How to Choose a Marriage Counselor
You have made the decision to contact a marriage counselor. The
next question is "How to choose the right marriage counselor?"
The success of your counseling experience will relate directly
to your compatibility with your counselor.
Before you call a Marriage Counselor
Ask yourself why you are consulting a marriage counselor. Define
your issues as best as you can in order to communicate them to
your prospective therapist. Outline what you would like to gain
from counseling. Is it important to you that a marriage
counselor be familiar with the issues at hand? Do you prefer a
marriage counselor that is married? Is it important that your
marriage counselor has raised children? Do you have a preference
as to a female or male marriage counselor? How far are you
willing to commute to a marriage counselor's office? What hours
are you available to commit to counseling sessions?
Fees
Decide what you can afford to pay a marriage counselor. There a
several questions you may want to ask a marriage counselor with
regards to fees, such as:
How much does the therapist charge per session? Does the
therapist charge according to income (sliding scale)? Is there a
policy concerning vacations and missed or canceled sessions? Is
there a charge? Will your health insurance cover you if you see
this therapist? Will the therapist want you to pay after each
session, or will you be billed periodically?
Questions to Ask a Family & Marriage Counselor
Other questions to keep in mind while searching for a marriage
counselor you are comfortable with include:
How many times a week will the therapist want to see you? How
long is a typical session? How long does the therapist expect
treatment to last? What are some of the treatment approaches
likely to be used? Does the therapist accept phone calls at the
office or at home? When your therapist is out of town or
otherwise unavailable, is there someone else you can call if an
emergency arises? Are there any limitations on confidentiality?
Credentials
Marriage counselors' academic degrees are different. The type of
credentials may be of importance to you throughout your search
for the right marriage counselor.
M.S.W.: Master of Social Work Social Workers apply social work
theory, knowledge, methods and ethics to restore or enhance the
functioning (social, psychosocial) of individuals, couples,
families, and groups, as well as organizations and communities.
M.F.C.C.: Marriage, Family and Child Counselor An MFCC therapist
has earned a Master of Science degree in counseling with a
specialization in marriage, family and child issues. MFCC's are
trained to understand problems from both individual and family
systems perspectives; develop intervention skills; incorporate
cultural, age-specific, and gender-respectful understanding in
theory and practice; and handle clinical, ethical, legal and
general professional aspects of their practice.
M.F.T.: Marriage and Family Therapist A marriage and family
therapist has earned a master's degree in social work with a
particular emphasis on relationships. This professional is
interested in who each person is within the context of their
family, both past and present. Marriage and family therapy
applies therapeutic techniques and focuses on issues of human
development, communication skills, and interpersonal
relationships.
L.C.S.W.: Licensed Clinical Social Worker The LCSW is a state
licensure designation for practitioners with a master's or
doctoral degree in social work. Clinical Social Work, a practice
specialty of Social Work, utilizes social work theory,
knowledge, methods, and ethics to restore or enhance the
functioning of individuals, couples, families, and groups, as
well as organizations and communities.
Call Around
Once your search has been narrowed to a handful of marriage
counselors, pick up the phone. Most therapists will have a brief
phone consultation with you and answer most questions you might
have. The phone consultation is a great way to determine if you
and the prospective marriage counselor might work well together.