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| 1 |
What is group therapy? What are the benefits of it in marriage counseling? |
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| Group therapy refers to therapy sessions that involve a group participating, instead of one-on-one or couples interacting with a therapist.
In marriage counseling or family therapy situations it could be beneficial in that people who are going through the same types of problems in their personal relationships or family relationships can interact with people in similar situations. Group therapy differs from a peer group because a counselor is in attendance to guide everyone. |
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| 2 |
What exactly is family therapy? Does it involve counseling for the whole family? |
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| Family therapy is based on the idea that an individuals symptoms could be viewed as an issue within the larger context of their family. While it could be true that a person is experiencing problems that are not the result of larger family issues, it is just as likely that family issues are causing the individual to suffer. A child could be suffering as a result of a witnessing their parents fight or parents could be suffering as a result of an ill or misbehaving child. While family therapy could involve all or some members of the family, individual counseling can also be effective. Each case must be evaluated individually and only then can a determination be made. |
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| 4 |
What if one spouse seeks counseling to reconcile and one wants counseling for a smooth transition to divorce? |
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| The original question included the following sentence at the end: "How do I know what we are doing?"
Troubled marriages can be the product of an almost unlimited number of factors. One recurring theme among couples, however, is poor communication. Your question seems to indicate that you would like to work out your problems while your husband is leaning towards a divorce. Marriage counseling can be very effective in your case as the true intentions and feelings of each partner can be brought to the surface. Your counselor should be able to help you communicate with your husband and subsequently to help both of you make a decision about what to do. Only then can you work towards being in the relationship (or lack thereof) that you want to be in. Whatever decision you and your spouse reach, counseling can be very helpful in helping you to work through it and move forward with your lives. |
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| 5 |
Are marriage counseling and family therapy sessions confidential? |
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| Information disclosed within sessions and the written records and files pertaining to those sessions are confidential. This information is not revealed to anyone without your written permission. The only exceptions are made when disclosure is required by law. This can include instances where there is reasonable suspicion of child, dependent or elder abuse or neglect; where a patient presents a danger to themself, to others, to personal or private property, or is seriously disabled. The previous statement is what is true in most practices, but all practices should be able to provide you with more detailed information about their confidentiality policy.
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| 6 |
What questions should I ask a counselor to determine if they are a good fit for my situation? |
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| Counseling and therapy is most effective when you choose the right person. It is highly recommended that you meet with or speak to the counselors you are considering to get a feel for not only their competency, but your mutual compatibility.
There are many factors involved and these are some questions you can ask your counselor to determine their compatibility with you and your goals:
* What is your educational and training background?
* What is your experience with my type of problem?
* How much do you charge?
* Are your services covered by my health insurance?
* Where is your office, and what are your hours?
* How long is each session?
* How often are sessions scheduled?
* How many sessions should I expect to have?
* What is your policy on canceled sessions?
* How can I contact you if I have an emergency?
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| 7 |
Can marriage counseling be done one partner at a time? |
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| Marriage counselors often interview a couple one at a time to get an idea of what each partner thinks that the problems are. Using individual sessions, the counselor identifies the issues without one partner being able to pressure the other partner. This pressure often results in the counselor not getting the full and accurate story. When the counselor has an adequate amount of information from each partner, the counseling is moved forward to sessions with both partners present so that the issues identified can be resolved with everyone present.
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| 8 |
How can counseling help if we've already decided on divorce? |
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| Divorce is rarely the end of any relationship. Especially when children are involved. The transition away from married life is often a long and painful process during which individual growth takes place. Divorcing couples that that receive counseling are more likely to make a smooth transition away from married life. It also helps them to forge a new relationship as friends and/or co-parents and therefore is beneficial to everyone affected. |
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| 10 |
Do I have to be married to go to a Marriage and Family Therapist? |
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| No. The belief that you must be married in order to receive family and marriage therapy is a MYTH. Marriage and Family Therapists are trained to treat people in all types of relationships including brothers/sisters, co-workers, roommates and many others. Anybody who feels the need to improve their relationship should take advantage of marriage and family therapy. |
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| 11 |
What is premarital counseling? How can it help? |
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| Premarital counseling is highly recommended and can literally save your future marriage. Most couples spend plenty of time talking and yet don't know each other as well as they think they do. During the courtship, each person puts their best foot forward, hiding embarrassing facts, habits, flaws and temperaments.
