Page 4 - Jan/Feb 2017 FTM

EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Tracy Todd
SENIOR EDITOR
Kimberlee Bryce
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Amanda Darnley
ADVERTISING
Shane Lo Maglio
DESIGN AND PRINT
Good Printers, Bridgewater, VA
Family Therapy Magazine (ISSN 1538-9448)
is published bimonthly (January, March, May, July, September, November) by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Inc., 112 South Alfred Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-3061. Printed in the USA. Periodical mailing from Alexandria and additional entry points. ©2017 by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), Inc. All rights reserved. Written permission for reprinting and duplicating must be obtained through the Copyright Clearance Center at www.copyright. com.
The articles published in the Family Therapy Magazine are not necessarily the views of the association and are not to be interpreted as official AAMFT policy.
Manuscripts may be submitted electronically
to FTM@aamft.org or mailed to: Editor, Family Therapy Magazine, AAMFT, 112 South Alfred Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-3061. Telephone: (703) 838-9808. Concise articles (1800 words or less) are preferred. Authors should allow at least two months for a decision.
Single issues of FTM can be purchased for $10 at www.aamft.org/Store.
Advertising materials are due approximately eight weeks before the month of publication. Please call (703) 253-0447 or write to slomaglio@aamft.org for exact deadline dates and all advertising questions. All advertising must be prepaid.
POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to: Family Therapy Magazine 112 South Alfred Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-3061
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
We encourage members’ feedback on issues appearing in the Family Therapy Magazine. Letters should not exceed 250 words in length, and may be edited for grammar, style and clarity. We do
not guarantee publication of every letter that is submitted. Letters may be sent to FTM@aamft.org or to Editor, Family Therapy Magazine, 112 South Alfred Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-3061.
Twenty-five percent of this paper is post- consumer recycled material and preserves 17.49 trees, saves 7,429 gallons of wastewater flow, conserves 12,387,806 BTUs of energy, prevents 822 lbs of solid waste from being created, and prevents 1,618 lbs net of greenhouse gases.
2 FAMILY THERAPY MAGAZINE
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
TWENTY-THREE YEARS AGO, I was a first-year graduate student in a COAMFTE-accredited marriage and family therapy program situated within
a seminary in Pasadena, California. The faculty introduced me to systemic concepts, theories, and approaches to care that were a significant paradigm shift from my assumptions about what effective psychotherapy might
involve. These novel ideas dramatically altered my preconceptions and even demanded a commitment for my own growth that I could not have imagined. As I was learning the A-B-Cs of marriage and family therapy, AAMFT adapted in structure and organization toward a primary goal of acquiring and protecting licensure. Dedicated family therapists sacrificed and labored with AAMFT leadership to advance and protect the profession and practice of marriage and family therapy. At times, local heroes were born in tenacious battles with established mental health disciplines reluctant to have more competition from another regulated discipline. Many today, like me, stand on the shoulders of AAMFT members who fought local and federal battles to create the opportunities that today benefit members and non-members alike.
Two decades since I began my graduate study, I find myself with the humbling privilege and subsequent responsibility to serve the association for the next two years as president. Ample evidence exists demonstrating the significant advancement of the profession and the practice of MFT. Threats and challenges to the profession, of course, remain. Recognition as a Medicare provider has been an elusive goal. Funding for large-scale research projects is still in development. Clinical membership is challenged by the sizeable number of “boomers” migrating toward retirement. Legal threats toward licensure and regulations in various states have broad implications for all marriage and family therapists. Even the political backdrop of our domestic and global culture reflects great anxiety and uncertainty.
Despite the challenges we face, I have great pride in the history of our field, the members who make up our association, and the dedicated staff who serve the mission of our association. When invited to dream audaciously
of the future, I envision AAMFT as the premier association protecting and advancing the profession of marriage and family therapy domestically and internationally through creative and professional advocacy. I dream of AAMFT as a central provider of innovative and relevant deliverables to clinicians, educators, researchers, policy makers and public consumers. I imagine AAMFT as a professional home and thought center for those passionate about systemic approaches to care, free of unfair barriers, influencing future leaders and collaborating meaningfully with other unique industries. I equally envision mechanisms to sufficiently fund and support large-scale research, influence public policy, and innovative practice technologies. I imagine supportive structures, scholarships and grants for advancing education and clinical training. It is fun to imagine a future when resources are not limited and we allow ourselves to think outside the box.
To even move toward such a fantastic future, I believe the health, stability and well-being of the association is central. Board members are charged with a fiduciary responsibility for the association and duty of care and loyalty. We