ASD Autism Diagnosis: Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Coquitlam

Jim Roche, Ph.D, provides assessments for and diagnosis of ASD, as well as psychoeducational assessments, counselling and therapy services for individuals (children/adolescents/adults), couples and families in the Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Moody and central Vancouver area. Dr. Jim Roche also provides services for adults with ASD including social skills coaching and workplace consultations.

He is trained in using social-cognitive therapy (social learning) methods developed by Michelle Garcia Winner with high functioning children and adolescents with Asperger's Disorder, NVLD (Non-Verbal Learning Disorders) high functioning autism and other related social cognitive deficits.

He is a member of the British Columbia RASP, Registry of Autism Services Providers, and if you qualify for ministry services his services will be covered for all ages of children.
You can find more information at any of these sites:

https://www.actcommunity.ca/resource/902/
https://www.relatedminds.comhttp://www.psychologists.bc.ca/users/jimroche

What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?

What is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)?

I've been suggesting this webpage to my patients, please try to reach it directly. If not, I have provided some of the information below.

http://www.camh.ca/en/hospital/health_information/a_z_mental_health_and_addiction_information/CBT/Pages/default.aspx

Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is a practical, short-term form of psychotherapy. It helps people to develop skills and strategies for becoming and stay healthy. This happens through an interactive process between the therapist and the patient. It's an educational process, focused on the here and now rather than the past. CBT was started by Dr. Albert Ellis, and was originally called Rational Emotive Therapy. A second practitioner developed a very similar method at about the same time, Dr. Aaron Beck. I have been lucky enough to have been trained by Dr. Ellis and have my Advanced Certificate in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy from the Albert Ellis Institute in New York City. Much of my doctoral work, in addition to family and couple's therapy, was in the use of CBT.

CBT is useful with adults, teens and children. We have some wonderful tools to use with younger children to teach them the same skills an adult would be learning in CBT. 

CBT helps people to examine how they make sense of what is happening around them and how these perceptions affect the way they feel. CBT:

• is structured

• is time-limited (usually 6-20 sessions)

• is problem-focused and goal-oriented

• teaches strategies and skills

• is based on a poaitive, shared therapeutic relationship between therapist and client

In the video above Dr. Zindel Segal, a CBT expert, discusses how CBT works. The video also features people explaining how CBT helped them deal with various mental health problems, including depression and schizophrenia.

CBT model

The CBT model is built on a two-way relationship between thoughts (“cognitions”) and behaviours. Each can influence the other

Cognition

There are three levels of cognition:

• Conscious thoughts: Rational thoughts and choices that are made with full awareness.

• Automatic thoughts: Thoughts that flow rapidly, so that you may not be fully aware of them. This may mean you can’t check them for accuracy or relevance. In a person with a mental health problem, these thoughts may not be logical.

• Schemas: Core beliefs and personal rules for processing information. Schemas are shaped by influences in childhood and other life experiences.

Behaviour

Behaviour can be changed using techniques such as self-monitoring, activity scheduling (for depression) and exposure and response prevention (for anxiety).

What happens in CBT?

In CBT, clients learn to identify, question and change the thoughts, attitudes and beliefs related to the emotional and behavioural reactions that cause them difficulty.

By monitoring and recording thoughts during upsetting situations, people learn that how they think can contribute to emotional problems such as depression and anxiety. CBT helps to reduce these emotional problems by teaching clients to:

• identify distortions in their thinking

• see thoughts as ideas about what is going on, rather than as facts

• stand back from their thinking to consider situations from different viewpoints.

Where is CBT used?

There has been a lot of research on CBT. Evidence suggests that it is particularly effective in treating anxiety and depression. CBT has also been tailored to other specific problems. 

