CAREER

Marriage and Family Therapists

Overview

Salary Median (2020)

$49,880

Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)

+13.9% (faster than the average)

Career

What Marriage and Family Therapists Do

Diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, whether cognitive, affective, or behavioral, within the context of marriage and family systems. Apply psychotherapeutic and family systems theories and techniques in the delivery of services to individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of treating such diagnosed nervous and mental disorders.

Other Job Titles Marriage and Family Therapists May Have

Clinical Therapist, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT), Outpatient Therapist

How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work

Marriage & Family Therapist, Professor ,

SE Jones Therapy

On a typical day, I drop my children off at school and head to my office. From there, I manage my online classes and respond to e-mails, communicating with students and clients on top of grading papers. I then take 6-7 virtual counseling appointments. After that, I take the rest of the day to relax, exercise, and spend time with my family.

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist ,

In a typical day I see around eight clients between the ages of 14 to mid 50s. Each client has 50 minute sessions and their issues range from anxiety/depression with family conflicts to hospitalization crisis.


Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

  • Encourage individuals and family members to develop and use skills and strategies for confronting their problems in a constructive manner.
  • Ask questions that will help clients identify their feelings and behaviors.
  • Develop and implement individualized treatment plans addressing family relationship problems, destructive patterns of behavior, and other personal issues.
  • Maintain case files that include activities, progress notes, evaluations, and recommendations.
  • Counsel clients on concerns, such as unsatisfactory relationships, divorce and separation, child rearing, home management, or financial difficulties.

This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.