Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic
At the Family Life Center
What Kinds of Problems Can Be Helped with a Family Therapy Approach?
How Can I Benefit from Family Therapy?
Eligibility and Contact Information
The Marriage & Family Therapy Clinic is sponsored by the Department of Family and Human Development in the College of Family Life. The Clinic, housed in the Family Life Center, is located near the Utah State University campus, just below Old Main Hill.
The Clinic's dual mission is to provide high quality, low cost marital and family therapy services to the public and to provide a training environment for Master's Degree students majoring in marriage and family therapy. Because the Marriage & Family Therapy Clinic is a training facility, graduate students in marriage and family therapy conduct the therapy sessions. While conducting therapy, the therapists-in-training are under the direct supervision of clinical faculty members who are all licensed Marriage and Family Therapists. The Center's facility allows for observation of sessions by clinical supervisors and videotaping sessions. top
What is Marriage and Family Tharapy?
Marriage and family therapy is a way of helping people resolve individual and relationship problems. Family therapists usually use what is called a "systems" approach, which is a way of looking at problems and difficulties in terms of an individual's context, including relationships with important others. Family therapy typically focuses on relationships and strengths rather than individual deficits. Family therapists believe that focusing on relationships and strengths can be a resource for resolving a variety of problems, both individual (depression, anxiety, etc.) and relationship (couples, families, work, etc.). Family therapists do not "fix" problems, but help people identify resources and solutions that work for their particular situation.
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What Kinds of Problems Can Be Helped with a Family Therapy Approach?
People bring all sorts of problems to family therapy. These can include difficulties typically looked at as "individual" problems including anxiety, depression, school or work difficulties, and problems with self esteem.
Family therapy helps strengthen relationships and resolve relationship problems for couples, families, or other non-related people. These include conflict, communication, general unhappiness, life transition problems, or specifically identified difficulties. Family therapy can also be used as an adjunct therapy to help people adjust to and manage such difficulties as chronic illness, mental illness, attention deficit disorder, drug/alcohol abuse related problems, eating disorders, and domestic violence. top
How Can I Benefit from Family Therapy?
You can consider family therapy as a resource for almost any difficulty. Family therapists are trained to work with people experiencing a variety of problems. They also are trained to refer people for specialized help when necessary and to work with other professionals in the client's behalf. Examples of signals that might suggest a need for family therapy include:
- Marital or family dissatisfaction
- Conflict, arguments, fighting, or violence
- Children's difficulties, including school achievement, relationships at home, or individual problems
- Sexual problems or concerns
- Emotional distress when talking about important relationships
- Feelings of loneliness, sadness, anxiety, or depression
- Repeated illnesses, especially those related to stress
- Work or school problems
- Problems with family members
- Difficulty with chemical abuse or dependence
- Eating disorders
Eligibility and Contact Information
Eligibility and Fees
The Family Life Center is open to any individual, couple, or family that desires help with couple concerns, individual concerns, parent-child relationships, or other family issues. Fees are determined on a sliding fee scale based on income and family size. Fees are paid at the time of each appointment. No one will be denied services because of inability to pay.
Confidentiality
All services at the Family Therapy Clinic are confidential and private. The Clinic follows all state and federal laws regarding keeping client information private and secure. Exceptions include situations where abuse is suspected or where someone may be a threat to themselves or others.
Hours and Appointments
Appointments are available during both day time and evening hours.
How to get an Appointment
After deciding to seek marital and family services from the Family Therapy Clinic, the first step is to call (435) 797-7430. During the first contact, a clinic staff member will ask you a few questions and schedule an appointment for your first session.
Family Life Center Clinical Staff
All clinical staff members are graduate students in the M.S. emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy in the Department of Family and Human Development, College of Family Life, Utah State University. These therapists-in-training are under direct supervision of clinical faculty supervisors. This allows the Family Life Center to provide high quality clinical services within a training environment.
Clinical Faculty
Scot M. Allgood, Ph.D.
Licensed Marital and Family Therapist
Assistant Professor, Department of Family, Consumer, and Human Development
AAMFT Clinical Member and Approved Supervisor
Thorana S. Nelson, Ph.D.
Director, Marriage & Family Therapy Clinic
Licensed Marital and Family Therapist
Associate Professor, Department of Family, Consumer, and Human Development
AAMFT Clinical Member and Approved Supervisor
D. Kim Openshaw, Ph.D.
Licensed Marital and Family Therapist
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Associate Professor, Department of Family, Consumer, and Human Development
AAMFT Clinical Member and Approved Supervisor
For more information, please contact:
Marriage & Family Therapy Clinic
493 North 700 East
Logan UT, 84321
(435) 797-7430
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