Pioneers of brief, solution-oriented treatment and trained in family systems theory, MFTs believe that individuals and their problems must be seen in context, and that the most important context is the family. Marriage and family therapy usually requires only a limited number of therapy sessions.
Therapy focuses on changing behavior and communication among people through active interventions.
Typically, other members of the family are involved in treatment, along with significant others in the community such as teachers, welfare workers, clergy and probation officers. MFTs do not work only with whole family units, however. They frequently treat individuals by themselves, couples, and other family subunits. Marriage and family therapy has consistently been shown to be effective in improving family interaction patterns and individual client's behavior, especially for problems involving marital and family conflict.