The Practice of Marriage and Family Therapy in the USA Dr. Suzanne Bartle- Haring, 輔大兒家系演講

Dr. Suzanne Bartle-Haring Education Background: Ph.D. Family Science, U. of Connecticut M.S. Marriage and Family Therapy, U. of Cinnecticut B.S. Psychology, Penn State U. Position: Director, MFT Program, Associate Professor, HDFS, Ohio State U. Therapy approach: Bowenian Therapy with an experiential twist

The Beginning Started in the 1940’s after World War II Scientists were interested in Battle Fatigue or what is now Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Schizophrenia Some of those scientists believed that family played a part in the symptoms (Gregory Bateson, Carl Whitaker, Murray Bowen, Virginia Satir)

Progress As these scientists made progress in their studies, they also began to intervene, or try to help these families. This was the beginning of family therapy in the United States. In 1962 the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy was founded. Also in 1962, California was the first state to license marriage and family therapists.

Progress From 1962 to the present: 48 of the 50 states in the US license marriage and family therapists. To get a license to practice you must have certain classes or studies: theory, assessment, diagnosis, ethics, research. You also have to have a certain number of client contact hours during your graduate program.

Education and Practice Most states require a masters degree and at least 300 hours of face to face client contact with couples and families for licensure. There are core competencies that must be demonstrated: systems assessment, joining, theory knowledge, diagnosis, case management and ethics.

Practice -- Intake An intake assessment: learn what the problem is, learn when the problem started, and how it effects the family members. Joining and therapeutic alliance: building a trusting relationship with all members of the family is the most important step in the process.

Practice I usually start by asking people what they do for a living, how the couple met, what they liked about each other when they met, and the process of their courtship. Then I ask what brought them to therapy, and why now. Then we enter the “battle for structure:” usually people think that only one person needs to come in, or only the people most bothered by the problem.

Practice My job is to make sure that everyone comes to the therapy sessions, no matter what the problem is. Once we get everyone to come in, then we start the “battle for initiative:” most people think it is the therapist’s job to tell them what the problem is and how to fix it. Actually people do better when they come up with their own solutions to their problems. They need to take the initiative to start coming up with solutions,

Practice Once they start to consider ways of solving their problem then we are doing “the work” of therapy. As a therapist I am a catalyst for change, I facilitate their discussions, and guide them in coming up with their own solutions. It is important to point out to people that they are capable of solving their own struggles, so they know that when problems come again, they will know that they can come up with their own solutions.

Practice -- Termination The final stage of therapy is termination: this is when you start to say good-bye. You let the family know what you have learned from them and what progress you have seen them make. Then you say that they can always come back if they feel the need to, but you think they are ready to be on their own for now.