Prevention Work: A Professional Responsibility for Marriage and Family Counselors

Although ethical codes encourage marriage and family counselors to undertake prevention work, many practitioners do not include prevention within the scope of their practice. Prevention work includes a number of professional functions that address multiple family issues. Within a developmental framework, marriage and family counselors can bring a unique set of skills and experience to preventive work, and a family systems theoretical orientation helps to inform the practice of preventive efforts designed to enhance familial relationships. Marriage and family counselors can be involved in the practice, theory development, and research of prevention work. Effective prevention work by marriage and family counselors incorporates a consideration of barriers to effective prevention work, professional collaboration, and ethical considerations.