www.marriagefriendlytherapists.com - Marriage Friendly Therapists
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Frequently Asked Questions for Prospective Therapists


 

                                                  

Therapist FAQ

 

Feel free to contact us with additional questions so that we can add to this list of Frequently Asked Questions.

 

How will Therapists get referrals through the Registry?

There are multiple ways to receive referrals:

  1. Couples/Individuals can go online and email us to connect them with a therapist in their community; we will email them therapists’ contact information according to their needs. 
  2. Couples/Individuals can call us and ask us to connect them with a therapist in their community; we will email them therapists’ contact information according to their needs. 
  3. Couples/Individuals can go onto our website and view the profile of therapists in their state and contact the therapist directly; send an email from our website, contact number listed or by visiting their website. 
  4. Referral sources in the community may contact us for a list of registered therapists and then refer directly. 
  5. If therapists choose to advertise that they are on the Registry (via methods such as business cards, professional announcements, or Yellow Pages advertising), couples may contact therapists directly because of their connection with the Registry.
 

How will therapists know if a specific referral comes from the Registry?

This is a bit complicated. If we make a direct referral through the website, we will let you know through email that we gave out your contact information. If a local referral source requests a list of therapists on the Registry, we will let you know who expressed interest so that you can be on the lookout for referrals from that source; however, you may not know for sure that a specific couple comes through a Registry referral source. Similarly, if you receive referrals because you publicize the fact that you are on the Registry, you also may not know for sure whether a specific couple came through the Registry. The bottom line: we expect the Registry to help your practice in a number of ways, some of them visible and some invisible.

 

Why use the term "marriage therapists" in the name of the Registry? Why not "couples therapists"? Are you pro LGBTQ?

The simple answer is that we believe in marriage as a value, a relationship, and a social institution.  We do not want to water down the term by just saying “couple,” because couple can denote a transient bond, a serious but not permanent commitment, or a life long commitment.  The Registry is intended mostly for couples with a life long commitment, which in our society generally means marriage.

 

Some colleagues, fearing that the Registry’s name will be seen as making a political statement against committed cohabiting couples or same sex couples, have urged us to use terms such as “enduring conjugal unions,” but we prefer not to invent a new term.  Most people know what marriage means, even if there is societal debate about who should be permitted to marry.  Our mission is not to engage in the culture war about marriage, but to help couples who consider themselves married to find competent therapists to support their marriage.

 

Then is the Registry only for married couples? Will you exclude others?

We will not screen out any couple who wants help for their relationship.  Therapists describe their clinical practice on a web page that potential clients can visit. It will be up each couple to inquire about the therapist’s practice and expertise with couples in their own situation.

 

What kind of business is the Registry?

When we began planning the Registry, we assumed it would be a not-for-profit organization, but we were quickly advised that the IRS would not regard us that way—because the core activity of the Registry involves bringing paying clients to therapists.  Therefore, we have brought this project to life as Limited Liability company:  The National Registry of Marriage Friendly Therapists, LLC..  But we intend to abide by our ethical standards as professionals, which means putting people before profits.

 

How is the Registry different from similar web-based referral directories of therapists?

Most of the existing web-based referral sources require only that therapist have a license.  They have no additional requirements for years of experience, for specific clinical training in marriage therapy, for current specialization in marriage therapy, or for the therapist’s value orientation about marriage and commitment.

 
Featured members section on the homepage

The featured membership plan is offered at a higher rate than the standard plan, but featured members are showcased on our homepage and always appear at the top of search results. On average, our featured members get twice as many profile views compared to members on the standard plan members. If you are not currently a member, you can sign up for either the Monthly Plan or the Annual Plan (the annual plan will save you $96 per year). If you are currently on the Standard plan and want to upgrade to the Featured Plan, please fill out the form on our Contact page and let us know that you want to upgrade your current membership.

What does the "service area" mean for my profile?

Your office address automatically creates a 25 mile radius in which you will show up when any search is done using our standard search bar. If you want to show up in any searches beyond that 25 mile radius then you can input an additional city name as a service area and you will then show up in searches that are done within a 25 mile radius of that city also. The service areas are mostly beneficial to therapists in rural areas or for telehealth outreach beyond your local area. For telehealth outreach it is most productive to input large, densely populated cities so that your profile is exposed to larger numbers of people within that 25 mile radius. Example: my office is in Anaheim, CA and I might input San Diego and Los Angeles as my additional service areas.
Pro Tip: Choose cities that are at least 30 miles away from your office location as your service areas.

Why not just send couples to any licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT)?

LMFTs have course work in marriage and couples therapy, and many do good work with couples.   But licensure requirements do not ensure significant clinical training with couples (as opposed to individuals and whole families).  Holding an LMFT also says nothing about whether the therapist currently specializes in marriage and couples therapy, or about the therapist’s values about marriage and divorce.  Indeed, many marriage and family therapists say they are neutral about whether their clients stay married or divorce.  Professional ethics codes, including those of marriage and family therapists, are silent on the value of marriage and life-long commitment.  If we thought that it was sufficient for couples to locate a licensed marriage and family therapist, or a member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, we would not have started the Registry.

 

How did you decide on the fee?

There were several considerations.  First, we do not want to charge couples for the service because we felt it would be a barrier; this means that therapists will bear the expense.  Second, to make the Registry viable on a national scale, we need to raise enough revenue to advertise widely to therapists and the lay public.  Third, Registry fees are in the ballpark of the dues of many professional membership organizations.  Fourth, other web-based Registries for therapists have similar levels of annual fees.

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