International Relevance and Applicability of United States-Based Marriage and Family Therapy Training in Turkey

Abstract

This study involved a qualitative examination of Turkish marriage and family therapists’ perspectives with respect to the relevance and applicability of their United States (US)-based marriage and family therapy (MFT) training in Turkey. Eleven Turkish participants, who received their master’s and/or doctoral MFT education in the US and were practicing MFT in Turkey, were interviewed. The participants specifically discussed the transferability of the US-based coursework, practicum/internship, and supervision to their practice in Turkey. Seven themes emerged from the interviews: (1) Universality, (2), Ethical and Legal Issues, (3), Coursework, (4) Clinical Experience, (5) Supervision of Clinical Experience, (6) Culture and Diversity, and (7) Modification of Therapeutic Approaches. Data indicated that the participants perceived their clinical MFT training in the US to be transferable to Turkey, albeit with some necessary modification of therapeutic approaches. The limitations of the study and the implications for US-based MFT programs and international practitioners are discussed.