Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) are trained in psychotherapy and family systems (with at least two years of clinical experience) and are licensed to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders within the context of marriage, couples and family systems.

 

 

MFTs are concerned with the long-term well-being of individuals and their families.  Marriage and family therapists practice short-term therapy:  12 sessions on average.  Often the treatment provided by marriage and family therapists is one-on-one as well as marriage/family therapy.  Marriage and family therapy's prominence in the mental health field has increased due to its brief, solution-focused treatment, its family centered approach, and its demonstrated effectiveness.

 

 

Marriage and family therapy is a distinct professional discipline with graduate and post graduate programs.  Three options are available for those interested in becoming a marriage and family therapist:  master's degree (2-3 years), doctoral program (3-5 years), or post-graduate clinical training programs (3-4 years).

 

After graduation from an accredited program, a period of two years of post-degree supervised clinical experience is necessary before licensure or certification.  When the supervision period is completed, the therapist can take a state licensing exam conducted by the state Marriage & Family Therapy Regulatory Board.  After passing the exam, a therapist is eligible for licensure in the state but must continue to attend continuing education courses to stay current with new research and practice methods.  In Alabama, 40 hours of documented continuing education is required to maintain bi-annual licensure.

 

 

Marriage and family counseling costs vary widely (from $75 - $200 per hour).  The average cost for an hourly session is $100.  At the Westgate Church of Christ these services are provided as a ministry to our memebers and those in our community at no cost.

 

 

In an article published by the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, clients of marriage and family counselors from 15 states reported on their experience with counseling.  Specifically, of clients from 526 marriage and family counselors in 15 different states, 98.1% rated services good or excellent.  A majority of clients reported an improvement in their functioning at work, and over three-fourths of those receiving marital/couples or family therapy reported an improvment in the couple relationship.