For more information on CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) as provided in my office, please visit my webpage at: 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/therapists/jim-roche-burnaby-bc/70682
or
http://www.relatedminds.com/therapy/

Couple, Marriage and Family Therapy: Burnaby / Vancouver

I provide couple, marriage and family therapy in my office in Burnaby, BC.  My office is located with quick accesds to Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam and New Westminster. Office hours are available in the afternoon, evening and some Saturdays.

Couple therapy is based upon the work of Dr. John Gottman, as well as other cognitve-behavioural theraies such as RET (Rational Emotive Therapy) and CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy).

In addition to being a registered psychologist and holding a PhD in clinical psychology, I also hold a graduate degree in marriage and family therapy and completed two years of supervised experience just in couples therapy. I have been a Registered and Licensed Marriage and Family herapist for over two decades and am a Clinical Member and Fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Counselling (AAMFT).

I also provide individual therapy for depression, anxiety, workplace stress and OCD. I also have a good number of adult patients with asperger's and autism spectrum disorder who are seen for marriage and relationship counselling.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

For more information please visit my web page at:

http://www.relatedminds.com/couple-family-therapy

www.relatedminds.com

Couple Therapy and Intimacy

Often couples come in and want some basic help with renewing their sense of desire and intimacy. While Dr. John Gottman speaks in detail about the skills we all need to develop and sustain intimacy, and desire. But almost everyone wants something simple, short and clear. One of the best resources I have found for couples have difficulty with intimacy is this Ted talk by Esther Perel. It's about 20 minutes long, and get's right to the point. Clients have overwhelmingly found this helpful. But don't forget to look at the skills and knowledge provided by Dr. Gottman.




For more information on the services I provide as a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist, and Clinical Fellow of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, please visit my web page at http://www.relatedminds.com/couple-family-therapy/

In addition to my Registration as a Marriage and Family Therapist I am also a Registered Psychologist in British Columbia. While MSP does not cover the cost of couples or marriage counselling or therapy, most extended health care services do cover these costs. Please contact your insurance provider for information.

I have offices located in both Burnaby and Vancouver, and provide evening hours for those with complex work schedules. Most information can be found at www.relatedminds.com

ADHD Coaching | ADD Coaching

ADHD | ADD Assessment, Diagnosis and Treatment, including ADHD Coaching by a Registered Psychologist with over 20 years experience in the filed of ADD | ADHD treatment and intervention in schools, home and work. ADHD affects individuals, families and relationship. I provide interventions based upon the lasted science and evidenced based treatments.

For more information visit:
http://www.relatedminds.com/adhd-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder/
http://www.relatedminds.com
http://www.relatedminds.com/testing/
http://www.relatedminds.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Psychoeducational-Assessment-Burnaby.pdf
http://www.counsellingbc.com/listings/JRoche.htm

Infidelity and Couples Therapy (Gottman's Thoughts)

John Gottman points out that it a myth that infidelity, cheating, is the cause of divorce. He reports that 20-25% of people in divorce mediation do say that an affair was a reason for the marriage ending, but THE reason given by nearly 80% of these couples is a "deterioration of intimacy." In fact, researchers (Fisher et al 2009) have found that relationship problems- usually noted as a :deterioration of intimacy" is reported in over 80 percent of cases by men. Other researches have supported this finding. IT starts with a breakdown in the love component of your relationship. The affair is often just the last straw.

There are several other myths about relationships that Gottman addresses in his work and practice as a couples therapist. One big one is that "communications problems" cause marriage problems and conflicts. This sounds good, and sounds simple. The truth is, distressed people communicate quite clearly what they feel and mean.

What Gottman suggests is that couples are never going to learn to "not communicate" the often hurtful and damaging things they say. Rather, what is important is to learn how to properly argue, disagree and differ in wants, needs, ideas and feelings. It's not what they are doing, we all disagree and get upset, instead it's about HOW they do it. Gottman offers clear, understandable tools for fixing this problem, which doesn't include the typical, " Say everything ...."  Instead it's "say what's appropriate, in a way that shows your still committed to the relationship."  In other words, make each other feel safe, especially when angry.

