who wish to pursue a career in marriage and family therapy:
School Counselor
School counselors primarily work with the school administrators to address the psychological needs of the student body. Specifically, they:
- Engage with the students, evaluating their needs and providing them with proper mental and emotional support.
- Create counseling programs to improve student performance and evaluate the programs’ effectiveness.
- Provide counseling to parents of children who are undergoing challenging circumstances at school.
School counselors with a background in marriage and family therapy can use their knowledge base to better grasp their students’ psychological issues and offer adequate solutions.
Marriage and Family Counselor
A marriage and family counselor works with couples or specific family members to help them cope with interpersonal conflicts or challenges, or emotional disorders such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, among many more.
More specifically, marriage and family counselors:
- Conduct both individual and group sessions to diagnose disorders and provide necessary treatment and interventions.
- Mediate conflicts within families and promote better communication.
- Manage a private practice, but still in conjunction with social service agencies, medical centers, mental health facilities, and other related establishments.
Clinical Director
As clinical directors, LMFTs will be responsible for managing the daily tasks of a clinical counseling department. More specifically, clinical directors:
- Ensure all administrative activities run smoothly and efficiently, and at all times, promote top-quality care for patients.
- Evaluate staff performance and hire and train new staff as needed.
- Determine budgets and prepare financial reports.
- May be responsible for managing a department or an entire facility, depending on the hospital or facility’s size.
Students who complete post-graduate degrees in marriage and family therapy prepare with hands-on knowledge of clinical practices that are translatable to various, diverse environments or settings. This experience could also prepare them to manage and oversee staff and ensure the quality of training and smooth day-to-day operations.
Start Your LMFT Career in San Diego
Becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist isn’t necessarily easy, but it sure is a fulfilling career path in a lucrative and growing field that supports people with their most significant relationships. The fact that the profession includes a commitment to ongoing education is a reassuring and encouraging sign that the field will continue to progress and thrive on providing the best service to future clients and society in general.
If you have the desire to help mend families and strengthen marriages, you can start your progress toward becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist with PLNU’s Clinical Counseling, M.A. program. PLNU is ready to jumpstart your career as a licensed marriage and family therapist with our highly-rated program, which includes on-site practice, internship placements, multicultural training, strong partnerships throughout San Diego and Southern California, and more!
