Marriage and family therapy (MFT) is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on addressing issues such as depression, marital problems, psychological problems, anxiety, alcohol and drug abuse, and child-parent conflict that arise within the context of marriage, relationships, and family system.
Marriage and family therapy is unique because it involves multiple family members and highly sensitive information. Due to this nature, therapists ought to follow ethical guidelines to effectively overcome the ethical challenges they might face in the process.
These ethical principles include but not limited to,
1. competency to practice
Issues surrounding families such as sexual concerns, violence, infidelity, and other severe forms of disruptions within a family setup are very sensitive. This demands a proper approach from competent therapists with diverse specialized skills with core training in the filed. Therapists who decide to go into practice without core training risks potentially breaching the duty of care to clients.
2. Confidentiality
Confidentiality in MFT arises because the client is usually more than one person. Therapists should inform the family members of their right to confidentiality before treatment begins. Therapists should not disclose information shared with them privately by an individual family member to other members of that family.
3. Informed consent
Usually, it is one member of the family that seeks therapeutic help who later coerce and convince other members of the family to join the treatment. The initial member is the only point of contact that the therapist has, especially outside office hours. If for instance, the therapists decide to reschedule an appointment, he or she will inform the initial member to pass on the information to other members who might, as a result, feel unfairly excluded in the process.
4. Dual relationships
Although a family is viewed as a single client, it often involves multiple alliances. Each member has their own needs, which might be conflicting in view of other member’s needs. The therapists might find it a challenge trying to remain neutral and not prioritize one member’s needs against the other. The therapist has to remain neutral and not to take any side when dealing with a family unit.
5. Personal Values
sometimes, the therapist’s personal values and the way he or she views issues relating to families such as divorce and child rearing methods might manifest during treatment, which might pose a great challenge. The therapist must, at all times, try to maintain professional boundaries and neutrality and advice clients that the final decision is ultimately their own.
It is evident that, apart from a therapist’s experience and intuition, ethical guidelines play a critical role in ensuring success in the marriage and family therapy field.