When you think about this, this is a skill any good parent has. They learn how to set limits, correct and when necessary even punish their children without driving a nail through their self esteem. We need to learn to do that with each other.

In happy couples Gottman's research shows that number of positive interaction to negative interactions is 20-1.  Yes, 20-1. In conflicted couples it 5-1. Maybe you thought 5-1 was good enough? Research says that 5-1 is a dangerous place to be. In soon to be divorced couples it's 8-1.  Unhappy couples tend to have a filter that screens out positive events and makes even neutral events look negative.  You need to learn to increase the number of daily positive interactions between you.  And, going back to the beginning of this submission, you need to figure out how to renew the intimacy between you. To do that Gottman uses what are called "Love Maps."

If your interested in learning more about Dr. Gottman and his techniques, yuou can visit his website or just Google him on YouTube. He has his own YouTube channel! You'll find a good number of videos on his practice.  If your interested in seeing me for marriage therapy, couples counselling or family therapy, feel free to call me. More information is available on my website at http://www.relatedminds.com or on my marriage counselling | family therapy page at: http://www.relatedminds.com/couples-therapy

I see couples for therapy in both my Vancouver office (serving Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver and Richmond) and Burnaby (serving Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, Langley and Surrey). In addition to being a Registered Psychologist in BC I am also a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist (RMFT) with the British Columbia Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, and a Clinical Member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Jim Roche
http://www.psychologists.bc.ca/users/jimroche
.........................................................

Keywords: Marriage therapy, marriage counselling, couple therapy, couple counselling, marriage and family therapist, psychologist, infidelity, cheating, Gottman, Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, New Westminster

Counselling | Therapy | Vancouver | Burnaby

About Individual Counselling | Therapy and CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
As a registered psychologist I provide therapy and counselling services to individuals in the Burnaby and Vancouver areas using the clinically proven and evidence based techniques of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT). Individuals are seen for a variety of issues including chronic pain, depression, anxiety, stress, panic, anger management, ADHD and work or relationship issues. I hold an advanced certificate in Cognitive Therapy from the Albert Ellis Institute in New York. If you are looking for a cognitive therapist you should ask what training they have in CBT, as many individuals claim they practice CBT after completing only a workshop or reading a book. The Advanced Certificate Program at the Albert Ellis Institute included extensive CBT readings, group and individual training and supervised practice of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy/Rationale Emotive Behaviour Therapy under the supervision of a licensed mental health practitioner. In addition to my practicum at the Ellis Institute I also focused on CBT during my graduate studies and post doctoral internship.

About Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)My primary mode of practice is rational-emotive/cognitive therapy. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy or CBT (including Rational Emotive Therapy) is a highly effective, research driven approach that helps people to combat and overcome such difficulties as high anxiety/stress, panic attacks, depression, anger, relationship problems, phobias, worry, obsessions, compulsions, addictions (food or drugs), social anxiety, sexual problems, ADHD and low self-esteem. The course of treatment is typically short-term (approximately 8-12 sessions), and people often enjoy rapid and enduring relief from their symptoms.

Where are your offices?

Offices are located in Burnaby (providing therapy and counselling services to Burnaby, Coquitlam, New Westminster, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Maple Ridge and, some individuals come from Surrey and Langley) and Vancouver (providing counselling and therapy services to Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver and some clients from Richmond).

How long does it take to get an appointment?

Counselling and therapy appointments are usually available within a week. Please feel free to call to set up and appointment.

Dr. Jim Roche

778.998-7975

www.relatedminds.com

www.relatedminds.com/individual-therapy/

Self-Help Ideas for couples

I've just put a new post on my RelatedMinds website blog. Click here to find the post: CLICK HERE

This post reviews a couple of the more useful, and scientifically based, self-help programs for couples who are considering a self-help approach rather than couples counselling / therapy or marriage counselling / therapy. The suggestions are based on the work of Dr. John Gottman, one of the few scientifically - research based marriage and relationship counselling programs available.

