Marriage and Family Therapy
Marriage and Family Therapy
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to examine the field of marriage and family counseling beginning with the history and development of the profession and its importance in the field of counseling. This paper will also evaluate five major themes relevant to Marriage and Family Therapy which include: roles of Marriage and Family Therapists; licensure requirements and examinations; methods of supervision; client advocacy; multiculturalism and diversity. The author will discuss significant aspects to the field of Marriage and Family Therapy such as MFT identity, function, and ethics of the profession. This paper will assess biblical values in relation to Marriage and Family Therapists and to the field itself. In conclusion, the author will provide reflections on Marriage and Family Therapy and the personal commitment to provide counseling that is ethical, biblically grounded, and empirically based.
Marriage and Family Therapy This paper is an examination of the history and development of the field of Marriage and Family Therapy. Education, licensure requirements, methods of supervision, client advocacy, and cultural sensitivity are the focus of the evaluation with specific attention given to counselor identity, function, and ethics.
History and Development The field of Marriage and Family Therapy is an emerging profession with roots dating back to the late 1940’s. In 2009 licensure for Marriage and Family Therapists was attained for all 50 states and the District of Columbia but this dream began in 1949 when the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (originally called the American Association of Marriage Counselors) joined forces with the National Council on Family Relations to form a committee to create the standards that would one day regulate the practice of marriage and family counseling (Northey, 2009).
Marriage and family counseling was once thought of as a subset of other helping professions but now
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to examine the field of marriage and family counseling beginning with the history and development of the profession and its importance in the field of counseling. This paper will also evaluate five major themes relevant to Marriage and Family Therapy which include: roles of Marriage and Family Therapists; licensure requirements and examinations; methods of supervision; client advocacy; multiculturalism and diversity. The author will discuss significant aspects to the field of Marriage and Family Therapy such as MFT identity, function, and ethics of the profession. This paper will assess biblical values in relation to Marriage and Family Therapists and to the field itself. In conclusion, the author will provide reflections on Marriage and Family Therapy and the personal commitment to provide counseling that is ethical, biblically grounded, and empirically based.
Marriage and Family Therapy This paper is an examination of the history and development of the field of Marriage and Family Therapy. Education, licensure requirements, methods of supervision, client advocacy, and cultural sensitivity are the focus of the evaluation with specific attention given to counselor identity, function, and ethics.
History and Development The field of Marriage and Family Therapy is an emerging profession with roots dating back to the late 1940’s. In 2009 licensure for Marriage and Family Therapists was attained for all 50 states and the District of Columbia but this dream began in 1949 when the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (originally called the American Association of Marriage Counselors) joined forces with the National Council on Family Relations to form a committee to create the standards that would one day regulate the practice of marriage and family counseling (Northey, 2009).
Marriage and family counseling was once thought of as a subset of other helping professions but now
References: Morris, J. (2006). Rural Marriage and Family Therapists: A Pilot Study. Contemporary Family Therapy: An International Journal, 28(1), 53-60 Fife, S., & Whiting, J. (2007). Values in Family Therapy Practice and Research: An Invitation for Reflection Gehart, D. R., & Lucas, B. M. (2007). Client Advocacy in Marriage and Family Therapy: A Qualitative Case Study. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 18(1), 39-56. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Beck, J. R. (2006). Collaboration Between Biblical Studies and Counseling: Five Crucial Questions. Journal of Psychology & Christianity, 25(2), 101-110. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Northey, W. F. (2009). The Legitimization of Marriage and Family Therapy in the United States: Implications for International Recognition Woolley, S. R. (2010). Purposes, Diversities, and Futures in MFT Doctoral Education. Journal of Marital & Family Therapy, 36(3), 282-290 Miller, J. K. (2010). Competency-Based Training: Objective Structured Clinical Exercises (OSCE) in Marriage and Family Therapy Lee III, R. E., & Nichols, W. C. (2010). The Doctoral Education of Professional Marriage and Family Therapists Silverthorn, B. C., Bartle-Haring, S., Meyer, K., & Toviessi, P. (2009). Does Live Supervision Make a Difference? A Multilevel Analysis Lee, M. M., & Vennum, A. V. (2010). Using Critical Incident Journaling to Encourage Cultural Awareness in Doctoral Marriage and Family Therapy Students Grimes, M. E., & McElwain, A. D. (2008). Marriage and Family Therapy with Low-Income Clients: Professional, Ethical, and Clinical Issues