California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists Supports Keeping Families Together

SAN DIEGO, June 18, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 700 children have been separated from their parents at the US Border since October 2017, including more than 100 children under the age of four, according to recent news reports.  The devastating fear and panic at the time of the separation is traumatic and affects behavioral, psychological, interpersonal, and cognitive development for the family members.

"Families who are fleeing violence may have already experienced substantial traumas on their way to the United States. Parent-child separations like this may worsen the suffering for both the children and the parents," said Nabil El-Ghoroury, PhD, Executive Director of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT).

CAMFT President Jan Mellinger, LMFT added "As Marriage and Family Therapists, we are intimately aware of how separating children from parents can critically harm the family unit and create long-term, adverse effects on both child and parental mental health."

In solidarity with dozens of organizations and thousands of mental health professionals throughout the country, CAMFT has added its support to the Child's World America petition and to Senator Dianne Feinstein's Keep Families Together Act, both of which focus on limiting separation during immigration/deportation hearings.

About California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)

CAMFT is an independent professional organization representing the interests of over 32,000 Marriage and Family Therapists who are experts in diagnosing and treating mental health issues. It is dedicated to promoting mental health, advancing the MFT profession, maintaining high standards of professional ethics and expanding awareness for the profession.

SOURCE California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists