Been Thinking Of Divorce? Save Marriage With A Marriage Counselor
Have you been considering divorce? Save marriage by seeing a marriage counselor. There are many therapists who say they do marriage counseling, but how do you know which ones are really good? This article will give you a checklist of things to look for in a family therapist.
To begin with, make sure to check their credentials. There are three basic classes of counselors.
The first class of counselors is the Ph.D. or Psy.D. level counselor. These people went to graduate school for a minimum of five years and wrote a dissertation. In addition, they performed a minimum of 3000 hours of therapy under the supervision of an experienced psychologist. In order to legally call yourself a “clinical psychologist” the person must have a doctoral level degree. Ph.D.’s are often more academic in nature and tend to do scholarly and forensic work along with therapy.
Next comes the the M.S.W. This means Master of Social Work. Social Workers are trained to apply social theory to specific situations. They can work in institutions or with individuals.
Third, you will find the M.S. or M.A. in Counseling. Often called a “Marriage and Family Therapist,” these people can only work with individuals or small groups in counseling situations. They tend to have 2 year degrees and may not have written a thesis. They have 1500 hours of therapy under supervision.
Should you think of using your insurance to pay for the marriage counseling, your insurance company will probably direct you to an MSW or a Marriage and Family Therapist because they are less expensive.
It is also vital you know what the price will be. Clinical psychologists tend to be the most expensive while Marriage and Family Therapists are the least expensive. Remember you are trying to stop divorce. Save marriage by finding the best fit not the most (or least) expensive professional.
Don’t just look at the per session cost. Make sure you know what the overall cost for the expected length of treatment will be.
It is common for most group marriage therapists or non profit institutions to have a sliding scale fee based on a couple’s income. If you qualify, this might make counseling affordable when it otherwise might not be.
You also need to examine what policies the therapist has in place. Some of these policies include:
What happens should you either miss or cancel a session?
Will you have to pay for a session if you take a pre-planned vacation?
Will the therapist answer questions outside of the normal session?
Is the therapist available 24/7?
Does the therapist offer someone else you can call in an emergency?
The number one goal of a family counselor should be to help heal your relationship and put your family back together. Saving your marriage should be their ultimate priority. If you don’t think you are in sync with your counselor, move on and find someone who can keep you from divorce and save marriage.
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