Runninghead:THEDEPTHSOFANMFTPROFESSION

TheDepthsofanMFTProfession

ElizabethGarcia
Writing310
Professor:ZackDePiero
11/30/15

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TheDepthsofanMFTProfession
Writers,nomattertheirgenre,findinspirationtowritefromthesamesource:something
theyhearorseeorotherwiseexperiencestayswiththem.Theycantstopmusingtheymust
investigate.Writingisjustanotherformofproblemsolving.Likepsychology,itsadriveto
understandthehumanconditionexperientially,onethatsledbyemotionandinstinct.I
interviewedaprivatepracticedMFT(Marriage&FamilyTherapist),FionnualaKraus.Through
herinspirationalwritingonherwebsite,sheisabletoengageheraudiencebyconnectingthem
withtheirinnerselvesandthus,promisingtofindasolutiontotheirpsychologicaldisturbances.
Thesuccessofapieceofwritingisprovenbyreadersconnectingwiththewriterswords,
knowingonsomebasiclevelthatwhatthewriterhascomposedtouchesonatruthofhuman
experience.Fionnualaconnectswithherreadersthroughherwebsite,theformsneededtobe
completedbeforetheirfirstsession,andthepracticeswithintheirsession.
Writingisoneofthemostimportantaspectsinaprofession.Forinstance,mygoalhas
alwaysbeentobecomeanMFT,soIdecidedtoresearchintothedepthsoftheprofession.In
ordertofindtheimportanceofwritingwithinapsychologyprofession,Iconductedaninterview
withFionnualaKraus,alicensedMFT.ShegraduatedfromUniversityofCalifornia,Santa
Barbarawithabachelor'sinAnthropologyandcontinuedhereducationatAntiochUniversity
SantaBarbarawhereshereceivedherMastersinClinicalPsychology.Inordertobecomea
licensedMFT,shehadtocomplete3,000hoursofsupervisedworkexperience.OnceFionnuala
metallrequirements,andtheBoardreviewedandapprovedherforexaminationeligibility,she
receivedaneligibilitynoticetotaketheLMFTStandardWrittenExamination.Uponpassingthe
StandardWrittenExamination,shehadtopassaLMFTWrittenClinicalVignetteExamination.

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Assoonasshecompletedtherigorousrequirements,shestartedherownprivatepracticeandhas
beenpracticingtherapyforsevenyears.Thetherapiessheengagesinmostarepsychodynamic,
cognitivebehavioral,andemotionalfocusedtherapy.Notonlyissheatherapist,butshealso
occasionallyteachesatAntiochUniversityandworksatanelementaryschool.However,she
didntgointodetailabouthereducationalteachingcareer.Fionnualagavemethescoopbehind
thelifeofatherapist.
OneofthefirststepsFionnualaencounteredaftercompletingherexperiencedhours,
takingherexams,andstartingherownprivatepracticewasattractingclients.Sheattracted
herclientsfromreferralsfromthepeopleshehasworkedwithandfriendswhoteachthe
mastersprograms,butsheattractedmostofherclientsfromherrepresentationonline:her
website.Whencreatingherwebsite,shedidntconstructitasmindfullyassheshouldhave.She
isnttheonlypersonwhoisntawareofwhatwhoheraudienceisandwhattheirexpectations
aremostpeopledont.JanetBoyd(2010)betterinformshisaudiencethatcommunicationis
veryambiguous:
Whenyougowrite,youmightnotalwaysbeactivelyawareofyouraudienceasan
audience.Youmaynotevenconsciouslyrealizethatyouareenactingcertainrhetorical
strategieswhilerejectingothers.Buteachtimeyouwriteyouwillfindyourselfina
rhetoricalsituation,inotherwordswithinacontextorgenre,thatnudgesyoutochoose
therightdictionorevenjargonandtostriketherighttone(100).
AlthoughFionnualawasntbeingasmindfulasshewouldhavehoped,thepeoplewhoare
attractedtoherwebsiteare
youngsinglepeople
,couples,andthosefacingromanticstruggles.
Thehomepageofherwebsiteputsanemphasisonhercredentials,therapystyle,whatshe

