How can therapy help me?
A number of benefits are available from participating in therapy. Therapists can provide support, problem-solving skills, and enhanced coping strategies for issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, grief, stress management, body image issues and creative blocks. Many people also find that counselors can be a tremendous asset to managing personal growth, interpersonal relationships, family concerns, marriage issues, and the hassles of daily life. Therapists can provide a fresh perspective on a difficult problem or point you in the direction of a solution. The benefits you obtain from therapy depend on how well you use the process and put into practice what you learn. Some of the benefits available from therapy include:
- Attaining a better understanding of yourself, your goals and values
- Developing skills for improving your relationships
- Finding resolution to the issues or concerns that led you to seek therapy
- Learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety
- Managing anger, grief, depression, and other emotional pressures
- Improving communications and listening skills
- Changing old behavior patterns and developing new ones
- Discovering new ways to solve problems in your family or marriage
- Improving your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence
People have many different motivations for coming to psychotherapy. Some may be going through a major life transition (unemployment, divorce, new job, etc.), or are not handling stressful circumstances well. Some people need assistance managing a range of other issues such as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, addictions, relationship problems, spiritual conflicts and creative blocks. Therapy can help provide some much needed encouragement and help with skills to get them through these periods. Others may be at a point where they are ready to learn more about themselves or want to be more effective with their goals in life. In short, people seeking psychotherapy are ready to meet the challenges in their lives and ready to make changes in their lives.
Marriage and family therapy differs from individual or group psychotherapy in focus and process. It focuses primarily on the couple or family system and the relationships within that system, and only secondarily on the individual. In contrast, traditional individual or group psychotherapy focuses primarily on the individual, and secondarily on family relationships. The process of marriage and family therapy promotes interaction and change in the family system so the family can more effectively meet its needs. In contrast, the process of traditional psychotherapy tends to involve more inter- action between client and therapist. Group psychotherapy focuses on the sharing of problems and concerns with the group for their understanding, support, and assistance in the resolution of those problems.
What services do Marriage and Family Therapists provide?
Marriage and family therapists provide individual, couple, family, relational and group therapy. They assess, treat and implement change in the overall, long-term well-being of individuals, couples, families and those in other relationships. The traditional emphasis on the individual is expanded to include consideration of the nature and roles of individuals in relation to others, particularly in the family system.
Marriage and family therapy focuses not only on the individual patient—even if it is a single person seeking therapy—but on the context and relationships in which the person participates. All relationship contexts are considered, including the married or committed couple, family, school, work, social, community and other relational systems.
Marriage and family therapists treat a wide range of clinical problems including: depression, marital problems, anxiety, nervous and mental disorders, as well as relationship, couple, family and child-parent problems. Marriage and family therapy is often brief and solution-focused and it is designed to achieve specific therapeutic goals of individuals and families.
* Suspected past or present abuse or neglect of children, adults, and elders to the authorities, including Child Protection and law enforcement, based on information provided by the client or collateral sources.
* If the therapist has reason to suspect the client is seriously in danger of harming him/herself or has threated to harm another person.