Marriage and Family Therapists
What is a Marriage and Family Therapist?
A Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) is a licensed mental health professional who specializes in diagnosing and treating emotional and psychological issues faced by individuals, couples, and families. This role focuses on improving relationships and enhancing communication among family members, addressing various life challenges, and resolving conflicts. MFTs often work with clients experiencing a wide range of issues, including marital problems, parenting struggles, addiction, trauma, and mental health disorders. They employ various therapeutic techniques, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), solution-focused therapy, and systemic therapy, to facilitate healing and promote healthy dynamics within relationships.
Tasks
- 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.
Technology Skills
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Video conferencing software
- Google Meet
- Zoom
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Medical software
- Advantage Software Psych Advantage
- eMDs Medisoft
- SumTime Software SumTime
- Synergistic Office Solutions SOS Case Manager
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Spreadsheet software
- Microsoft Excel
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Electronic mail software
- Microsoft Outlook
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Accounting software
- Intuit QuickBooks
Tools Used
- Photocopiers
- Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers
- Videoconferencing systems
- Special purpose telephones
- Notebook computers
Knowledge
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Therapy and Counseling
Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
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Psychology
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
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Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
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Sociology and Anthropology
Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
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English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Skills
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Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
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Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
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Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
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Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
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Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Abilities
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Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
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Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
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Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
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Inductive Reasoning
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
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Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Education
How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation?
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Master's degree
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Professional degree
Awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession
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Doctoral degree
Work Activities
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Documenting/Recording Information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
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Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
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Assisting and Caring for Others
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
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Getting Information
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
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Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Detailed Work Activities
- Counsel clients or patients regarding personal issues.
- Teach life skills or strategies to clients or their families.
- Develop treatment plans for patients or clients.
- Maintain client records.
- Collect information about clients.
Work Interests
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Social
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
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Investigative
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
Job Outlook
Projected salary and job growth
$39090.0 - $104710.0
This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.
Assessment
Related assessments and tests
No assessment available.