As a family therapist who understands the origins of family systems theory in the US, the idea that marriage and family therapists should understand that the very idea of a system -- whether it is a family system or any other kind of human system -- should apply to everyone in this country is non-negotiable.

Practicing marriage and family therapists assess safety and diagnose specific symptoms accurately from the multiple disorders in which they originate, rather than simply diagnosing and treating entire disorders indiscriminately. This allows patients to begin to understand, psychiatrically, how their symptoms are being caused, what is changing cognitively as part of the treatment process, and for them to understand, specifically, what symptoms are or are not being effected by psychoactive medications.

Despite the overwhelmingly consistent reaction of people who may have had previous mental health treatment or experience with mental health (MFTs comprise less than five percent of the total number of non-prescribing mental health treatment providers in the country) marriage and family therapy is not a 'new approach' to therapy at all but a more complete application of how it is actually supposed to work. It began to emerge academically about a century ago (about 30 years after Freud developed psychoanalysis). It was created by psychiatrists, theoreticians, and therapists beginning to understand the limitations of psychoanalysis and also how medical information, supportive relationships, and therapy can work together to heal symptoms as well as the comprehensive applicability (meaning, in current clinical practice, applicability to every kind of family and to ALL people) of psychiatry as a medical discipline.

As a Resident, I worked with nurses, physicians, adult and child and adolescent psychiatrists, and psychiatric staff to heal presenting symptoms with the most effective available information and professional resources which required me to complete extensive medical safety and physical and verbal de-escalation training for application in correctional, community, criminal justice, and psychiatric settings or anywhere else where mental health treatment occurs.

In the end, my professional development process was especially thorough for many reasons: because it was pre-approved by the Virginia Department of Health Professions in 2000, which required extensive planning and coordination with appropriate individuals at the work, academic, and state levels; because of the many medical contexts and professionals (VCU Medical Center, Chippenham Hospital, Southside Regional Medical Center, Virginia South Psychiatric, et al.) involved; because it was based exhaustively on comprehensive (common factors) information about MFT training and education available at the time through the only national professional organization for working marriage and family therapists; and, finally, because what was subsequently revealed to be an error by the Department of Health Professions that occurred just as Residency hours were completed — for which I later received an apology — and my fortunate but coincidental ability -- as someone who grew up in Richmond, Virginia -- to involve state and national leaders in helping to address this problem, required me to advocate with the Virginia legislature (HB 1702, HB 2177, and HB 1902  , 2013 Virginia  LIS) and extended Residency clinical practice and educational hours significantly.  This also acknowledged the distinct practice of family therapy organizationally at the state level and had a similarly beneficial effect on the practice of substance abuse counseling.

Philip Campbell, MFT