A Team Approach to Therapy

Therapist Interns at Pfeiffer Institute Reach help their clients by using a team approach. These "teams" take several different formats.

First and foremost, the Therapist Intern has a supervisor who is licensed in Marriage and Family Therapy. The Therapist Intern and supervisor meet together at least once a week to discuss the Intern's clients - what has happened in the most recent session, the Intern's plans to help the client to change, and the Intern's relationship (aka alliance) with the client. The supervisor listens to the Intern's description, asks questions about the Intern and the client, and sometimes observes recordings of the session. All of this happens in the effort to (1) improve the Intern's skills and (2) benefit the client's therapy.

Second, the Therapist Intern has a group of peers who also hear about clients and sometimes watch sessions. With the supervisor as facilitator, this group also works to help the Therapist Intern think "outside the box" about how to be helpful to the client, and improve the Intern's therapy skills. Together, these teams (supervisor and peers) are why we tell prospective clients that they're getting multiple therapists for the price of one - and a low price at that!

The third "team" includes helpers outside of Reach who are involved with the client. These team members might be doctors, lawyers, teachers, or religious leaders who make up the client's support network. Therapist Interns collaborate with these outside team members (with the client's written permission) in order to coordinate the effort to help the client make changes. While this team isn't as directly involved in the actual therapy - indeed, they don't learn the particulars of what happens in session - they are integral parts of helping the client make and maintain progress in their lives.

This systems perspective (i.e., client is seen as part of a network rather than a lone entity) is part of what makes Marriage and Family Therapy different from other mental health fields. Its part of the benefit clients receive when they come to Pfeiffer Institute Reach. If you'd like to become part of our team - or if you'd like to learn more about us - please contact us today: 919-941-2900 or pfeiffer.reach@pfeiffer.edu.