How To Determine A Bad Licensed Marriage And Family Therapist

By Harriett Crosby


To determine whether a licensed marriage and family therapist is a bad one or not, people will have to remember some red flags. One of the flags that should alert people is when the said counselor actually acts unethically. This refers to when they harbor romantic feelings toward their client or when they break the confidentiality or emergency protocols.

The red flag that should push the client to look for another one is when this professional actually gives recommendations that go beyond people's beliefs. If the recommendations is in conflict of a person's values, then it is better to hire someone else. Make sure that the professional one chooses is someone who works within the client's value system.

The couples will most likely have some questions that they want answered. Of course, it is a red flag if the said professional dodges the questions that one has in mind. Of course, the questions posed should be reasonable though. Otherwise, the professional will not be able to give a satisfying answer to these questions.

One should consider whether this professional over-share or not. There are therapists who share too much of their own life. They draw attention to themselves. This might potentially pull the couple into taking care of the professional instead. If the professional discloses something, it should be helpful to the couples.

There may be instances for people to feel worse when they go through the sessions. However, it should still be fine if this happens just every now and then. It will be another matter if the said feeling lingers every after session, though. If this is a regular occurrence, it is better to look for another counselor who can handle the said session without making the clients feel bad for something.

The client should also change their professional if they end up feeling shamed, emotionally unsafe, or judged after each session. Just because the couples are troubled with their domestic life does not mean that their troubles should be scrutinized over. It is better to change professionals and set healthy boundaries between all the party involved.

Be sure to rely on professionals who listen to their issues well. It is already a red flag if this professional asks their clients to repeat something again and again, words that were already said before. Even if the professional does not remember all details, being a good listener means that they can remember the key details of the issues.

For those professionals who actually disrupt the sessions, that is basically a red flag. For the sessions, there should be no phone ringing. This means that the professional should not hold a phone unless It is really an emergency. They should not fall asleep too. In fact, the said professional should make the couple the focus of this session.

A professional's instinct is very sharp. No matter who it is, they should learn how to trust in their own instincts. If the person wants to look for a good licensed marriage and family therapist, they should make sure to listen to what their guts tell them.




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