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no matter what your current circumstances.
Don't Turn Your Relationship Over to "Just Anybody."
Contrary to what some believe, not all counselors are specifically qualified to treat couples and families. Many therapists in private practice today who offer Marriage, Couples, and Family Therapy were not trained to specifically work with more than one person in the room. This is unfortunate, because it requires great skill and knowledge to navigate the complex terrain of relationship issues. After all, when more than one person is present in a counseling session, they are all likely to have very conflicting and sometimes volatile opinions and ideas.
If a therapist is not highly educated and experienced with intervening in problematic communication and systems' interactions, the therapist might inadvertently appear to "take sides" or to be "ganging up" on one or more people. The skills that make an individual therapist and a couples/marital therapist "good" are very different.
Marriage and Family Therapists Really Are the Relationship Specialists.
The Marriage and Family Therapists at MFTS have spent their entire graduate and post-graduate careers studying and working with couples and family systems. We have perfected an approach to couples and families that really works to allow people to feel listened to -- that helps them know their perspective is being honored and respected. We develop treatment plans which not only work through and heal the communication breakdowns and hurts from the past, but that empower the once-polarized members of a couple or family to come together in a new and creative ways.
Our clients tell us our approach really works!(click here to read their stories) We are confident that the specialty of Marriage and Family Therapy is the single best way to treat a problem within a relationship, couple or a family system.
Choosing Your Therapist:
When seeking help for personal or family problems, it is very important to choose a therapist wisely. After all, you will be entrusting this person with very sensitive and private information. The decision should always be made carefully, with purpose and forethought.
Crucial Factor: A “good fit.”
Research has shown that the most important factor in successful therapy is the counselor/client relationship. For this reason, it is important to be sure there is a good fit between you and your counselor. It is recommended that you do not necessarily settle on the first therapist you find, or just pick someone who is a provider on your insurance panel! It is smart to “shop around” until you find someone with whom you feel a good connection – someone who has the combination of knowledge, experience, and emotional supportiveness that you are comfortable with.
Other Factors:
The following are additional considerations to make before choosing a potential therapist:
Training/Education
N.C. law states that anyone can call themselves a “counselor,” with or without any particular education or training. A “therapist,” however, must have a Master’s Degree or Doctorate, with very specific training for their specialty. Student therapists are working towards a Master’s Degree or Doctorate and have the requisite educational training to consult with clients when they are involved in an accredited graduate school program. They are working under the supervision of other licensed therapists and state approved supervisors.
Licensure/Certification
While a license/certification is certainly no guarantee of quality or skill level, it is helpful to know that a therapist has fulfilled the state’s requirements for training and education, or is in the process of working towards licensure. When a therapist is licensed by a state board, s/he is held to the highest standard of ethical and legal professionalism in the counseling profession.
One More Suggestion:
Ask Questions!
Remember that in the therapist/client relationship, you are the customer! You have the right to have all of your questions answered about therapy and qualifications of the therapist. One important question clients might consider asking potential therapists is whether or not they have been in therapy themselves, and what have they learned and gained from it.
We believe that in order for counselors to provide the highest level of service to their clients, they themselves must be living healthy and empowered lives. This allows clients to have a role-model for healthy living! If your potential therapist does not have any experience as a client, s/he will probably not be able to identify with being on the "client side of the couch." Therapists have to be able to "do what they teach," so to speak.
Interview potential therapists before you make a decision about contracting with them for services, and be sure you feel confident about working with them.