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specializesin,andhermotives.Thissoundsverybasicanddull,butitsthewaysheexpresses
herwriting.Herwebsitefeelsverywelcoming,andportrayshopeandrelaxation.Herhomepage
reflectsherbackground,goals,styleoftherapy,andincludesapictureofherself.She
incorporatestabsandlinkstohelpnavigatethroughherwebsite.Underthetabslinksand
resourcesandhottopicssheprovidesclientswithlinksforarticlesandstudiesdonebyother
psychologists.WhenIwassearchingonlineforatherapist,sheistheonewhostoodouttome
themost.IscrolledthrougheverysingletherapistintheSantaBarbaraCountyandIchoseher
becausetheywayshepresentedherselfonherwebsite.Insteadofstatingfactafterfact,sheis
abletoinvesthopeandfaithintoherwords.
OnceFionnualasfutureclientscontacther,shehasthemfilloutandsignanintakeform,
aconfidentialityform,andacancellationpolicyform.Thefourpageintakeformisthemost
useful.Itconsistsoftheircontactinformation,overviewoffamilyhistory,substanceuse,
medication,mentalillness,anditsagoodguidelinetoworkwith.Somepeopledon'tlikefilling
outtheform,soanalternativeisaskingtheclientthequestionsfromtheformduringtheirfirst
therapysessionandtakingnotesontheiranswers.Sheresortsbacktotheintakeformquiteoften
toreaccesswhattheclientwasoriginallycominginfor.Theconfidentialityformand
cancellationpolicyformareverypreciseandtothepoint.Theconfidentialityformdisclosesthat
bothverbalinformationandwrittenrecordsaboutaclientcannotbesharedwithanotherparty
withoutthewrittenconsentoftheclientortheclientslegalguardianhowever,thereare
exceptions.Thetherapistispermittedandobligedtoinformandcontactlegalauthoritiesand
parents/legalguardiansiftheclientisfacedwiththefollowingcases:clientsintentionsareto
harmanotherpersonclientstatesthattheyareabusingachildorhasrecentlyabusedachild,or

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achildisindangerofabuseifclientadmitsaboutprenatalexposuretocontrolledsubstancethat
arepotentialharmfulparents/legalguardiansofaminorclientwanttoaccesstheclients
recordsandinsurancecompaniesaregiventheinformationthattheyrequestregardingservices
toclients.Thecancellationpolicyformstatesthatafullsessionfeewillbechargedformissed
appointmentsorcancellationswithlessthana24hournotice.Thesethreedocumentsare
extremelyimportanttohaveonrecord,andtomaketheclientawareofwhatisexpectedfrom
themandtogetthemthinkingaboutwhattheywanttogetoutoftherapy.
Fromthebeginningofaclient'sfirsttherapysessionandon,Fionnualaacquiresmultiple
journalsforeverysingleoneofherclients.Throughoutasession,youmayseeatherapist
constantlywritinginajournalitmightbeverydistractingfortheclientbutitsveryuseful
andbeneficialforthetherapist.Everytherapisthastheirowntechniquewhenitcomesto
journalingthroughoutatherapysession.Somemayonlyjotdownoneword,ormaybeeven
drawdoodles.Thesesmallfactsarewhathelpthetherapistcomeupwiththeendofthesession
summarization.Thesefactsconsistofimportantphrases,events,andfeelingsportrayedbythe
clientthatFionnualathinksisnoteworthy.Fionnualaisobligedtowriteashorthalfinchnote
aftereverymeeting.Thenotesshetakesthroughoutatherapysessionsareevidencetosupport
herclaim.Insteadofgatheringdatafromresearchsources,herjobistocollectherowndata
throughexperimenting,observing,andconductinginterviews.Inthearticle
FindingEvidence
,
theauthorbetterexplainstheimportanceofgatheringexperimentaldata:Indisciplinessuchas
experimentalpsychologyoreconomics,quantitativedatathesortthatcanbeobservedand
countedmaybethebestevidenceAsyoubecomemorefamiliarwithadiscipline,yougain
asenseofwhatittakestosupportaclaim(396).Fionnualassummarizationaftereverymeeting

