Marriage and Family Therapists (or MFT's) provide individual, couple, family and group psychotherapy, and are usually covered by insurance plans in states where they are regulated. They approach mental health issues within the context of relational systems. By focusing on an individual's mental health, for instance, the MFT hopes to improve a client's ability to sustain satisfactory relationships. Conversely, by improving family or couple systems, the MFT seeks to improve the mental health and overall well-being of the individuals within the couple or family system.
Marriage and Family Therapists are state licensed or certified mental health professionals in 44 States, with New York slated to be the 45th state to license MFT's. The state assembly of New York has approved a licensing process for MFT's, and the legislation is now pending gubernatorial approval. Arizona, Vermont and Wisconsin have a "certification" as opposed to a license for MFT's. States that presently do not license Marriage and Family Therapists include: Delaware, D.C., Montana, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, and West Virginia. These non-licensing states rely on the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to regulate MFT's.
The title, "Marriage and Family Therapist," is used in most states, but some states vary slightly: calling MFT's, "Marital and Family Therapists," or "Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapists." In the past, California used the term "Marriage Family and Child Counselor," but this title changed to "Marriage and Family Therapist" in 1999. For a state-by-state list of regulatory boards, please refer to http://www.aamft.org/resources/Online_Directories/boardcontacts.htm
All MFT's must have a Masters (M.A.) or Doctoral (Ph.D.) degree focusing on Marriage and Family Therapy from an accredited institution as well as supervised clinical experience. The details involved in licensing/certification vary from state to state. In California, for instance, an MFT must complete 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience, a state-administered written exam and a state-administered oral exam in order to gain the license of MFT. Much of the content (30 - 35%) in the California examinations is focused on legal and ethical standards. The other examination categories include: clinical assessment, crisis issues, treatment planning, treatment implementation, and human diversity. Florida, as another example, requires 2 years post-masters supervised clinical experience, a national examination developed by the Examination Advisory Committee of the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) and Professional Examination Services and an eight-hour laws and rules course.
Like other mental health professionals, Marriage and Family Therapists vary greatly in their areas of expertise and roles as clinicians. Many have private practices, while others work in hospital or social agency settings. There are several resources, which can help you find the right MFT for you. The AAMFT web site has a national therapist location service, and some state associations (like the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists) have some sort of referral service to help you find the right MFT for you.
Please read A Myriad of Psychotherapists and A Myriad of Psychotherapies by Allan N. Schwartz, CSW, Ph.D.
Please read Three Misconceptions About Psychologists -Part 1 - We Fix What is Broken by Debra Moore, Ph.D.
Please read Three Misconceptions About Psychologists: Part 2 - We Just Listen by Debra Moore, Ph.D.
Please read Three Misconceptions About Psychologists: Part 3 - Not All Psychologists Are Like Dr. Laura! by Debra Moore, Ph.D.
Please read Common Questions about Counseling by Debra Moore, Ph.D.
Gadi Zohar is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a private practice in San Francisco, CA. He has experience helping people with a wide variety of issues including depression, anxiety, relationship issues, and family discord. He specializes in the treatment of men who have been sexually violated in adulthood or childhood. In addition to his private practice, he also organizes workshops given by mental health professionals on a wide range of issues. To learn more about his services, please visit http://www.WholeHuman.com
