• CURRENT ISSUE  VOLUME 23, NO. 6

    November / December 2024

FEATURES

Loss, Grief, and Resilience: Finding Light Through the Darkness

In these turbulent times, families have suffered devastating losses of loved ones, from the anguish of COVID-related deaths to gun violence, drug overdose, suicide, environmental disasters, and war. More attention is urgently needed in MFT training and practice to help the bereaved to heal and forge pathways ahead to live and love fully beyond loss.
Froma Walsh, PhD

Misogyny and MFT Training: Gendered Reality vs. Therapeutic Neutrality

Last month, we came to know that in the UK there is a movement to introduce a bill classifying misogyny as a hate crime. This bill could inform political work to protect women from gender-based violence, harassment, and discrimination.
Danna Abraham, PhD, Yuri Lemus, BA, Chantel Mesta, BA, Karen Russel, BA, & Lisa Schloss, BS

Systemic Therapy with Arab American Clients

Arabs are a diverse group with some of the fastest-growing population rates in the US. The population includes approximately 3.5 million Arabs and Arab Americans. Arab Americans have traditionally been an understudied and misunderstood group in the US. Misconceptions and stigmas have led to heightened anxiety and mistrust, especially following 9/11, resulting in a cautious attitude toward other Americans.
Eman Tadros, PhD & Marram Salman, MA

Type 2 Diabetes: A Beginner’s Guide for Mental Health Professionals

Type 2 diabetes is a serious health condition that impacts millions of people across the United States and around the world (Calvano et al., 2019; Visaria et al., 2020). In fact, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) accounts for 90 to 95% of all cases of diabetes (Antwi et al., 2020; Visaria et al., 2020). Considered a metabolic disturbance, diabetes occurs when someone has elevated levels of glucose in the blood. Blood sugar or glucose is the body’s primary energy source, and blood sugar levels are regulated by insulin.
Jerrod Brown, PhD, Jeremiah Schimp, PhD, Tiffany Flaten, MEd, Janina Cich, MA, & Jen Uschold, PT

The Hacking of Change Healthcare

This year, the largest health insurance hack in history took place. If you’re a therapist who takes insurance, you’ve probably heard about the Change Healthcare hack already. The hack has implications for mental health practitioners and the healthcare industry.

The saga began in October of 2022 when Optum acquired Change Healthcare. Optum is owned by UnitedHealth Group (UHG). Change Healthcare is a clearinghouse that transfers medical claims between providers’ offices and insurance companies.
Angela Nauss, MA

Enhancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity in AAMFT

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Oversight Committee was established in October 2022. The need for this committee was identified by AAMFT staff who were working on the development of DEI practices and policies to efficiently assess DEI efforts within the Association. The DEIOC assesses DEI policies and practices within AAMFT through several methods (e.g., AAMFT stakeholders survey, focus groups with select AAMFT volunteers, and a comprehensive DEI review of AAMFT processes and materials). These efforts resulted in conclusions and recommendations for the AAMFT Board to consider related to DEI within the association.

Special to This Issue

Embracing New Territories: The Journey of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) in Kenya

It is well-documented that satisfactory intimate relationships are essential to human health; they serve as vital resources that enhance the general resilience of people and their ability to navigate physical and emotional challenges. Conversely, distressed, or unsatisfactory intimate relationships strain both psychological and physical health and are sources of severe psychological distress (Miculincer & Shaver, 2016; Umberson & Montex, 2010).

NEWS FROM AAMFT
Departments

Special To The Issue

Surrender

She left me, but still she remains

Trapped in portals of time analogizing when picture frames became strange

Between what is and what was
A poem by Robert M. Cunningham Jr., MSFT

Noteworthy

2024 Student Ethics Competition Essay – 1st Place

Both the AAMFT Code of Ethics (2015) Standard 1.9: Relationship Beneficial to Client and the ethical principle of beneficence require therapists to continue to provide services only so long as clients are benefiting from the therapeutic relationship (Murphy & Hecker, 2017). When practitioners are emotionally depleted and under elevated levels of stress, there is an increased risk for ethical violations (Barton, 2020; Murphy & Hecker, 2017).

Perspectives

Shifting Worldviews on Excessive Technology Use with Systemic Approaches

In today’s digital landscape, the pervasive presence of technology brings unique challenges to family dynamics, necessitating a reevaluation of traditional norms and values. As a therapist specializing in marriage and family dynamics, I’ve witnessed firsthand the profound impact of excessive technology use on familial relationships.
Ezra Lockhart, PhD

Perspectives

Weight Loss Medicine Isn’t Enough: Tackling Anti-fatness as a Systemic Therapist

Anti-fatness is a pervasive function of society. It dwells in the outermost layer of society’s systems and encroaches on each inner level, carefully harming everyone along the way. By the time people with larger bodies encounter explicit anti-fatness face-to-face, they have already accrued the brunt of implicit anti-fatness that has increased their marginalization.
Emani Sullivan, MS, Karlynn Sievers, MD & Tonya Cook, PharmD

Perspectives

Reimagining Resistance: An Invitation for a Systemic Exploration in MFT Supervision

The construct of resistance is frequently discussed during marriage and family therapy, yet it is often addressed without being located in a systems-oriented framework.
Danna Abraham, PhD & Afarin Rajaei, PhD

Perspectives

Neuronutrition: An Introduction to an Important and Complex Topic

The field of neuronutrition is an ever-evolving holistic, integrative, and interdisciplinary field of study.
Jerrod Brown, PhD, Bettye Sue Hennington, PhD, Tiffany Flaten, MEd, Jeremiah Schimp, PhD, & Jennifer Sweeton, PsyD

Perspectives

Embodiment & Equine Therapy: Anorexia Nervosa

Equine therapy helps develop mindfulness in clients as “horses are masters of being in the moment.” Mindfulness brings us into the here and now, so that we are truly able to show up and be in the moment.
Jennifer Cahill, MBA

A Message From the President

Differences Are Not Deficits

Greetings AAMFT members! I hope all enjoyed a restful, fun, and productive summer! This was a particularly hot summer in most areas of the contiguous United States (if not all over the globe!) and I hope everyone remained safe and cool.
Silvia Kaminsky, MSEd


FTM is a connector to and from diverse family therapy practice, policy, supervision, and research leaders.


—Angela Lamson, PhD, LMFT


With cutting-edge and relevant articles, the FTM is the place I find practical systemic information.


—DeAnna Harris-McKoy, PhD


The magazine is great because it shows what other remarkable things my fellow colleagues are doing in the field.


—Sheldon Jacobs, PsyD, LMFT