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

1133 15th Street NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20005-2710
Phone: (202) 452-0109 » Fax: (202) 223-2329
Home Page » www.aamft.org
Document-on-Request: 1-888-AAMFT99. This is document #060.
Copyright 1997, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. All rights reserved.

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.

Washington, D.C. (June 26) -- Four out of five adult Americans say they would take bold action and find a way to get needed family therapy if their insurance company would not pay for it, according to a nationwide public opinion poll released today by the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). In fact, 83 percent said they would go so far as to ask the therapist to be resourceful and find a way to get the therapy sessions paid for.

Unwilling to accept denial of family therapy coverage, 79 percent of the respondents said they would complain to their insurance company and 63 percent said they would ask their employer to change the company's insurance benefit package. Moreover, 88 percent said they would even pay for the therapy out of their own pocket. Only six percent said they would quit therapy and 24 percent said they would do only the therapy that their insurance covers.

"These results demonstrate in no uncertain terms that the American people understand the value of family therapy for themselves and their family members," said Michael K. Bowers, AAMFT's Executive Director. "Our members are trained licensed professionals who provide unique services that help countless families, couples and individuals across America."

The poll consisted of 1,000 telephone interviews conducted during March 1998 using a random sample that is representative of U.S. adults. It was conducted by QS&A Research & Strategy, of Fairfax, Virginia. Respondents were asked if they would take the actions listed above if their child was in therapy due to a severe mental or emotional problem and the therapist suggested that family therapy would be much more effective than individual therapy for the child.

Respondents were also asked about their health insurance benefits and only 16 percent said marriage and family therapy is covered by their health insurance, while an additional 16 percent said they had mental health care coverage but were unsure if marriage and family therapy is covered. Moreover, 21 percent said they had mental health care coverage but not for marriage and family therapy; 33 percent said mental health care is not included in their health insurance; and 13 percent said they have no health insurance.

"Clearly there is a tremendous gap between what therapy services the American people want and need, and what health insurance companies and employers are willing to pay for," said Bowers. "We need to close that gap."

He also noted that, if marriage and family therapy is covered by health insurance, nearly half (44 percent) the respondents said they would be unlikely to use it to pay for the therapy if they could not go to the therapist they wanted. Also, 29 percent said they would be unlikely to use it if it would result in a preexisting condition being noted in their permanent health records.

AAMFT is the national professional association representing more than 23,000 marriage and family therapists in the United States, Canada and abroad. Since 1942, AAMFT has increased understanding, research, and education in the field of marriage and family therapy, and ensured that public needs are met by well-trained marriage and family therapists.

The above information provided by:

The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

1133 15th Street NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20005-2710
Phone: (202) 452-0109 » Fax: (202) 223-2329
Home Page » www.aamft.org
Document-on-Request: 1-888-AAMFT99.