What does a family therapist do?
The main focus of a family therapist or marriage counselor is to gain an overall understanding of the issues that are faced by the couple or all members of the family rather than those of a specific individual. This is accomplished through scheduled appointments in which several family members meet jointly with the therapist to converse about the problems that are having a significantly negative impact on relationships within the family element. Marriage counselors and family therapists are responsible for identifying psychological disorders that one or more patients in a couple or family unit may have, and counseling those patients who have suffered life-altering crises such as divorce or death, and helping all participants in the session to strengthen their communications with one another. They must also have the ability to recognize troublesome behavior patterns within a family unit and to suggest techniques that will allow these destructive behaviors to be replaced with ones that a
