Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in the Practice of Marriage and Family Therapy

A best-selling text rich in case studies that reflects on the unique complexities of marriage, couples, and family counseling. Now updated to reflect the new Ethical Code – An examination of the 2012 Code of Ethics of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Developed for students, educators, supervisors, and practitioners alike, this text examines the significant classical and contemporary issues in marriage and family therapy. The text opens with a thoughtful discussion of client and therapist worldviews, value sensitive care, the ecology of therapy, and commonalities between personal and professional acculturation. Following the book’s preliminary discussion, the text moves on to consider the legal, ethical, and professional issues that marriage and family therapists face each day as well as the best strategies for navigating these issues.

The updated Fifth Edition includes a number of new topics, including multicultural issues reflecting institutional oppression; boundary, competency, and liability concerns associated with technology-based client care; the significance of supervision in both skill acquisition and professional acculturation in one’s early career; nontraditional family care; conflicts between legal and ethical obligations; emerging issues in MFT licensure; and ethical and empirical considerations related to evidence-based care.

Thoughtful and reflective, this best-selling text on marriage and family therapy opens with a groundbreaking discussion of value-sensitive care, the ecology of therapy, and acculturation. Armed with this extensive knowledge and insight, students then delve into the traditional and contemporary issues surrounding marriage and family counseling today, broken down into legal, ethical and professional considerations.

The updated Fifth Edition includes a number of new topics, including multicultural issues reflecting institutional oppression; the significance of supervision in both skill acquisition and professional acculturation in one’s early career; nontraditional family care; conflicts between legal and ethical obligations; emerging issues in MFT licensure; and ethical and empirical considerations related to evidence-based care.

New Features:

• New Ethical Code – An examination of the 2012 Code of Ethics of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

  Case examples located in three special chapters allow readers to consider realistic client situations and considerations as they cover related topics and content in the text.  
• “Reflections” features located throughout the text offer illustrations and accompanying stimulus questions that promote discussions and thought in graduate classes, group settings, or other forums of professional dialogue. 
• A revised discussion of value-sensitive care and the ecology of therapy concerning layers of values and sources of power within families allow readers to examine the distinct and often competing personal and systemic factors affecting their care for clients. 
• An emphasis on professional acculturation in decision-making provides pre-service counselors with a unique framework for examining dissonance and finding balance in the personal and professional roles of therapists.  
• An examination of mandatory versus discretionary actions in ethical behavior helps students distinguish between the compelling requirements in ethical codes versus their responsible freedom for judgment based on their professional acculturation in ethical decision-making. 
• An expanded discussion of multicultural concerns give readers the opportunity to consider both established and novel strategies for increasing their culturally sensitive care with individuals, couples, and families. 
• Coverage of emergent legal issues and recent court cases give readers the opportunity to contemplate their existing therapy, supervisory, instructional, or research practices in light of contemporary legal decisions. 
• Coverage of new professional issues and research allow readers to reflect upon the most current information affecting their professional identity, options for professional development, and anticipated challenges for care with individuals, couples, and families.
• A revised format and updated references provides students with an even more thoughtful presentation of information as well as a significant number of new references and resources.