| Consumer Information More than 5.8 million people are seen each year by family therapists. If you are interested in finding a marriage and family therapist in Nebraska, please visit therapistlocator.net. If you want to access to research and information on the problems facing today's families; about subjects from adolescent behavior problems to suicidal ideation and behavior, please click here. If you want to know about marriage and family issues, please visit our Press Room for current statistics and press releases. Who Are Marriage and Family Therapists? - Marriage and family therapists (MFTs) are mental health professionals who offer a range of effective and cost-efficient services to individuals, couples and families. Marriage and family therapists pioneered brief, solution-focused, family-centered treatment, which seeks to pinpoint problems and conclude therapy as soon as specific, attainable therapeutic goals are met.
- Therapies used by MFTs are based on the scientific findings that individuals and their problems are best seen in context, and the most important context is the family. Trained in psychotherapy and family systems, MFTs focus on understanding their clients' symptoms, and the interaction patterns with family and friends that may contribute to the problem. MFTs will typically ask questions about roles, patterns, rules, goals, beliefs and stages of development. The MFT then works with the individual, couple and/or family to change interaction patterns so that the problem can be resolved.
- Marital and family therapies are proven to be particularly effective in the treatment of adult schizophrenia, adult alcoholism and drug abuse, depression in women, adult hypertension, elderly dementia, adult obesity, children's conduct disorders, adolescent drug use, anorexia in young adult women, chronic physical illness in adults and children, and marital distress and conflict.
- Consumers increasingly seek the services of MFTs. In a recent study consumers reported that marriage and family therapists are the mental health professionals they would most likely recommend to friends. Clients of marriage and family therapists report high satisfaction with their treatment. In a national sample survey, over 98 percent of clients rated MFT services as good or excellent.
- Marriage and family therapy is a distinct discipline with graduate and undergraduate programs granting degrees in marriage and family therapy. Historically, however, marriage and family therapists have come from a wide variety of educational backgrounds including psychology, psychiatry, social work, nursing, pastoral counseling, and education.
- Marriage and family therapy is one of the nation's fastest growing health care professions. Since 1970 there has been a 50-fold increase in the number of marriage and family therapists. Today more than 50,000 MFTs treat individuals, couples and families nationwide. Marriage and family therapy is one of the nation's fastest growing health care professions.
- The federal government has designated MFT as a core mental health profession along with psychiatry, psychology, social work and psychiatric nursing. States also support the profession by licensing or certifying MFTs. Currently, 41 states regulate MFTs, with many other states considering licensing bills.
- Marriage and family therapists work in all areas of mental and physical health care, often providing interdisciplinary connections for more comprehensive treatment. MFTs practice in hospitals, clinics, agencies, schools, private practice and colleges and universities. They serve as clinicians, supervisors, administrators, consultants and teachers in the fields of health care, corrections, education, adoption and social service.
The above information provided by: The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Who sees MFTs?
1.8 million people can't be wrong:
At any given time, MFTs treat 1.8 million people. Included are:
250,000 to 360,000 Couples
130,000 to 190,000 Families
545,000 to 710,000 Individuals These data are based on the findings of a national sample survey of marriage and family therapists and their clients reported in Doherty, W.J. and Simmons, D.S. (1996). Clinical practice patterns of marriage and family therapists: A National survey of therapists and their clients. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 22, 9-25. | |