Dr. Jim Roche
Registered Psychologist
Registered Marriage and Family Therapist
778.998-7975

About Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Often clients come in or call and ask some basic questions about CBT. For instance, ""What is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?" They've heard about it, or their medical doctor recommended it. So I've posted an introductory video on CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy). You might want to look up more about CBT and to help you I would suggest googling CBT, Albert Ellis, Aaron Beck (this video is by his daughter Dr. Judith Beck) or going to wikipedia. These are really good places to start. If you come into the office I'll be suggesting some books, and most likely providing an introductory handout for you. If your concern is about CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) and anxiety a really good place to start would be the web site for AnxietyBC. You can reach that by clicking here. They also have an excellent selection of information for children and adolescents with anxiety, and most of the techniques are similar to what we use with depression.

I hope this introductory information is helpful to those who have questions about Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). One final note: Often practitioners claim to "do CBT." They say they have training or a "background" in CBT. Don't be afraid to ask them more about their background, education and experience. Someone providing cognitive behaviour therapy should have several courses and, more importantly, supervised experience doing CBT. They should have had six months or a year of weekly supervised experience. That means someone well trained in CBT watched them doing it, listened to recordings of sessions, and reviewed cases weekly. This is a little different than having attended a 3 day workshop in what is a rather complicated technique. Don't be afraid to ask!

This blog is not offered as medical advice or as a means of diagnosing or treating depression, anxiety, relationship problems or any other disorder. Don't go on line and take any mental health "test." Diagnosis is complex, and it involves not just looking for a list of symptoms, but also ruling out other disorders that might look just like what you suspect. So avoid these on-line "tests" which are nothing more than a collection of symptoms. You need to see a licensed or registered professional for that. Medical doctors can diagnose, but a diagnosis is complex and often they will make a referral to a Registered Psychologist. You can obtain a referral from the British Columbia Psychological Association for a psychologist near you. See a registered professional, either a Registered Psychologist or Registered Marriage and Family Therapist.

My web page lists a number of resources you can make use of yourself in dealing with individual, couple or family issues. Please visit it at www.relatedminds.com, one of my other sites at either Psychology Today, AAMFT, PSYRIS or my professional site.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) assessment and treatment services are offered for individuals, couples, families, children and adolescents in the Burnaby, Vancouver, Coquitlam, Port Moody, New Westminster and Maple Ridge areas of the lower mainland. This includes neuro-developmental assessments, psycho-education and cognitive behaviour therapy. I also provide diagnostic assessments for autism and Asperger's Disorder in my Burnaby office.

Dr. Jim Roche
Registered Psychologist, British Columbia 01610
778.998-7975
www.relatedminds.com (couple/family therapy)

John Gottman Couples Therapy Interview

John Gottman Couples Therapy Interview

Everybody comes for "communications help" when they come for marriage therapy or couple or family therapy. But often the problem isn't one of lack of communication, they are communicating enough. The problem is often their expectations. This little video shows John Gottman talking about just this issue.

For information on my marraige and family therapy practice please go to www.relatedminds.com

What to ask your Marriage or Couples Therapist

I just finished another phone call where I made a referral to another professional rather than taking the case myself. This was a personal referral, a medical doctor who sends couples to me and children for assessment suggested my name to a young woman with an eating disorder. I have never felt I had enough background in eating disorders to treat this disorder and simply told this woman that. I then helped her find a therapist with an appropriate background, education and training to help her. Every psychologist, and every therapist, is not trained or prepared to deal with every situation. I also refer assessments for children under 4, even though I have many years of experience with children and adolescents, I just don't feel competent to assess a 4 year old, but I know someone who is.

