Nature of the Work

Marriage and family therapists or counselors provide therapy for people who wish to solve emotional conflicts. Their goal is to modify people's perceptions and behavior, improve communication, and prevent individual and family crises. Therapists work in mental health centers, clinics, hospitals, social service agencies, and private practices.

Therapy usually consists of talk sessions, lasting about an hour. Using techniques learned in classrooms and in fieldwork, counselors guide their clients through a series of conversations that reveal their clients' anger, fears, and needs. When couples are considering divorce, for instance, counselors work to uncover the underlying reasons for the divorce and discover whether reconciliation is possible.

Marriage counselors usually speak with a husband and wife at the same time, although they may have some sessions with them separately. They may also counsel groups of married couples, groups of husbands, or groups of wives. Family therapists work with entire families or with individual family members, using similar methods of therapy.

Therapists' work may vary by place of employment. Those in private practice, for example, may specialize in one or two kinds of problems. They may refer clients to other counselors if they determine that their clients' problems are outside their areas of expertise. Counselors who work in clinics may work in teams, consulting each other on appropriate therapy techniques. Some clinics employ counselors with special qualifications to take on the most difficult cases.

Watch this video to see how therapists are helping children recover from the mental trauma of war.

Work Environment

Therapists work in offices where they can speak with their clients in private or in groups. Working hours vary because many therapists combine part-time jobs in social service agencies with private practice. Agency work, especially in marriage counseling, often includes two or three evenings of work each week because many clients work during the day. Therapists in private practice can regulate their own schedules; they may have some evening and weekend sessions.

The work can be very demanding. Therapists must always give their complete attention to their clients' difficulties.

Education and Training

Requirements for marriage and family therapists typically include master's degrees in counseling, two years or 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience, and state-recognized exams. Therapists must adhere to ethical codes and standards and complete continuing education requirements every year. Courses in sociology, social work, psychology, and modern foreign languages are helpful.

Other Qualifications

Aspiring therapists who are interested in direct patient care must be emotionally stable, mature, and able to deal effectively with people. Sensitivity, compassion, good communication skills, and the ability to lead and inspire others are particularly important qualities for people wishing to do clinical work and counseling. Patience and perseverance are vital qualities, because achieving results in the psychological treatment of patients or in research may take a long time.

On the Job

• Ask questions that will help clients identify their feelings and behaviors.
• Counsel clients on concerns, such as unsatisfactory relationships, divorce and separation, child rearing, home management, and financial difficulties.
• Encourage individuals and family members to develop and use skills and strategies for confronting their problems in a constructive manner.
• Maintain case files that include activities, progress notes, evaluations, and recommendations.
• Collect information about clients, using techniques such as testing, interviewing, discussion, and observation.
• Develop and implement individualized treatment plans addressing family relationship problems.
• Determine whether clients should be counseled or referred to other specialists in such fields as medicine, psychiatry, and legal aid.
• Confer with clients to develop plans for posttreatment activities.
• Confer with other counselors in order to analyze individual cases and to coordinate counseling services.
• Follow up on results of counseling programs and clients´ adjustments to determine effectiveness of programs.
• Provide instructions to clients on how to obtain help with legal, financial, and other personal issues.
• Gather information from doctors, schools, social workers, juvenile counselors, law enforcement personnel, and others to make recommendations to courts for resolution of child custody or visitation disputes.
• Provide public education and consultation to other professionals or groups regarding counseling services, issues, and methods.
• Supervise other counselors, social service staff, and assistants.
• Provide family counseling and treatment services to inmates participating in substance abuse programs.
• Write evaluations of parents and children for use by courts deciding divorce and custody cases, testifying in court if necessary.

Source: BLS

Companies That Hire Marriage & Family Therapists

• Health Net
• Kaiser Permanente
• U.S. Army

Ask Questions

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Additional Information

Sources

• O*Net Online. (2009). National Center for O*Net Development. Retrieved May 1, 2009, from http://online.onetcenter.org/
• Net Industries. (2009). Marriage and Family Counselor Job Description, Career as a Marriage and Family Counselor, Salary, Employment - Definition and Nature of the Work, Education and Training Requirements, Getting the Job Retrieved October 20, 2009, from http://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/727/Marriage-Family-Counselor.html
• AlJazeeraEnglish. (2009, July 19). Day camps help bring Gaza's traumatised children back on track - 19 Jul 09. Retrieved October 20, 2009, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV7bY8DBeYs
• Kids First Center. (2009, March 16). Kids First Center. Retrieved October 20, 2009, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXrw_jY8qS0
• Associated Press. (2008, May 25). Treating The Unseen Wounds of War. Retrieved October 20, 2009, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S21Zy8MXGaw
• All Star Directories, Inc. (2009). Interview With a Marriage and Family Counselor. Retrieved October 20, 2009, from http://www.allpsychologyschools.com/faqs/marriage-and-family-counselor-interview.php

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