Couple and Family Therapy Clinic

 

Services

The Couple and Family Therapy Clinic offers assistance to families, couples, and individuals. As a training center, therapy services are provided by graduate students in the Couple and Family Therapy Program. The students are closely supervised by faculty who have Clinical Membership and Approved Supervisor Status by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT); and/or are Licensed Marital Therapists in the state of Iowa.

 

Services include help with:

  • relationship issues
  • premarital counseling
  • marital/couple therapy
  • therapy for divorcing people
  • sex therapy
  • family therapy
  • marital and family enrichment

Other issues and problems dealt with at the clinic include:

  • parenting and child discipline
  • family violence
  • remarriage and building step-families
  • school problems
  • eating disorders
  • depression
  • single-parent families
  • marital and family communication
  • caring for elderly parents
  • concerns specific to the LGBT community

Call 515-294-0534 to set up an appointment.

 

What Can I Expect During Therapy?

When you first call the clinic (515-294-0534), an intake coordinator will answer the phone. That person will ask you some questions about what you are interested in seeking therapy for at this time, your name, address, phone number, and days/times that are good for you to attend therapy. The intake worker will quote you a fee per session, and will arrange for a 1st session with your therapist.

 

When you come to the clinic, you will be greeted by your therapist in the waiting room (on the 1st floor of Palmer). The therapist will bring you to the therapy room, and you will complete some paperwork which takes about a half an hour. Then, your therapist will spend about 50-60 minutes with you, to understand what brings you in, and to set goals. The total time for the first session is about 90 minutes. All sessions after the 1 st session are 50 minutes in length.

 

What is the Cost for Sessions?

All ISU students pay a flat fee of $10 per session. Otherwise we use a sliding fee scale to determine a session fee, based on household income and number of dependents. We do not turn away clients for lack of ability to pay.

 

The Clinic fees are very low in relation to fees charged by therapists in the community. For this reason, we do not accept insurance.

 

What Else Should I Know About the Facilities?

The Couple and Family Therapy Clinic is a training facility, meaning our therapists are graduate students seeking a Master’s degree; they are learning how to provide therapy in close collaboration with a Clinical Supervisor. Therefore, all therapists must videotape their sessions, so that Clinical Supervisors can help therapists refine their skills. In addition, there are one-way mirrors in the therapy room, which allows for the Clinical Supervisor and other graduate students in the Couple and Family Therapy Program to observe sessions.

 

What is the Clinic's Philosophy in Working with Clients?

We strive to work collaboratively with clients in order to best help them meet their goals. We actively seek clients input on how therapy is progressing. We value flexibility in meeting clients needs given the context for their particular situation.

 

What If I Have Other Questions?

Please call us at 515-294-0534, or you may call the Clinic Director, Dr. Megan Murphy, at 515-294-2745.