Mental Health Careers--Marriage and Family Therapist

a family--mother and father and their little baby From Psychology degree to a career with a Master's degree as a Marriage & Family Therapist

Once you earn your Psychology degree you may decide to become a Marriage and Family Therapist. A Marriage and Family Therapist works with individuals to help them deal with problems (e.g., individual depression or anxiety)  and rebuild relationships. For example, a Marriage and Family Therapists might work with a couple because they're trying to avoid divorce. In addition, families sometimes require help dealing with stressful life events, such as a death in the family or drug use by a family member. Marriage and Family Therapists typically have a Master's degree, but some move on and earn a degree as a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) or PsyD (Doctor of Psychology).

How long will it take you to earn a degree in Marriage and Family therapy? The good news is that it usually requires 2 years of graduate school to complete a master's thesis (research or other type of writing project). The bad news is that during your time in graduate school you typically must pay tuition, and there are limited opportunities for any other types of financial support (e.g., being paid to be a Teaching Assistant or Research Assistant). Still, in the end a Master's degree tends to offer greater job opportunities and greater salary than a Bachelor’s degree, and also allows you to be licensed by a state to do certain activities (e.g., testing, therapy).

Salary Information

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the average yearly income for a Marriage and Family Counselor at $53,520.

Click here to see career salary information for ALL careers listed in explorecareersinpsychology.org.

Click here to read more about Marriage and Family Therapists.

Click here to read more about what a Master's Degree in Psychology offers.

Click here to read about important steps for Mental Health Careers with a Graduate Degree.

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Click on the links below to read about other Mental Health careers that only require a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology:

Mental Health Careers--Mental Health Technician

Mental Health Careers--Social Work Assistant

Mental Health Careers-Foster Care Case Manager

Click on the links below to read about other Mental Health careers that require a Master's Degree:

Mental Health Careers--Master's in Clinical/Counseling Psychology

Mental Health Careers--Genetic Counselor

Mental Health Careers--Licensed Professional Counselor

Mental Health Careers--Art Therapy

Mental Health Careers--Master of Social Work

Mental Health Careers--Pastoral Counseling

Mental Health Careers--School Counseling

Mental Health Careers--Substance Abuse Counselor

Mental Health Careers--Master's in Forensic Psychology

Mental Health Careers--Applied Behavior Analyst

Click on the links below to read about other Mental Health careers that require a Doctoral or Professional Degree:

Mental Health Careers--Doctoral Degree in Psychology 

Mental Health Careers--Psychiatrist