Marriage and Family Therapy

By Dr. Andrew D. Atwood, LMFT

Andy Atwood, PC
801 Broadway Avenue NW
Suite 436
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Email andy@andyatwood.com
Voice 616.901.9816

"With the gift of life, each of us is given the impulse to grow,
and all growth happens in relationships."

We all live in relationships with others. Community is the fundamental context within which we are born, live, and die. Among all the relationships that are critical to the journey of life, none is more important than the relationship we call "marriage."

However, each of us is surrounded by critically important relationships with family members and friends, with lovers and co-workers. Couples and partners of all sorts continue to fascinate me.

Relationships that are successful have at least three traits in common.

• Openness. People who are open with each other do well in relationships. People who are closed struggle and tend to be distant and withdrawn, and are unable to enjoy intimacy.
• Honor. People who make and keep commitments with care, who honor those commitments, do well in relationships. People who are sloppy in the way they make commitments, or sloppy in how they keep commitments, end up in frustration.
• Collaboration. People who work well together experience flow, while those who don't, experience conflict.

How I got into this field of work.

In the spring of 1973 I had taken a ten-week full-time program in Clinical Pastoral Education at Pine Rest Christian Hospital. What I had just learned about caring for people, I brought into that first year of ministry. After I graduated from Seminary in 1973, I went to what is referred to as a "new church start" in Southern California. That short, but intense year gave me the opportunity to be a Minister of Congregational Care. For many reasons, few of which were under my control at all, that first job out of school came to an abrupt end. Today, I yet count it as one of the most important and defining years of my life.

Jan and I returned to West Michigan. I was given the opportunity to co-found a nonprofit counseling center affiliated with Central Reformed Church in Grand Rapids. I seized the opportunity, enrolled in Calvin Theological Seminary so that I could earn a degree that would allow me to get on a track toward the right qualifying degree along with five years of apprenticeship under an Approved Supervisor. That supervision began in 1975 and ended in 1980, right on schedule. During that time I also worked on my Doctor of Ministry Degree at Western Theological Seminary, with a focus on Marriage and Family Therapy. Today, there are a number of degree programs in Marriage and Family Therapy, but back then, there were none. So, I designed a learning experience that got the job done.

In 1980, I finished my third post-graduate degree and became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW). I also became a Clinical Member of the AAMFT, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

The Marriage and Family Center (the nonprofit counseling center I co-founded back in 1975}, grew over time. In 1997, the name was changed to the Fountain Hill Center for Counseling and Consultation. I worked there as both a therapist and as the Center's Executive Coordinator for 33 years. I left in 2007, when the time was right for them, and me.

In 1988, Governor Blanchard appointed me to a term on the State Licensing Board for Marriage and Family Therapy. Governor Engler then reappointed me to two more terms. During those nine years, those of us on the Board re-wrote the law governing our profession, and watched over the growth of Marriage and Family Therapy in Michigan.

63,000 hours with the most wonderful people.

That's how many hours I estimate that I have worked face-to-face with individuals, couples and families. That's a lot of time. In the beginning, I was "book smart, but street stupid." Over the years, and after studying and learning constantly, after experiencing the struggles of thousands of people, and after growing in my own marriage, I believe I have gained a deep appreciation for how challenging it is to be in a relationship over time.

Today, I am at the top of my game. I am a seasoned professional. I've built my career around "helping people at home and at work, to get along, and get ahead."

I've written some about how to make a marriage successful.

Click on the link to Articles and eBooks that I've written, and you will find some useful tools and resources. They are available for free. All I ask is that you make earnest use of the lessons I've compiled, and then give me some feedback on what I've written.

To make an appointment with me.

Simply contact me by email or phone. I'm in the office almost every day. Appointment times can be scheduled between the hours of 8 and 5, Monday through Friday.