Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Professional Counselling And Therapy In Lafayette, Louisiana

Marriage and Family Counsellors in Louisiana is individuals who are licensed to assess and treat mental and emotional traumas in a marriage, between couples or within a family system. You will find that these professionals are trained in psychotherapy and family systems (and usually possess a minimum of two years clinical experience). The primary focus of therapists in Louisiana is the long term well being of individuals and their families. As a rule, family therapists practice short term therapy which is around 12 sessions on an average. The treatment you received from a marital and family therapist could either be one to one or for a couple/marital or for a family.

Marriage and Family therapies are now highly prominent in the mental health field in Louisiana. The key reason for this is its demonstrated effectiveness which is achieved through adopting a solution focused treatment, and keeping the family as the main point of focus. Lafayette Louisiana social worker has achieved its standing as a professional discipline, and is now offered as a graduate or a post graduate program. For those interested in pursuing this line of work and becoming marriage and family therapists/licensed counsellor, they can choose from three options, a master’s degree, a doctoral program or post-graduate clinical training programs.

In order to gain certification and get a license to practice, one needs to graduate from an accredited program and follow it up by a period of post degree supervised clinical experience (this is usually two years). At the end of the supervised clinical experience, the therapist is eligible to take a state licensing exam. Alternatively, the national examination for marriage and family therapists conducted by the AAMFT Regulatory Boards can be taken. Most states use this exam as a licensure requirement.

If you are looking for a marriage and family counsellor or couples counselling in Louisiana to assist yourself and your family, this is not a difficult task. With the advent of technology and the increased availability of the internet, the phone book as a primary source of information is a thing of the past. Information is now available at the click of a button. A lot of counsellors in Louisiana have their own website, which can provide you with the information you need. Word of mouth still remains the most popular way of getting referrals, so speak to your friends and family.

Once you have done your research and narrowed down your options to a select few therapists, the best thing to do is to contact them by telephone. Most professional counsellors and therapists in Louisiana will be willing to have a brief telephone consultation and answer any preliminary questions you might have. Telephone consultations are a great way to establish whether you and the counsellor will have a good rapport and can share a good working relationship. As with all things, there is a possibility of some ‘red flags’ or warning signs materialising and should this happen, it may be time to reconsider your Mills counseling services that you are seeing in Louisiana.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Professional Counsellors To Your Rescue

The first thing to do when these ‘red flags’ spring up is to discuss the matter straightforwardly with your counsellor. It is also important to be candid about what is bothering you. A good professional counsellor or therapist should be ready and willing to listen to your concerns and act upon them accordingly within reason. If you find that your counsellor or therapist in Louisiana is not open to your feedback or is unwilling to pay attention to your concerns, the best route to take is to probably consult another therapist or counsellor.

Most counsellors and therapists are conscientious and well meaning individuals with experience who are usually willing to take responsibility. They are however human and it is worthwhile being willing to oversee minor mistakes. It is also the case that sometimes what individuals may perceive to be an issue from the therapist’s side may in fact be an issue of their own. It is imperative to recognise these “blind spots” and talking them through with your therapist or counsellor in Louisiana. Marriage and Family therapies in Louisiana prominence in the mental health field has increased due to its brief, solution-focused treatment, its family-centered approach, and its demonstrated effectiveness. Marriage and family therapy is a distinct professional discipline with graduate and post graduate programs. Three options are available for those interested in becoming a marriage and family therapist: master's degree, doctoral program, or post-graduate clinical training programs. After graduation from an accredited program, a period - usually two years - of post-degree supervised clinical experience is necessary before licensure or certification. When the supervision period is completed, the therapist can take a state licensing exam or the national examination for marriage and family therapists conducted by the AAMFT Regulatory Boards. This exam is used as a licensure requirement in most states.

Searching for a marriage counseling in louisiana that will assist you and your loved ones should not be difficult. Thanks to technology and the internet, we no longer rely on the phone book as our primary source of information. Consult the internet, you can find out a lot about a counsellor in Louisiana from their website. Ask your friends and family, word of mouth is effective in regards to referrals. Once your search has been narrowed to a handful of marriage counsellors in Louisiana, pick up the phone. Most therapists in Louisiana will have a brief phone consultation with you and answer questions you might have. A good therapist in Louisiana should be open and willing to understand your concerns. If your counsellor in Louisiana doesn’t take your concerns seriously or is unwilling to accept feedback, then it’s probably in your best interest to consult with another therapist about it. Most therapists mean well and are willing to take accountability for their own “stuff.” So, it’s also important to give your therapist in Louisiana the benefit of the doubt all people make minor mistakes.

Sometimes what people think is their therapist’s issue, is actually their own. These “blind spots” can be the most difficult to see and are well worth taking about with your therapist in Louisiana.