CLINICAL-PRACTICE PATTERNS OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS - A NATIONAL SURVEY OF THERAPISTS AND THEIR CLIENTS

This report presents the first national data on the mental health serv ices provided by marriage and family therapists. A sample of 526 thera pists from 15 states gave descriptive information on their training, l evel of experience, and professional practices, along with detailed in formation on recently completed cases. In addition, 492 of these thera pists' clients reported on their satisfaction with treatment and their change in functioning. The findings indicated that marriage and famil y therapists treat a wide range of serious mental health and relationa l problems, that they do so in relatively short-term fashion, that the y use individual, couple, and family treatment modalities, that couple and family therapy are briefer than individual therapy, and that clie nt satisfaction and functional improvement are quite high.