Questions About Marriage and Family Counseling
What is a Marriage & Family Therapist? Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) are relationship specialists who treat persons involved in interpersonal relationships. They are trained to assess, diagnose and treat individuals, couples, families and groups to achieve more adequate, satisfying and productive marriage, family and social adjustment. The practice also includes premarital counseling, child counseling, divorce or separation counseling and other relationship counseling. Marriage and Family Therapists are psychotherapists and healing arts practitioners licensed by the State of California. Requirements for licensure include a related doctoral or two-year master's degree, passage of a comprehensive written and oral examination and at least 3,000 hours of supervised experience. (camft.org)
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Why See a Marriage and Family Therapist?
Marriage and Family Therapists are relationship experts!
They work in private practice as well as various other settings with individuals, couples, families, children and adolescents, and the elderly, providing support and perspective as clients struggle with life's challenges. (camft.org)
Marriage and family therapists (MFTs) practice early crisis intervention and brief, focused psychotherapy to resolve problems or reduce symptoms in the shortest time possible. They also have the expertise and skills to work with persons where more intensive, long-term treatment is necessary to cure or relieve mental or emotional conditions. (camft.org)
Marriage and family therapists are core mental health practitioners educated and trained to help with relationship difficulties, and diagnose and treat the mental disorders and emotional problems of individuals, couples, families and groups. Marriage and family therapy is highly effective because of the "systemic" orientation that its therapists bring to treatment. In other words, they believe that an individual's mental or emotional problems must be treated within the context of his or her current or prior relationships if the gains are to be meaningful and productive for the patient. This treatment philosophy is consistent with current thinking in the health care field, which increasingly emphasizes inter-agency cooperation, involvement of the family, integration and coordination of services. Our health care system is now moving toward a more systemic approach and is increasingly rejecting individually focused care. (camft.org)
For more information about Marriage & Family Therapists please visit www.camft.org
How long is a session?
A session is 50 minutes in length and for youth is 40-45 minutes. Intake sessions often are an extra 10 -15 minutes to allow for time to complete forms.
A Treatment Consent Form and History Form are provided at intake and detail information on confidentiality, payment and other vital information for you treatment.
What are your hours?
Day and evening appointments are available Monday to Thursday.
Do you take insurance?
Due to the complexities and time delays of insurance reimbursements, payment is required at the beginning of each session. Check or Cash are accepted.
Leslie will provide you with a copy of your bill that can be submitted by you with your insurance form directly to your insurance company. Insurance payments will be sent directly to you.
Please contact your insurance company regarding your out of network coverage as she can not guarantee insurance coverage.
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How long does a therapy take?
The duration of psychotherapy is individual to a client’s needs and treatment goals. Leslie provides both short term and long term therapy and will discuss your treatment recommendations on a case by case basis.
Contact Leslie Baker at 925.426.1575 in Pleasanton for a confidential, no obligation telephone consultation on marriage counseling.
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