A licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) has received specialized training and licensure in MFT and can provide structure and guidance as you seek calmer waters…
A marriage and family therapist recognizes the connection between your mental and physical health. An MFT is qualified to help you find solutions to the issues that concern you. The MFT that you see can provide feedback to your health care team (with your permission) and collaborate in your care.
If you have a chronic or major illness, treatment by an MFT can help to improve your recovery and minimize the psychological effects stress has on you and your loved ones. Stress can occur at any age and may even be due to typical life changes such as marriage, new births, illness, school, work, death or grief, and other life issues like substance abuse. Treatment by a licensed marriage and family therapist can help prevent those problems from becoming more serious.
MFTs approach therapy from a view that looks at the context of your life and relationships, as well as the current symptoms you may be having. This is called a “systems” approach, whereby a change in one person influences everyone around that person. MFTs are also the only therapists who are specifically licensed to provide couples and family therapy.
Mental health affects every part of our lives —- how we get along with others and how we react to events and health problems. Researchers have found that mental health issues such as depression can lead to the increase of major illnesses and delay the recovery time of illnesses. Stress and worry can frequently cause physical problems like pain, stomach ailments, and sleep issues.
Marriage and family therapists regularly practice short-term therapy; 12 sessions on average. Nearly 65.6% of the cases are completed within 20 sessions, 87.9% within 50 sessions. Marital/couples therapy (11.5 sessions) and family therapy (9 sessions) both require less than the average individual treatment (13 sessions). About half of the treatment provided by marriage and family therapists is one-on-one with the other half divided between marital/couple and family therapy, or a combination of treatments.
Information provided by www.AAMFT.org.