Marriage & Family Therapy Jobs
Pursuing a career in marriage and family therapy can be both challenging and rewarding. Therapists must have a big heart to work with people struggling in some aspect of their lives and must also be able to distance themselves from patients' problems to offer substantive and life-changing advice. As a result, working as a therapist requires considerable education (at least a master's degree) and one-on-one experience, as well as a strong personal desire to be in the field. With the increase in need for trained and reliable therapists, those who are interested in studying marriage and family therapy have several options for jobs.
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Private Practice
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Working in private practice can be an excellent option for experienced therapists who have developed a solid reputation and who already have a good list of contacts for future patients. Moreover, working in private practice enables marriage and family therapists to specialize. Some therapists focus on a wide range of issues connected with marriage and family relationships, while others work primarily with patients struggling with specific issues, such as eating disorders or substance abuse. Choosing private practice can be a challenge, however, for new therapists who do not have experience and have not established a reputation.
Social Services
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Marriage and family therapists often work closely with foster care children, families who take care of foster children, and families who have lost their children to a foster care program. Social services agencies have a great need for skilled therapists who can appreciate the challenges that foster children and their families face. Those who are interested in pursuing work in a social service agency should also consider studying social work in addition to marriage and family therapy, as a social work program will enable the student to appreciate the complexities of the social service system and the issues faced on the job.
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Schools
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Marriage and family therapists are also in demand in schools. Additionally, schools that offer Head Start programs need trained marriage and family therapists who can work with students from lower income families that are struggling to learn educational basics in the public school system. Within schools, marriage and family therapists work to assist students struggling with completing their education or facing various at-home challenges that are causing problems in the classroom.
Business/Government Consulting
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As businesses continue to evolve, business owners and corporation heads develop an increasing appreciation for the importance of balancing an employee's work life and home life. As a result, larger companies have begun to hire or consult marriage and family therapists who can offer information on balancing work and home life, or who can counsel employees struggling with home issues that affect work. Another aspect of marriage and family therapy consulting lies in working with government agencies or with military families who face long deployments.
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References
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