Couple and family therapy is like that. Not every therapist, counsellor or psychologist is really prepared to work with a couple or family. Here in British Columbia we have a special situation with there being registered professionals (Registered Psychologists and Registered Social Workers) and then, as odd as it may seem, people who list themselves as "registered" such as Registered Clinical Counsellors, who really are not registered at all!

What? How can that be? Well Registered Clinical Counsellors, RCCs, are not regulated by the government. "Registered" in British Columbia means you are able to practice because you have been granted permission to practice based upon education, experience and a professional examination administered by or acceptable to the REGULATORY AGENCY. The College of Psychologists is one such body here.

RCC's have a professional association, but unlike a regulatory body they do not have a separate government sanctioned process for certifying competence to the public. This doesn't mean that an RCC might not be a very well trained and experienced counsellor. Some are. But howe do you know who is well trained, especially in couple and family therapy, and who isn't?

Usually people look at titles, degrees and make a choice about who they should see, but with couple and marriage problems, this is not necessarily a good idea. An individual may say they provide family or couple therapy, but in reality have very little experience or educational background in the field. Marriage and Family Therapy is a regulated profession in all 50 states in the United States, and is in some parts of Canada (It is usually considered a specialty and requires specially training and education). In British Columbia it is not under the control of a regulatory body at present, so anyone, that's ANYONE, can call themselves a marriage and family therapist. How can you make sure you are seeing someone who has adequate training and experience?

Some therapists here in British Columbia belong to the professional association called the British Columbia Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (BCMFT). ALL of these individuals have graduate degree's in marriage and family therapy that meet the standards that those licensed in the United States and other parts of Canada meet. All members of BCAMFT have one or two years of full time supervised experience in marriage and family therapy (RCCs need only one hundred hours of supervision and might say they do marriage and couple work after a weekend workshop. There is no law or regulation protecting the title Marriage and Couple Therapist). So my advice is that if you are going to look for a couple, marriage or family therapist you check with BCAMFT and find someone who has meet their standards. Their web page can be found here BCAMFT.

BCAMFT is seeking to organize a "regulatory body" here in BC, and it will just be a matter of time before they do. What I know is that your best bet for finding an experienced family therapist is checking their website. You can also note that many of the clinical members of BCAMFT are also registered psychologists! Yes, you could find someone who has both registrations and this will often help with your insurance company.

After you locate two or three individuals you would like to contact prepare a list of questions to help you make a decision on who would be best for you. I'd write these questions down, so that you ask the same questions to all three people you are contacting. Here are some suggested questions to help you pick the right therapist for you:

1. Can you tell me about your background and training in marriage therapy? (Are they AAMFT or BCAMFT members? Did they attend a program that specialized and focused on marriage and family therapy? How many hours of experience were part of their training? Was their supervisor an "approved AAMFT supervisor?"

A simple follow-up question, which helps because many counsellors say they are trained in the field when they have minimal training and experience, is this:

"What professional association do you belong to that trains and supports marriage and couple counselling?"

If they are working in the field, and are really meet the criteria to be a marriage and family therapist, they should either belong to the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) or the British Columbia Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (BCAMFT). If they are a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist they belong, if they don't belong it's most likely because they don't meet the standards for registration.

2. How much of your practice is in marriage and family therapy? Marriage therapy requires special skills, and someone who does mostly individual work would not be my choice. Some therapists try to have a balance of individual, testing and couples work. A good marriage or couple therapist should be seeing several couples every week. Couples therapy requires a mindset that individual therapy does not.

3. Of the couples you see, how many stay together? Usually about 70% of couples stay together. If your therapist says 90% it's something to wonder about. The research doesn't say that's likely (Read Dr. John Gottman's page for some insight into the therapy process. It can be found by clicking here.)

4. What is your experience helping couples like us? And how do you determine your goals?

5. What theories, therapist or books do you recommend to people? Most family therapists are what are known as "systemic" or "systems" therapists. Some are Cognitive behaviour therapists, and many these days will note the writings and techniques of John Gottman, a leading researcher in the field. A lot of therapists take theories and procedures from individual therapy and simply apply it to couples, but couples are a system, and families are complex systems. That's why AAMFT and BCAMFT require one to two years of full time supervised clinical experience working in the field.

