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<p>Despite the growing global reach of Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT), empirical knowledge of who seeks systemic therapy remains largely confined to Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) societies. This study provides the first large-scale, empirical description of clients seeking systemic therapy in Turkey—a non-WEIRD, rapidly professionalizing context. Drawing on intake data from the Marriage and Family Therapy Practice Research Network (MFT-PRN), 1,017 clients across two university training sites were classified into individual, couple, and family case types. Standardized measures assessed mental health (PHQ-9, GAD-7), relational functioning (CSI-16, CRS, SCORE-15), and therapy-related contextual factors such as presenting problems and referral sources. Results revealed high comorbidity of individual and relational distress across all case types. Women reported greater emotional and relational distress, whereas men reported higher external pressure to attend therapy. Informal referral networks overwhelmingly dominated, with professional referrals remaining rare. These findings highlight a systemic “blind spot” in individual therapy and provide a foundational benchmark for integrating culturally responsive and gender-sensitive practices into MFT training, clinical assessment, and policy in non-Western contexts.</p>

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Who Seeks Couple and Family Therapy in Turkey? A Descriptive Analysis from the MFT-PRN

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月11日

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  • M. Selenga Gürmen

摘要

Despite the growing global reach of Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT), empirical knowledge of who seeks systemic therapy remains largely confined to Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) societies. This study provides the first large-scale, empirical description of clients seeking systemic therapy in Turkey—a non-WEIRD, rapidly professionalizing context. Drawing on intake data from the Marriage and Family Therapy Practice Research Network (MFT-PRN), 1,017 clients across two university training sites were classified into individual, couple, and family case types. Standardized measures assessed mental health (PHQ-9, GAD-7), relational functioning (CSI-16, CRS, SCORE-15), and therapy-related contextual factors such as presenting problems and referral sources. Results revealed high comorbidity of individual and relational distress across all case types. Women reported greater emotional and relational distress, whereas men reported higher external pressure to attend therapy. Informal referral networks overwhelmingly dominated, with professional referrals remaining rare. These findings highlight a systemic “blind spot” in individual therapy and provide a foundational benchmark for integrating culturally responsive and gender-sensitive practices into MFT training, clinical assessment, and policy in non-Western contexts.