What Is a Marriage and Family Therapist?

Couples and families face unique problems, which is why they often seek out help from marriage and family therapists. These professionals are trained to deal specifically with interpersonal issues that arise in couples, families, and groups.

Professionals who work in this field often use a variety of psychotherapeutic techniques. They may work with individuals, couples, or families to treat illness, improve communication, and strengthen relationships.

What They Do

Marriage and family therapists assess, diagnose, and treat mental illness and psychological distress within the context of marriage and family systems, including couples and other romantic relationships, parents and children, and extended families. They may provide premarital counseling, relationship counseling, child counseling, and separation and divorce counseling.

Some of the typical tasks that a marriage and family therapist might perform on a regular basis include:

• Diagnosing and treating mental disorders
• Conducting psychotherapy with individuals, couples, and families
• Developing treatment plans
• Helping clients develop new interpersonal communication skills
• Collecting information about clients through self-report inventories, interviews, observations, discussions, and formal assessments

Completing paperwork and dealing with insurance companies also takes up a significant portion of any therapist's time, including marriage and family therapists. When working with a client, therapists need to maintain accurate case progress notes, keep a record of evaluations, and note any recommendations for further treatment.

Conditions They Treat

Marriage and family therapists treat a wide range of issues and conditions. Some of these include:

• Anger
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Grief
• Relationship problems
• Self-esteem problems
• Self-harm

Salaries

As of May 2023, the median annual salary for marriage and family therapists was $58,510. Salaries can vary depending on the sector of employment. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest-paying industries for this profession include:

• State government: $84,770 (mean annual wage)
• Offices of other health practitioners: $67,230
• Individual and family services: $67,150
• Outpatient care centers: $67,600
• Residential facilities: $63,790

Where They Work

Family therapists work in a range of employment areas including outpatient care centers, individual and family services, local and state governments, and the offices of other healthcare providers. Other common work settings include private practices, inpatient mental health facilities, schools, universities, and health clinics.

Training and Educational Requirements

The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) suggests that the minimum training to become a marriage and family therapist includes a master's degree plus two years of supervised clinical experience. After completing these educational requirements, therapists must also pass state licensing exams.

In addition to the basic training and educational requirements, it is important for professionals to have the characteristics that will allow them to succeed in the job.

• Interpersonal skills: Compassion and empathy are vital. Marriage and family therapists should be good at listening to their clients.
• Problem-solving abilities: Marriage and family therapists need to be able to deal with complex problems and come up with effective solutions.
• Ability to build trust: Therapists need to help their clients feel able to trust and share their innermost thoughts and feelings.
• Organizational skills: They also need to be able to keep track of case notes and other paperwork and manage billing and insurance claims, which is why organizational abilities are essential.
• Communication skills: Marriage and family therapists also collaborate with others, including family members and healthcare professionals, so strong communication skills are a must.

Comfort with different technologies can also be helpful. Marriage and family therapists often use a range of technology tools including video conferencing, accounting software, multi-line telephone systems, spreadsheet software, email, and medical software.

Job Outlook

The Occupational Outlook Handbook projects that the employment of marriage and family therapists will grow by 22% between the years 2019 and 2029, a rate that is much faster than the average for all other occupations.

The growth of the professions is expected to be driven by an increased need for specialists working in integrated care. Integrated care involves the coordination of multiple professionals—including doctors and substance abuse counselors—to address an individual's mental health needs.

A Word From Verywell

Marriage and family therapists play an important role in mental health. The American Association of Marriage for Marriage and Family Therapy reports that nearly 90% of people who receive marriage and family therapy report improvements in their emotional health. 

If you are interested in working with a marriage and family therapist, online therapy directories, where you can search for specific types of therapists and therapeutic approaches, can help you find one. If you are interested in becoming a marriage and family therapist, speak to an academic counselor about your educational options and check the licensure requirements in your state.