The Practice of Marriage and Family Therapy in the USA
Dr. Suzanne Bartle- Haring,
2006.3. 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