Consequently, the couple often enters into married life with many private assumptions about life after the wedding. Soon afterwards, they discover they have different views on nonnegotiable issues. This could lead to arguments and hurt feelings that were never anticipated during the courtship period.
It is for these reasons that premarital counseling can help a couple start their marriage off right. |
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| 13 |
What kinds of problems can marriage counseling help with? |
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| Marriage counseling can benefit you if you or your partner are dealing with any of these issues or situations that can cause stress in a relationship: Infidelity, Divorce, Substance abuse, Physical or mental conditions, Same-sex relationship issues, Cultural clashes, Finances, Unemployment, Blended families, Communication problems, Sexual difficulties, Conflicts about child rearing, Infertility, Anger, Changing roles, such as retirement and much more.
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| 14 |
What problems do marriage and family therapists treat? |
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| Marriage and family therapists treat a wide range of problems including: depression, marital problems, anxiety, individual psychological problems, and child-parent problems.
Marriage and family therapy is as effective, and in some cases more effective than standard and/or individual treatments for many mental health problems such as: adult schizophrenia, affective (mood) disorders, adult alcoholism and drug abuse, children's conduct disorders, adolescent drug abuse, anorexia in young adult women, childhood autism, chronic physical illness in adults and children, and marital distress and conflict. |
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| 16 |
I've always thought people who were mentally incompetent or challenged only received therapy? |
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| Marriage and family therapy is designed for families with common problems such as petty conflict and arguing. If these small problems are not dealt with properly, bigger problems can arise. MFTs are trained in helping eliminate animosity over easily preventable problems. Changes in the size of the family and aging can often be difficult to deal with and a MFT is specifically trained and qualified to help ease such difficulties. |
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| 17 |
Is marriage and family therapy covered by my insurance? If not, what is the typical cost per session? |
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| The answer to this question is dependent on many factors. Your insurance may or may not cover marriage and family therapy and depending on the counselor, they may or may not accept insurance. The best way to determine the answer for your specific case is to ask a counselor. Marriage counseling costs vary widely. Rates vary from about $50 to as much as $200 per session. MFTs typically like to see their clients once a week for the first few months. Therefore, in 3 months time, expect to pay approximately $1200. While this figure may be overwhelming to many, it is only a small fraction of what it costs to divorce today; both emotionally and monetarily. Also, research suggests that people who are happily married earn and save more money. |
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| 18 |
In what ways will marriage and family therapy be of benefit to me? |
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| Marriage and family therapists look at people and their behavioral patterns in regards to their relationship. They assess and establish the potential problems you could be having with friends or family. After determining what could be the problem in your relationship, a MFT will help you understand what needs to be changed in order for your problems to be solved. |
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| 19 |
How effective is marriage and family therapy? |
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According to a study conducted by Doherty & Simmons, clients of MFTs reported that they were extremely pleased with their experience and would definitiley recommend it to friends.
98.1% of MFT clients surveyed rated services as good or excellent
98% indicated that they felt they had been helped in dealing more effectively with problems
97.1% indicated they got the kind of help they desired
96.9% indicated they would recommend their therapist to a friend
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| 20 |
How long does marriage and family therapy usually take? |
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| Like any type of counseling, the length of time a person is in marriage and family therapy depends on the gravity of the problem.
The length of time a person is in marriage and family therapy depends upon various factors, including the seriousness of the problem. Generally, marriage and family therapy tends to be short term. Research shows that the median length is 12 sessions, with 65% of cases being completed within 20 sessions. Although length of therapy differs from case to case, marriage and family therapy tends to be briefer than many other types of therapy.
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