The Profession of Couple, Marital, and Family Therapy (CMFT): Defining Ourselves and Moving Forward

Keywords

Couple therapy, marital therapy, family therapy

Abstract

The field of Couple, Marital, and Family Therapy (CMFT) has evolved and strengthened, but we still have work to do when it comes to identity, comprehensive scholarly resources, empirical support, and name brand recognition. We explore the reasons for these challenges and propose ways to address them: embracing the interdisciplinary nature of the field, consistently organizing treatment effectiveness by problem rather than by intervention model, continuing innovation in theory development, and utilizing more diverse and meaningful research methods. This approach provides a more accurate representation of the scope of practice of CMFTs, the range of mental and physical health problems we address, and the depth and extent of the existing research on the effectiveness of relational therapies.

Original Publication Citation

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15426432.2018.1488646?needAccess=true

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2017-11-07

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/5403

Publisher

Journal of Marital and Family Therapy

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Sociology

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

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