Marriage and Family Therapists

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.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

Internship/residency

Self-employed

12.8%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Therapy and Counselingimportance 5.0/5
• Psychologyimportance 4.9/5
• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.0/5
• Sociology and Anthropologyimportance 3.9/5
• English Languageimportance 3.6/5
• Administrativeimportance 3.4/5
• Law and Governmentimportance 3.3/5
• Philosophy and Theologyimportance 3.2/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams5.0/5
• E-Mail4.8/5
• Contact With Others4.7/5
• Frequency of Decision Making4.6/5
• Time Pressure4.6/5
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.6/5

Related Careers

• Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
• Child, Family, and School Social Workers
• Clinical and Counseling Psychologists
• Healthcare Social Workers
• Rehabilitation Counselors
• Social and Human Service Assistants
• Recreational Therapists
• School Psychologists

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Rehabilitation Counselors99% skill match
• Psychiatrists99% skill match
• Healthcare Social Workers98% skill match
• Political Scientists97% skill match
• Sociologists97% skill match
• School Psychologists97% skill match
• Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary97% skill match
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers97% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Social Perceptivenessimportance 4.4/5
• Service Orientationimportance 4.0/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 4.0/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 4.0/5
• Persuasionimportance 3.6/5
• Negotiationimportance 3.6/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.5/5
• Instructingimportance 3.5/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Empathy
• Sincerity
• Cooperation
• Integrity
• Dependability
• Self-Control
• Social Orientation

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• SocialHigh
• InvestigativeHigh
• ArtisticMedium
• ConventionalLow
• EnterprisingLow
• RealisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where marriage and family therapists make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA8.10× national avg
2. 2Redding, CA6.71× national avg
3. 3Mankato, MN6.09× national avg
4. 4Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT5.59× national avg
5. 5Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA4.91× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Clinical and Counseling PsychologistsCareer Change
• Healthcare Social WorkersLateral Move
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social WorkersLateral Move
• School PsychologistsCareer Change

See the full career path from Marriage and Family Therapists →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.