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Research indicates that Marital and Family Therapy
is as effective, and in some cases more effective, than standard and/or individual treatments, for many mental health
problems.
According to AAMFT, Marital and Family Therapists (MFTs) regularly practice short-term therapy; 12 sessions
on average. Marital/couples therapy (11.5 sessions) and family therapy (9 sessions) both require less time than the
average individuated treatment (13 sessions). I have found this to be true of most of my cases, with my average case
lasting two to four months.
Research studies repeatedly demonstrate the effectiveness of marriage and
family therapy in treating the full range of mental and emotional disorders and health problems. Studies also show that
clients are highly satisfied with services of Marital and Family Therapists. Clients report marked improvement in work productivity,
co-worker relationships, family relationships, partner relationships, emotional health, overall health, social life, and community
involvement.
In a recent study, consumers report that Marital and Family Therapists are the mental health professionals
they would most likely recommend to friends. Over 98 percent of Marital and Family Therapists' clients report therapy
services as good or excellent.
After receiving treatment, almost 90% of clients report an improvement in their
emotional health, and nearly two-thirds report an improvement in their overall physical health. A majority of clients report
an improvement in their functioning at work, and over three-fourths of those receiving marital/couples or family therapy report
an improvement in the couple relationship. When a child is the identified patient, parents report that their child's behavior
improved in 73.7% of the cases, their ability to get along with other children significantly improved and there was improved
performance in school.
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