Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Date of Award

2023

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy (DMFT)

Advisor

Ron Chenail

Abstract

In this study, I investigated marriage and family therapy (MFT) accredited graduate programs’ utilization of social media as a platform to educate the public about the MFT profession’s unique systemic relational orientation. This study also explored MFT graduate programs’ representation on social media and highlighted the issues of public awareness surrounding the MFT field. The variety of competing mental health professions creates a challenge for the field of MFT to differentiate its services from those outside the field. This investigation implemented the social media ethnography method to explore how MFT’s accredited graduate programs use social media to educate the public about the MFT profession’s unique worldview. In the results section, the data was presented in a table format, which helped identify themes relevant to the study. The common themes were how MFT programs use visual aids, describe their identity online, and incorporate diversity and inclusion within their social media pages. In the discussion section, the results were interpreted and provided insightful implications for promoting the field of MFT through accredited graduate programs and advancement in the current digital age.

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