I hope this has helped you if you are looking for a couple or marriage therapist. This is an important decision, and you need to find a competent and experienced therapist for this complex task. More information about my own practice can be found at www.relatedminds.com. You are welcome to contact me by phone (778.998-7975) or email (drjimroche@gmail.com) if you would like more information.

Does Couple Counselling Work?

Does couple counselling work? That's a hard question to answer because success can mean something very different to one couple than another. What I do know is that if your marriage is having problems, you shouldn't wait too long to seek professional help. Sometimes success is a couple staying together. Sometimes it means breaking up. Sometimes it means breaking up and acting in a decent enough way to each other that the divorce doesn't have detrimental effects on your children. And sometimes it means breaking up and NOT making the same mistakes over and over again in your future relationships. But for most couples who show up at my office door for couple therapy or marriage counselling, their goal is to stay together. So what are your chances of staying together?

Some people think the answer is found in these questions:
Did you marry at an early age?
Did you not graduate from high school?
Are you in a low-income bracket?
Are you in an inter-faith marriage?
Did your parents divorce?
Do you criticize one another?
Is there a lot of defensiveness in your marriage?
Do you tend to withdraw from one another?
Do you feel contempt for one another?

If you answered "yes" to most of these questions, then you are statistically a higher risk for divorce than couples who have realistic expectations of one another and their marriage, communicate well, use conflict resolution skills, and are compatible with one another. But remember, that means you are statistically more at risk, not that your marriage or relationship is doomed. There are things that you can do, and two of the most effective areas you can do work on are criticism and contempt. John Gottman things these are the nuclear weapons of marriage problems, and he has the data and science to prove it.

The Effectiveness of Marriage Counselling
The science of marriage counselling is being studied in great detail these days, especially by science practitioners like John Gottman. Although some research studies have shown that marriage counselling is not as effective as people think, that women seem to get more from it than men, and that it might not have a lasting effect on the couple's marriage, we think that receiving professional help before problems reach critical stage is beneficial to a marriage. A study by AAMFT shows that families do want therapy and place a high value on the experience.

What Type of Couple Gets the Most From Marriage Counselling? Heres the list:
Young couples.
Non-sexist couples.
Couples who are still in love.
Couples who are open to therapy and change.

What Type of Couple Receives the Least from Marriage Counselling?
Couples who wait too long before seeking help.
Marriages with one or the other spouse set on getting a divorce.
Married individuals who are closed to any suggestions that may save the marriage.

Solutions Learned From Happy Couples
John Gottman's research looks at happy couples for solutions. He has discovered that even though all couples experience conflict in their marriages, happy couples apparently know how to handle their disagreements because of a foundation of affection and friendship.
Unhappy couples do not have this skill. Gottman suggests that the goal of couple therapy needs to change. Rather than trying to change marriages, he thinks counsellors should teach communication skills to couples. And this is best done by practice, practice and more practice. There are several books, DVD's and complete packaged programs available from the Gottman Institute. These can help, but most couples need personal guidance. My web page contains a number of these resources and your welcome to click here to check these resources out.

My practice, with offices close to Burnaby/Coquitlam/New Westminster and Vancouver can offer you this help. Click here for more information.

Finally, if you need a family therapist or couple therapist elsewhere in the province I suggest you look at the web site for the British Columbia Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy or the BC Psychology Association. If you go to the AAMFT or BCAMFT sites you will find licensed or registered family therapists who are also registered psychologists, this may help in finding someone who your insurance plan might cover. But most of all, see someone who is a registered marriage and family therapist. Others may claim they do family or couples therapy (such as RCC / Registered Clinical Counsellors or Registered Social Workers), but RMFTs, Registered Marriage and Family Therapists have specialized training working with couples, including on average two years of supervised clinical practice. Others may have taken a course in family therapy, but are not specialists.

