Kathy Jarosz LCSW Selected to Exclusive Marriage Friendly Therapist Registry
News! I am very excited about being added to the only marriage-friendly-therapists registry for advanced marital therapists in the United States. These therapists are part of the new movement called marriage-friendly-therapists.
Why do we need such a registry? Consumers expect a couples therapist will help them try to save their relationship. Therapists are typically neutral about this, but consumers don’t realize that. Instead I discuss with clients what their goal is, and if both partners are there to strengthen the marriage, that is the goal all three of us align towards. I make sure we are all clear and in agreement on this. I am not neutral about your marriage, if you are committed to it.
Sometimes couples give up on their marriages before really even trying to make use of couples therapy. Often, these couples are basing their decisions on the many myths that circulate in contemporary society about marriage problems and divorce. Many people seem to think that participating in two to three couples therapy sessions means that they have tried to fix their marriage. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Though marriage counseling need not always take a lot of time, it does take courage to make changes. This is the hard work that many people never partake in and later deeply regret. About 40% of divorced people have regrets. Part of my role is to educate people about their choices and the common pitfalls that they can avoid. This is what the term “Marriage Friendly Therapist” refers to. Though the decision of whether to marry or divorce is always up to the individual as it should be, providing education that can greatly reduce the misconceptions about marriage and divorce is, I believe, a key role the therapist can play.
And if you are ambivalent about your marriage, uncertain of what you want, I can help you sort through that in a way that will make you more confident in your final decision and direction.
For more information regarding this registry please go to www.marriagefriendlytherapists.com.
Each therapist on the registry has been assessed for the competency in marital therapy in particular. In addition to possessing an active license and appropriate background, the therapist must also have been specifically trained in marital therapy. Unfortunately, this is not the norm for the majority of therapists providing couples therapy!
The Marriage Friendly registry has been recognized by USA Today, NPR, the Harvard Mental Health Letter (listing the registry as one out of the only two they recommended in the country), and The National Extension Relationship and Marriage Education Network (Federal government).
Some of the leading marital therapists in the United States are endorsing this registry including Sue Johnson PhD, and Michele Weiner Davis MSW.
WETZSTEIN: Save marriage with ‘friendly’ aid
www.couplescounselingworks.com
For decades, we’ve heard the advice. “Marriage in trouble? Go see a counselor.” But did you know that more than a few mental health professionals think marriage counseling may be hazardous to your marital health?