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Marriage and Family

In: Religion Topics

Submitted By myboo1975
Words 2881
Pages 12
ABSTRACT
Due to the many challenges that couples and families are faced with, they may find themselves dealing with problems and situations that they are unsure how to resolve. It is during this time, couples or families may seek out the help of marriage therapist. The purpose of this paper is to examine a brief history and the development of marriage and family therapy, and its importance to the counseling field. Five aspects of this field will be discussed: roles of marriage and family therapist, training and licensure requirements, techniques used in marriage and family therapy, client or therapist initiated termination, and confidentiality. Also, important elements of counselor identity, function, and ethics related to marriage family therapy will also be discussed. The author will also provide biblical values and insights related to the field of marriage and family therapy. In conclusion, the author will discuss their commitment to provide biblically- Keywords: family therapy, marriage therapy

Marriage and Family Therapy
Because of the many challenges families are faced with, marriage and family therapy has received increased attention. Overtime, the family structure has become more diverse. Families are no longer your typical nuclear family, where Father, Mother, and children live under one roof. At the present time, families may consist of step-parents, step-children, grandparents, adopted children, single parents, aunts and uncles, and same-sex couples (Smith, Carlson, Stevens- Smith, & Dennison, 2005).
The problems confronting families are more perplexing than they once were. In the United Stated about half of marriages remain intact. Every year over a million divorces take place, and for every 1,000 people there are 4.2 divorces. Many of the people who divorce remarry within 2 to 5 years. One-quarter of children, younger than 18, reside

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