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions about finding a family or couples counsellor.

Dr. Jim Roche
778.9987975
www.drjimroche.com

FAQ's on Marriage and Family Therapy

A short post today. Here is a great link for some simple FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) on Marriage Counselling and Family Therapy fro the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Click here.

For more information you can visit my web page at www.relatedminds.com

How to Choose a Marriage and Family Counsellor or Therapist

How to choose a Marriage and Family Therapist

You will find a list of Registered Marriage and Family Therapists (RMFT’s) in British Columbia by clicking this link AAMFT.

All REGISTERED Marriage and Family Therapist are all clinical members of the British Columbia Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (BCAMFT) and the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT). This includes a graduate degree focused on family therapy and two years of close clinical supervision by an approved and specially trained supervisor.

When you have identified one or more RMFT from the list who are accessible to you, call and interview them briefly over the phone. Some questions you may want to consider are:

What is your educational and training background?

All registered marriage and family therapists therapists on this list are qualified and experienced, but you may like to find out where they went to school, their specialty, or how long they have been doing this work.

Do you have experience treating the kind of problem I have?

Remember, not all therapists can treat all problems. Sometimes a therapist specializes in certain areas. If the therapist’s area of expertise is not the one you are looking for, ask for a referral to a therapist who can best help you. You will need to briefly indicate the problems you are experiencing (eg. marital difficulties, stress, anxiety at work etc). You should expect the therapist to ask you a bit about your problems to se if THEY are a good fit.

How much do you charge and what is your method of payment?

Fees typically range in B.C. $100.00 to $125.00 for those with an MA. Those with doctorate degrees (PhD’s) typically charge $160.00 to $175.00 per hour.

Would you be covered under my employment insurance policy or any other plan?

Some employers, typically the larger ones, have extended health benefits that cover some counselling. Read the fine print carefully. Sometimes MFTs are covered, sometimes they are not. A number of larger companies have employee assistance plans (EAP’s) that do cover MFTs. Again, check a carefully with your employer’s human resources or personnel department. Although the therapist may not know the answer off hand (as there are many policies and they keep changing) he/she should be able to guide you to find out the information you seek. As well, some employers or insurance companies will add a particular therapist or professional therapy designation to their list of those who are covered if employees make the request.

A number of MFT here in British Columbia are also Registered Psychologist (in addition to their MFT training). Their services are almost always covered by extended health care plans.

Also, remember that you may see a number of individuals advertising, especially on the web, who say they are marriage and family therapist or practice marriage counselling. Many of these are RCCs (Registered Clinical Counsellors) or CCC (Canadian Clinical Counsellors). Unless they are members of the British Columbia Association of Marriage and Family Therapist they are not registered family therapists. Often they will have had a course of two in family therapy, and maybe have practiced family therapy for a while. However, this is very different from a clinical member of AAMFT and BCAMFT who have completed specialized graduate programs in the field and have had a minimum of 1,200 hours of supervised clinical experience under the supervision of an approved and specially trained supervisor. (Some RCCs may have as little as 100 hours of supervised training, CCCs even less.) Ask, "Are you a clinical member of the British Columbia Association of Marriage and Family Therapists?" If couple or family issues are your problem, go to an expert.

Where are the sessions held and what is the length of time of a session?

After you have had a brief conversation based on the above questions you should have a “feel” for this therapist. If you feel fairly positive, proceed with booking an appointment. If you don’t feel comfortable for any reason, interview some one else.

Finally, the usual length of session is 50 to 60 minutes. Sometimes you can arrange a longer
session.

For more information on specialized Family and Couple Therapy in British Columbia you can click here and go to BCAMFT website.

