Marriage and family therapists - licensed specialists UK

Seek marriage counselling services online - UK - USA

If you are considering visiting a marriage and family therapist, the most important thing to do is find out how much training they have, and if they are licensed in the UK.

A therapist may be highly qualified in individual counselling but lack the specific experience which would make them the right choice as a marriage and family therapist.

Common sense dictates that visiting an expert in the field is the best idea, but there are other considerations, such as their approach and how you and your spouse relate to them.

To find a licensed marriage and family therapist and learn more about the law and ethics associated with the profession, try the UK based Relate organisation. There is also lots of information online about this and other kinds of therapy if you follow the connections at the top and side of this site.

Desperate Housewives, the recent TV hit on both sides of the Atlantic, provided a witty window on some of the trials and tribulations – and huge variations – involved in married life. One couple in the series attend marriage counselling, but showed that it is afterwards, at home, that they must do most of the work towards reconciliation. TV show it may be but the point is an important one: visiting a marriage and family therapist is not a cure-all, though it may be the first important step to recovery

In the end it is only we who have the power to change our own lives, but the right kind of outside help can be vital. If you are considering visiting a marriage and family therapist, or indeed any other kind, it’s worth bearing in mind that, first of all, you must find a qualified therapist who is right for you in terms of personality, approach and experience.

The basic ethical requirement of any therapist is, as it is of a doctor, not to abuse the trust placed in them, and to ‘first do no harm’. There’s a story in the life of Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, which in an extreme way illustrates the dangers of an over-intrusive therapist.

The great man strongly advised a protégé and patient to drastically change his marital situation despite the man’s doubts, a decision which ultimately resulted in much distress for all parties. That was a long time ago in a different world, but it serves as a reminder that it’s important to not only work with a good therapist but, at the same time, listen to your heart.

© The Pink Fridge Online Magazine 2008 - Marriage and Family Therapists