Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling

Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling: 

Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling Professional Identity Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling Professional Identity One of your tasks as you progress through the courses in your program is to develop your understanding of the profession of Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling. What do Marriage and Family Therapists or Counselors do? Where do they practice? What values and assumptions do they base their practice on? How does Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling differ from other fields such as mental health counseling, social work, and clinical psychology? As you deepen your understanding of how you fit into the field of Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling as a practitioner, your sense of professional identity also develops. In this assignment, you will begin this process. Instructions There are two parts to this assignment. Part 1 (approximately three pages excluding cover page and references) In this part of the assignment, you will explore the profession of Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling: Describe the historical context of when and how Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling emerged as a separate profession. How does Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling differ from other helping professions (mental health counseling, social work, clinical psychology)? What populations do Marriage and Family Therapists or Counselors work with? Where do Marriage and Family Therapists or Counselors practice? Do they participate on multidisciplinary teams in some settings? What do Marriage and Family Therapists or Counselors do? What skills, knowledge, and characteristics do Marriage and Family Therapists or Counselors need? What beliefs and assumptions do Marriage and Family Therapists or Counselors base their practice on? Part 2 (approximately half a page) In this part of the assignment, you will apply what you have learned so far about Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling to your vision for your own practice. You will do this by writing a professional mission statement for yourself. Professional mission statements are sometimes used by therapists and counselors to help prospective clients understand their approach, skills, beliefs, and interests. Whether or not you decide to use your mission statement with clients or employers, or just keep it for your own use, having a clear picture in your mind of the practice you want to build will help you keep focused as you develop as a practitioner. There are some sample mission statements linked in Resources below. You will see that some are simple and some are more involved. As you develop your own mission statement, consider the following questions. What population or populations would you like to focus your practice on? Where would you like to practice? What beliefs and assumptions about people, relationships, and how change happens would you base your practice on? What therapeutic approaches would you base your practice on based on what you know now? Your professional mission statement is not static and will change as you progress through your program and start your practice. Submission Requirements Your paper should meet the following requirements: Written communication: Write coherently to support central ideas, with correct grammar usage and mechanics. Length of paper: 3–4 typed, double-spaced pages, not including the title page and reference page. References: Use at least four different sources. These can come from assigned unit readings, peer-reviewed journals, professional organizations or other scholarly resources. APA formatting: Follow the current APA guidelines for style and formatting, as well as for citing your resources in the body of your paper and on the Reference page. Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point. Resources