For information about my website go to www.relatedminds.com

Research Supports Effectiveness of Marriage and Family Therapy / Counselling

The largest clinical trial of couple therapy ever conducted has found that therapy can help even very distressed married couples: if both partners want to improve their marriage. and that is a critical part of the findings.

“It takes only one person to end a marriage but two people to make it work,” said Andrew Christensen, the lead author of the study, which appears in the April issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. The couples received up to 26 therapy sessions. Psychologists then conducted follow-up sessions approximately every six months for five years after therapy ended. When the therapy sessions were over, about two-thirds of the couples overall had shown "significant clinical improvement." The study included 134 married couples, 71 in Los Angeles and 63 in Seattle who were in their 30s and 40s. The couples were “chronically, seriously distressed” and fought frequently, but they were hoping to improve their marriages.

so there is hope, if you WANT to work on your marriage. In the next few posts I will look at the work of Dr. John Gottman of The Gottman Institute. Dr. Gottman was one of the first professionals to do scientific studies of couples and what the difference is between couples whose marriages withstand difficult times and those who don't. As a matter of fact Dr. Gottman is able to predict, after an initial interview, where your marriage is going.

Some of the factors that put couples at high risk for divorce are: Marriage at an early age; not graduating from high school; low-income bracket; inter-faith marriage; parents who were divorced; the way you criticize each other; the amount of defensiveness in your marriage; the tendency to withdraw from one another; and what can best be described as "contempt" for each other. These are all signs of you being statistically at higher risk of divorce. But they are also things we can actually do something about. These are things, for the most party, we can change or adapt to. If we want.

Who does well in marriage can couple counselling / therapy?

Young couples; non-sexist couples (yes, there is a reason for a therapist to push that issue!); couples who are still in love; and couples who are open to therapy and change.

In marriage and couple therapy we can help you set goals for what needs to change. We don't try to change your marriage, but instead teach you the skills to communicate your needs and perspectives. All couples experience conflict, most fight and argue! Happy couples know how to handle their disagreements because they have a relationship with a strong foundation of affection and friendship. Unhappy couples simply do not have these skills. But they are skills you can learn, practice and become experts at.

What the research is also clear about is that you shouldn't wait until it's too late. If you think your marriage is in trouble, get help and don't wait. One place you can look for a marriage therapist is through the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT). In British Columbia members of the BCAMFT are Clinical Members of AAMFT. Many are also Registered Psychologists or Social Workers. Look for a therapist early.

Dr. Jim Roche is a Registered Psychologist and Registered MArriage and Family Therapist. He has offices in Burnaby (close to Coquitlam, Port Moody and New Westminster) and Vancouver. you can find information on his practice at www.relatedminds.com or at his link through AAMFT. He has over twenty years experience as a clinical member of AAMFT.

Dr. Jim Roche
778.998-7975
clinicalpsychology@gmail.com

Marriage and Family Therapy Blog

Welcome to the Vancouver Marriage and Family Therapy Blog. Here I will try to provide some basic information on current practices in marriage, family and couples therapy, as well as some specific techniques that any couple might find useful to help their relationship grow.

I am a registered marriage and family therapist in British Columbia, as well as a registered psychologist. Additionally I am a clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT) and have licenses in social work and counselling in several other jurisdictions. I have a private practice in the lower mainland with offices in Burnaby and Vancouver. My Burnaby office is located at Lougheed Mall near Port Coquitlam and New Westminster. You can find out more about my practice at my professional website at www.drjimroche.com or at my Psychology Today site. My office hours include evening and weekends.

The next posting will begin with some basic information on marriage and couple therapy. After that I will try to explain some of the new research in the field of marriage therapy and give an explaination of the work of Dr. John Gottman, a leader in the field of marriage and couple's counselling. If you have any specific questions that you feel would be good for the blog just email me.

Key Words: Marriage therapy, marriage counselling, couples counselling, couples therapy, Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, New Westminster, Port Moody, psychologist, counsellor.