We have started arguing over petty things. Gayle Peterson, Ph.D. MSSW Gayle Peterson, MSSW, PhD is a family therapist specializing in prenatal and family development. Like any investment, your choice of a marriage counselor should be made carefully to ensure the greatest potential for a healthy return. Training, credentials, experience and personality style are all important to consider when hiring a counselor to assist in repairing or strengthening your marriage. Whether you hire a psychiatrist, psychologist, clinical social worker or marriage and family counselor, it is important that the consultant you choose has sufficient training and experience in marriage and family therapy.
Credentials can be misleading.
For example, up until several years ago, marriage and family counselors in California often received licensure with this title without any requirement that they be trained or experienced in marital and family venues. Many who chose to specialize in individual development became well qualified for individual counseling but relatively weak in addressing the marital system. Therefore, no matter what credentials you choose, it is necessary that you ask the consulting professional if she or he has formal and extensive training in marital counseling and what percentage of his or her present work is with couples. Psychiatrists are the least likely to be trained in marital and family counseling, while social workers are more likely to receive training in family systems. Though not always true, the focus of psychiatry on pharmacological and more traditional analytic methodology leaves less time for devoting significant study to family and marital study.