The importance of a Marriage and Family Therapist for Relational Work

Many people seeking therapy are unaware that there are actually several different types of licensed therapists and that each licensure has a different education and training that goes with it. The four main types of therapists are Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors ( LPCC), Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors ( LADC) , Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists ( LMFT). The licensed part is important, because it shows that the person has completed all the examinations and clinical hours needed to provide therapy in their designated state/ jurisdiction. Depending on the state you live in, there are variations in the names and abbreviations of each of these licenses, but in general, LPCCs training is focused primarily on treating individuals and groups emotional, mental and behavioral disorders. LCSW’s primary focus is on social systems, advocacy and connecting clients to resources, LADC’s are focused on treating addiction and guiding clients into recovery and LMFT’s training is focused on helping couples, families and individuals with relational based issues. All of these licenses have the ability to diagnose mental health disorders and provide therapy, its a matter of which ones training and background is best suited to your needs, and when it comes to relational issues, LMFT’s by far receive the most focused training on treating relational challenges. Thats because LMFT’s view everything systemically and approach issues not from an individualistic view point, but in the context of all things being interconnected and interacting with each other.

Marriage and family therapists are trained in several specific family therapy models, including strategic family therapy, structural family therapy, humanistic family therapy, experiential family therapy and narrative family therapy, to name a few. These theories of practice provide us with a solid foundation to approach issues that individuals, couples and families bring in with a wide lens of curiosity about the client’s whole world, not just about their symptoms. It also trains us to navigate the complex healing that often must happen within a relational dynamic when there has been broken trust, loss or another relational rupture. To view the world through the eyes of a therapist who thinks systemically is to see all the moving parts at once, and to be able to anticipate if we move one piece on the board, how that may impact the rest. Family therapists know how to shake things up to allow healing to happen, where as some therapists not trained in these approaches may be more cautious, or fail to see the systemic threads that need pulling.

Marriage and family therapists also view the relationship as their client when working with a couple or family, which often changes the way the therapy is conducted in the room. If every intervention is done with the intention of aiding the relationship over the individuals, the therapist is modeling the importance of prioritizing the relationship over the individual, a concept which in our culture, is foreign.

All this to say, that therapists who are not LMFT’s but have received relational training in some other context may be as competent to provide couple and family work. Gottman Therapy, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, Imago Couples Therapy, RLT and any of the training models listed above would provide someone a good foundation into doing relational work. It will be important to ask the therapist what training they do have before beginning work with them, as someone who does not have adequate relational training can sometimes do more harm than good. Asking them questions about what sort of relational training they have, what experience they have seeing couples/ families and navigating the issue you are presenting with and discussing their theory of change with you are good places to start.

So, do marriage and family therapists see individuals or only couples and families? We can see them all, and often do see individuals who are presenting with a relational challenge. Because of our focus on relationships, we help individuals navigate how to communicate more effectively, set healthier boundaries, and make relational changes in their world that benefit their overall sense of wellbeing. In my experience as a therapist, most mental health symptoms such as anxiety, depression and trauma are a direct result of some sort of relational issue ( past or present) and when we can resolve the relational issue, the symptoms diminish.

Whatever therapist you choose, be sure that you feel safe, heard and supported in your therapy sessions. You should always bring concerns or curiosities about what type of therapy you are doing and why your therapist thinks its helpful into the session; taking an active role in your healing is empowering and enlightening !