Solving Your Relationship Issues Through Family Marriage Counseling

marriage therapists

Research indicates that family marriage counseling is particularly effective in treating adult Schizophrenia, mood disorders, adult alcoholism and drug abuse, behavioral disorders in children, teenage drug abuse, anorexia, childhood autism, chronic illnesses and marital conflict. Sometimes the root cause or cycle of dysfunction is obvious, but other times it takes a professional to illuminate the intricate dynamics of cause-and-effect, action-and-reaction. Through family and marriage therapy, family members learn how to better understand one another and cope with complex issues to become a stronger, more cohesive unit.

A professional who is licensed in marriage and family counseling is someone who is trained in psychotherapy and family systems, as well as someone who is licensed to diagnose and treat mental disorders. On average, family and marriage therapists will have thirteen years or more of clinical practice in their field and hold a Master's or Doctoral degree in marriage therapy and family counseling. Since 1970, the number of marriage family counselors has burgeoned from 237 to 23,000, who are licensed in 48 states and are actively treating more than 1.8 million people.

Studies show that clients of family marriage counseling are extremely satisfied with these services, with 98% citing their sessions as either "good" or "excellent" (Doherty & Simmons). They report improvement in work productivity, coworker relationships, family relationships, spousal relationships, as well as improved community social lives. Almost 90% of those receiving treatment reported an improvement in emotional health and two-thirds reported an improvement in their overall physical health. In cases of child deviance, 73.7% of the cases resulted in improvement in parent-child relationships, improved child behavior and improved school performance. In cases of physical or mental illness, substance abuse and disruptive behavior, certified counselors can be a huge asset.

When looking for family marriage counseling professionals, parents should seek someone with a graduate or post-graduate doctoral degree. Family and marriage therapists may come from a background in psychology, psychiatry, nursing, social work, pastoral counseling or education. The Federal government has designated family and marriage therapy as one of the core branches for mental health counselors. An appropriate counselor should be certified and listed with the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT).