Career of a Marriage and Family Therapist

Career

According to the O-Net Online Summary Report, marriage and family therapists "diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, whether cognitive, affective, or behavioral, within the context of marriage and family systems." A systems approach is integral to the work that marriage and family therapists do, because they view individual psychological issues as inseparable from the greater family and social system. This enables a holistic approach to treatment interventions, and can be a culturally sensitive, culturally competent facet of psychological counseling.

The primary tasks of a marriage and family counselor include the following. First, communications skills are of the utmost importance because one of the central roles of the counselor is to listen and ask appropriate questions at the right time. A marriage and family counselor meets with more than one member of each family, too, making good communications skills a prerequisite of the profession.

Second, diagnoses should be based on scientific evidence and research. The treatment plan and recommended interventions are also based on research. This is why the marriage and family counselor must have at least a Masters, but preferably a doctoral degree in the area of specialization. Moreover, a clinical training program involving internship or residency at a clinic will be necessary before acquiring the necessary licensing and credentials for establishing a practice. The licensing and credentialing procedures will vary from state to state or province to province ("Marriage and Family Therapist").

Third, one of the primary roles of the marriage and family therapist is providing tools and strategies with which to develop healthy relationships and functioning. The replacement of dysfunctional with appropriate communication patterns is one of the goals of therapy, although each client will need to articulate their personalized treatment goals. The marriage and family therapist will help the client to develop an individualized treatment plan based on goals and desired outcomes. According to O-Net Online, the marriage and family therapist will "counsel clients on concerns, such as unsatisfactory relationships, divorce and separation, child rearing, home management, and financial difficulties." Occasionally clients will be addressing immediate crises such as deaths in the family. At other times, clients will need services related to mental illness or career counseling. Some clients will have chronic conditions they need to address with the marriage and family counselor; others will come to sessions with more acute or immediate issues. The marriage and family therapist offers a diverse range of services to a diverse client base.

The marriage and family therapist sometimes serves on a team with other related healthcare professionals, depending on the needs of the client. Some clients will require referrals to other specialists. It is part of the job of the marriage and family therapist to know when to make a referral, and to whom. Likewise, the marriage and family therapist should be able to confer and consult with partners in the client treatment program, to provide the best possible treatment interventions. The marriage and family therapist must keep detailed records of client visits and therefore should demonstrate skills of organization, interviewing, and description (O-Net Online).

While not technically a technologically-oriented profession, the field of marriage and family therapy does currently rely on a few information technologies that assist the efficiency and organization of patient management. Medical and accounting software are among the most commonly used tools in marriage and family therapy. Quickbooks and other accounting software is essential for managing private practices; while Blueberry Harbor Software and other medical data entry systems help with patient care, especially important for clients who see physicians and other healthcare workers in addition to the marriage and family therapist.

The field of marriage and family therapy can be a lucrative one for the practitioner. However, the entry-level earnings are relatively low, and the peak earnings are not as high as they might be for some other counseling or healthcare professions. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median earnings for a marriage and family therapist are $45,720 per year, or just over $21 per hour. Wages vary considerably depending on whether the practitioner is employed in a private practice or as a part of an institution. Government and other sectors do employ marriage and family therapists to aid their employees (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).