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Adovcacy Events - Marriage
check-up for same-sex couples February
9, 2005
Marriage
check-up for same-sex couples
The
pace of daily life can get pretty crazy. It's easy to coast along and only deal
with things after they become a problem. Marriage and family relations are no
exception. That's why we need "Marriage Checkup Week". There's
a lot to be said for prevention. That's why the Ontario Association for Marriage
and Family Therapy (OAMFT)
is offering you a free marriage checkup during Valentines Week, February 14
- 18, 2005. The
checkup is offered to all couples - young, old, married, common-law, same-sex,
foreign born - because healthy relationships and healthy families are the lifeblood
of the community. The
marriage checkup is a confidential 50-minute interview with you and your partner.
It will shed light on the strong points in your marriage as well as any potential
problem areas. It's a way of strengthening and protecting your marriage. And it's
an early warning system that helps you deal with small problems before they become
more serious ones. | Celebrating
Marriage Equality "It
is with great enthusiasm that O.A.M.F.T. celebrates the long overdue, recognition
of same-sex marriage in the province of Ontario. We applaud the tremendous courage
and patience of our gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and trans-gendered citizens in our
ongoing struggle to win equality before the law and have been delighted to witness
the many successes to-date. As systems therapists, we appreciate how the efforts
to gain security and recognition for some of our citizens will eventually be of
benefit to us all. As we are all diminished by prejudice and injustice, so are
we all empowered by inclusivity and equality. We look forward to the day that
every couple who chooses to have a registered marriage will do so effortlessly
and that very soon, all the energy absorbed by the inequities of exclusion, can
be more appropriately applied to the happiness and health of the couple relationship"
Ontario
Association For Marriage and Family Therapy |
The
needs of same-sex couples and their families are sometimes overlooked due to convention
or policy. Marriage is now a legal option for same-sex couples in eight Canadian
regions. In the years that have passed since the historic 2003
victory for gay marriage, gay and lesbian couples have claimed their human
right and shared, with  opposite
sex couples, the joys and challenges of marriage. The
first divorce of a same-sex couple has already worked its way through the
justice system. As we obtain all the rights and obligations available to opposite-sex
couples, it is encouraging to know that OAMFT welcomes all couples with an offer
of support through initiatives like the Marriage Check-Up. Your
same-sex marriage checkup is conducted by a highly trained and certified professional
who is specialized as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT). You can't just hang
out your shingle and practice as a registered MFT. You need at least a masters
degree and 2 years of post-graduate clinical experience. And you need to be a
member of the professional body, the OAMFT. Marriage
and Family Therapy (MFT) doesn't treat the individual in isolation. It treats
the person within the context of the marriage relationship or the larger family
unit. These are important influences on the individual and cannot be ignored.
This approach works well regardless of whether the "client" is a couple, an entire
family, or a single individual. Marriage
and Family Therapy is brief, solution-focused, specific (with attainable therapeutic
goals), and designed with "the end in mind". | The
Ontario Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, founded in 1975, is the professional
home to over 700 couple and family therapists across the province. It is a division
of the Registry of Marriage and Family Therapists in Canada, Inc., which is a
part of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (www.aamft.org).
AAMFT has over 23,000 members and is responsible for establishing and maintaining
high standards of ethical practice for registered and licensed couple and family
therapists as well as their training and supervision. |
Studies
show that the average length of treatment for couples therapy (11.5 sessions)
and family therapy (9 sessions) is shorter than that for individual therapy (13
sessions). Research also shows that: 83% of clients report that their therapy
goals were completely met; 90% of clients report improvement in their emotional
health; 98% of clients rated services as excellent; and 96.9% of clients would
recommend the therapist to a friend. Marriage
and Family Therapy is available through registered private practitioners, health
institutions, community and social service agencies, and employee assistance programs.
There are approximately 700 certified Marriage and Family Therapists in Ontario,
1,300 across Canada, and 50,000 throughout North America. For
your free marriage checkup call 416-364-2627 (Toronto/GTA) Or 1-800-267-2638 (outside
Toronto/GTA)
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