Problem:
Diagnosis in marriage and family therapy will always be a controversial topic. As a field built on systems and relationships, focusing on an individual member feels counterintuitive. However, after reading this week's material, particularly Lebow's (2013) article on DSM-5 and family therapy, I think diagnosis can be beneficial or harmful depending on its usage. Diagnosis should never define our clients; instead, it can offer valuable information to inform treatment choices through collaborative use. Diagnosis is also practically unavoidable. According to DSM standards, diagnostic requirements exist for insurance reimbursement procedures, interdisciplinary team communication, and seamless care transitions. Lebow (2013) explains that mental health care culture is evolving toward including diagnosis despite previous resistance from systemic clinicians who rejected individual client pathologization (p. 479). When utilized ethically, diagnosis can promote interdisciplinary communication by providing providers with a standard clinical language. A diagnosis also helps ensure that clients receive the services and resources they need. I see problems with diagnoses when practitioners do not apply them systematically. Identifying people by labels tends to overshadow the possible relational and environmental factors contributing to their symptoms. An MFT perspective reveals that labeling just one individual in the family with a diagnosis overlooks how interactions and systemic stressor. Need Assignment Help?