WELCOME TO MY PRACTICE

“MFT” stands for “Marriage and Family Therapist”. The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) defines Marriage and Family Therapists as “relationship specialists who treat persons involved in interpersonal relationships. They are trained to assess, diagnose and treat individuals, couples, families, and groups to achieve more adequate, satisfying and productive marriage, family and social adjustments. They are licensed by the State of California. Requirements for licensure include a related doctoral or two year master’s degree, passage of an examination, and completion of at least 3,000 hours of supervised experience.” Thus an “MFT” can be a social worker, a psychologist, a counselor, etc. I have a Master of Arts in Psychology.

Marriage and Family Therapists are licensed by the BOARD of BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE, they are bound by a professional code of ethics, abide by the laws and regulations affecting the profession, participate in professional organizations, engage in activities to keep up-to-date in a changing professional environment, treat patients only within the scope of their license and competence, refer patients to other qualified practitioners when appropriate or necessary. Competent MFTs do not offer solutions: they help patients find solutions according to their patients’ individual values and lifestyles. MFTs are not judgmental. Patients can expect their therapies to be kept confidential, excepted as otherwise required by law -- as when the therapist is required to report child abuse or to hospitalize a suicidal patient.

After discussing fees over the phone, I hand you a written agreement containing important information about my professional services and business policies. In my service contract, you will also be alert to the following:
1. psychotherapy is not like a medical visit; you will leave my office without a “prescription”.
2. psychotherapy can have benefits and risks. Since you will be probably discussing unpleasant
aspects of your life, you might leave my office feeling sad, guilty, angry, lonely, etc. But in the long run, you will learn how to cope with these feelings in better ways -- although I cannot guarantee.
3. psychotherapy involves an evaluation, a recommendation, and a treatment plan. Rather than
thinking of psychotherapy as a “treatment”, though, I recommend that you think of it as a “process” and as an “experience of being in relationship” -- a chance for changing.
4. psychotherapy involves a large commitment of time, money, and energy, so you must be careful about the therapist you select. I encourage you to read my article in order to have a more clear idea about the way I think about the analytic process -- or psychotherapy.

It seems important to me to tell you about the professional associations that I choose to belong to -- I hope it will say something about my sense of commitment to my profession and to my clinical orientation as well.

1. The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (www.camft.org).
2. The American Psychoanalytic Association -- “Psychotherapist Associates” (www.apsa.org).
3. The San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute & Society -- “Friends” (www.sfpis.org).