Here are some things to consider when choosing a family counselor.
Does your insurance cover family therapy? Some health insurance plans cover family therapy or mental health services. Check with your employer to see if some local marriage and family therapists are covered under your health insurance benefit.
What about an Employee Assistance Program? Many employers offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for their employees. The EAP can be a good place to start finding therapy options. Most EAP's follow an "assess and refer" model that will connect you with a therapist that will work for your family. And the service is usually free or has a very small co-payment. Your employer's human resources department can let you know if an EAP is an option for you and how to access the EAP.
Ask Your Doctor. Family doctors can often refer patients to a qualified marriage and family counseling service. Consider asking your doctor for recommendations.
Pastoral Care. If you are affiliated with a religious community, you can ask your minister, pastor, rabbi or the like for suggestions. Often families with a strong religious background will choose a counselor of their own faith.
Online Referrals. The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy offers an online therapist locator servicethat will let you search by geographic area for association members.
Personal Recommendations. One of the best sources for therapist referrals are people who have benefited from a therapist's services. If a family you know has been to counseling, ask them about their experience with their therapist.
Questions to Ask. When interviewing a therapist for possibly working with your family, you should ask the following questions:
- Where did you get your professional degrees?
- Is your degree is in family therapy or a related discipline?
- Who supervised your first clinical years?
- How long have you been in practice?
- What is your experience treating my specific problem?
- What is your philosophical approach to family counseling? There are different schools within family therapy, and you want to know how the therapist you are choosing looks at families, and what sorts of strategies he or she uses.
Deciding to turn to marriage and family counseling for dealing with family problems is a big step. But it is necessary and helpful step when the family's own resources for solving problems is insufficient, or when problems seem insurmountable. Trying family counseling is not admitting defeat-it is an important step to helping build a family's toolbox and resources.