Marriage Therapist

Marriage therapists work with individuals, couples, families and organizations to help with conflict resolution related to marriage. They employ a wide selection of therapy techniques to help people examine their behavior and improve their communications skills. By increasing the married couple’s understanding of each other, marriage therapists help prevent family and individual crises from occurring.

Marriage therapists should have a keen desire to counsel and help people experiencing challenging and difficult situations. They also need to be able to inspire their clients to trust and respect them. They must be able to work independently and without supervision, and absolutely must adhere to the code of ethics for their counseling certification or license.

Education and Credentials Required
The most common minimum credential for marriage therapists is licensing or certification. Counselors who work for government agencies are expected to have masters’ degrees in some states, while others require only a bachelors’ degree. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) has accredited approximately 176 institutions in the United States. Additionally, many counselors voluntarily seek certification from the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc.

Future Prospects
Employment opportunities for marriage therapists are expected to rise faster than average. As the number of graduates dwindles, the number of counseling programs stays the same or increases. Furthermore, demand is growing, and will continue to grow, mainly because of the diminishing stigma of mental health issues in today’s world compared to the past. More employers are offering counseling as something included in benefits packages as well. Also, more and more people are turning to marriage therapists for help with their personal and family problems.

Salary Range
The median salary, as of 2002, for marriage therapists was $35,580, with the highest ten percent earning more than $59,030, and the lowest, less than $20,960. Experience, location, skill, reputation, hours worked and other factors impact income.