Scott Shelby, Ph.D.
Personal Welcome from Scott Shelby, Ph.D.
Welcome to the Louisiana Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Whether you are a member of our state association or a guest seeking to learn more about us, I hope you will find this website a helpful resource.
As the President of LAMFT, I just wanted to take a few minutes to introduce myself. I have been a member of AAMFT for many years; I have attended all but one LAMFT conference since becoming a student in MFT. My career as an MFT has covered a lot of ground. I have worked as a staff therapist providing in home family therapy, directed a school based mental health program, established a private practice, provided clinical supervision, and established a non-profit organization. Through my years in the field, I have developed a passion for marriage and family therapy and a desire to see MFT continue to be one of the most helpful professions for families in need.
Our state division of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy has a rich history and a high commitment to excellence. We have a fantastic board that puts in countless hours throughout the year to make our division one of the very best in the nation. Marriage and Family Therapists are standing on the brink of greatness for our profession. As most of you saw in the recent U.S. News & World Report, marriage and family therapy is in the top ten fastest growing professions in the United States. The report states that MFTs are distinct from other counseling disciplines, yet considered a foundational piece of the mental health profession.
What an exciting time to be a member of this profession! As the LAMFT president, I consider it an honor, a privilege and a great responsibility to lead our state division the next two years. The board and I will work side by side with other disciplines to have MFT included in new legislation that helps our profession expand, adapt and succeed in today’s changing environment. Our goals are to increase awareness about the usefulness of marriage and family therapy and to educate the public on the differences between counseling and therapy treatment options. Our goal for LAMFT, just like in our profession’s goals, is to build and strengthen relationships with others across the state and nation, while concurrently stepping back to observe the context of mental health in its entirety. I will say it again, what a fantastic time to be an MFT in the state of Louisiana!
I pledge to you that our board and I will continue to attract the nation’s best speakers for our state conferences. Louisiana will lead the nation in equipping, educating and motivating our membership to be ready to share in the predicted growth of our profession over the next ten years. Our state division attracts creative, cutting edge contributions from our members that enhance the national scope of MFT.
It is my hope that our collective pursuit of excellence will attract other mental health disciplines to the energy and excitement that we share for marriage and family therapy, just as our founders supplied that spark for family, relationships and context over five decades ago.