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reflectshowtheclientcamein,howtheyendedtheirsession,andtheoveralloutcomeoftheir
feelingsandsituation.Thefocusisobservation.Observationalmethodsinpsychological
researchrequirestheobservationanddescriptionsofasubjectsbehavior.Researcherscan
utilizevaryingamountsofcontrolovertheenvironmentwhichtheobservationtakesplace.This
isthemostimportanttaskbeingatherapistbecauseitsusedtobetterunderstandtheclient,what
needsimprovement,andhowtoreachtheirgoal.Itsaslowlybutsurelyworkinprogress.
Notonlydotherapisthavetheopportunitytojournalabouttheirclients,buttheyalso
tendtoinfluencetheirclientsbyconnectingwiththeiremotions,feelings,andneedsthrough
journaling.Journalingisntforthetherapisttoreaditsfortheclientsselfanalysisandto
vocallyexpressthewrittenhighlights.Thegenreofjournalinggivesthewriterpurposetoshape
theirthoughtsandtoshapetheirdailylives.KerryDirk(2010)betterexplainshowgenresare
usedasatooltohelppeoplegetthingsdone.Hestates,[Journaling]genreshavethepowerto
helporhurthumaninteraction,toeasecommunicationortodeceive,toenablesomeonetospeak
ortodiscouragesomeonefromsayingsomethingdifferent.Peoplelearnhowtodosmalltalkto
easethesocialdiscomfortoflargegroupgatheringsandmeetingnewpeople(252).Thistypeof
journalingcanhelpclientstoaccomplishtheirgoalsandgeneratemindfulness.First,theclient
takestimetolookandconnectwiththeirinnerselves,whichcontinuestheflowoftherapyand
makesthemselfaware.Second,theybegintoorganizewhatseemslikeabunchofdisjointed
material.Writingforcesthemtochanneldisparatethoughtsintoonelinearstream.Finally,
theyreabletokeeparecordoftheirprogress.Journalingorganizesthoughts,whileanalysisis
aboutexploringthroughthepsychiccluttertorevealtracesoftheunconscious.Journalinghelps

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therapyextendbeyondthesession.Ifthejournalingbecomesconsistent,there'smorechancefor
growthbetweensessions.
Becomingatherapistisaverylongcontinuouspath.Theeducationneverstopstheyre
continuallyeducatingthemselves.Theresalwaysseveralnewtheoriesbeingintroduced,and
theoriesthatneedtobedeeplyinspectedandpracticed.Thetechniqueofthesetheoriesdont
automaticallyworkforeveryone.Therapistareconstantlytrainingthemselveswhentheymeet
withaclient.Aclientislikeabookthatisverydifficulttoread,butonceyougetaccustomedto
theirwritingstyle,youreabletoreallyunderstandandexperiencethecontent.Inotherwords,it
maybeverydifficultforthetherapisttoreallygettoknowtheclient,butoncetheclientopens
upandbecomescomfortablewiththeirtherapist,thetherapistisabletoreallyempathizeand
guidetheclienttowardstheirgoals.Notonlydotherapisthavetobelieveinthework,theyalso
needtolearnhowtoshowcompassionandempathy.Atherapistcannotmakemanyjudgements
overanyone'sdecisions.Theresalotthat'sneededtobecomeatherapist:education,patience,
mindfulness,andtime.AlthoughFionnualahadtogothroughalloftherigorousandtedious
worktobecomeatherapist,shecanadmitthatherpriorexpectationshavebeenfulfilled:every
timeImeetwithaclient,Igetmoreoutofitthantheydo.
Inpsychology,readersaremostconnectedwiththosewriterswhoareabletoexpressand
interpretthetruthaboutlifeexperiencesintotheirownwriting.ThewayFionnualaKraus
connectswithheraudienceisbygivingthemfaithandpromisingasolutiontotheir
difficulties.FionnualaisanMFTtodaybecauseofherpastexperiences.Ourhumanexperiences
arewhatmoldandmodelourcommunicationabilitiesandstyles.Agoodcommandofwritingis
essentialbecausecommunicationiskey.Butwithtalktherapy,itisaboutdocumentation.Most

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therapistwriteaswell,eitherasteachersorhavingworkpublishedbutnotall.Overall,
writingreflectsthought,writingsharpensthought,writinggeneratesthought.Writingisas
importantforintellectualgrowthasexerciseisforathleticgrowth.Writingistheeffortful
processofwrestlingwithpoorlyapprehendedandasyetdisorganizedideaswiththegoalof
achievingahigherlevelofunderstandingoftheseideas.

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References

Kraus,F.(n.d.).FionnualaKraus.RetrievedNovember30,2015,from
http://fionnualakraus.com

Kraus,F.(n.d.).IntakeForm.RetrievedNovember30,2015,from
https://fionnualakraus5.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/clientintake.pdf
.

Kraus,F.(n.d.).LimitsofConfidentiality.RetrievedNovember30,2015,from
https://fionnualakraus5.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/confidentialityandcancellationpolicy
.pdf

Lowe,C.,&Boyd,J.(2010).Murder!(RhetoricallySpeaking).In
Writingspaces:Readingson
writing.
(pp.87100).WestLafayette,Ind.:ParlorPress.

Lowe,C.,&Dirk,K.(2010).NavigatingGenres.In
Writingspaces:Readingsonwriting.
(Vol.
1,pp.249262).WestLafayette,Ind.:ParlorPress.