Family serves as the cornerstone of every society. The smooth working of society is related to how well a family system is functioning. Sometimes, mental health issues can disturb families’ normal setup, resulting in disharmony and conflicts. How can you improve mental health in the context of families? At this point, family therapists come to the rescue to diagnose and treat mental health issues related to couples and families.
The decline in mental health and the rise of family issues led to the expansion of this profession. If you want to play your part as a family therapist in an uplifting society, you need to know how it can give you an edge in the job market.
High earning potential
The growth prospects and high earning potential of a career as a family therapist sets you apart from others. On average, an MFT earns $74,345 per year in the United States. What’s more, you can get potential benefits of health insurance, 401(k), and much more.
However, location, qualification, experience levels, and area of practice are contributing factors that decide the salary of the therapists. For instance, An independently working MFT earns more money than a beginner-level therapist on the job.
By enrolling in the COAMFTE accredited programs, you can kickstart your career with great growth potential and even progress to more diverse and advanced positions. As a part of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), these degree programs give you a competitive advantage over others. You can progress in family therapy as an educator, researcher, or consultant, depending on your professional goals and area of specialization.
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A faster career path
In the wake of a fast-paced and highly competitive environment, looking out for opportunities that launch your career fast is crucial. How can you accelerate your career path in psychology? You can start to work as a marriage and family therapist much faster than other psychology professionals. Moreover, it is less expensive to meet the requirements of a well-qualified family therapist than others.
For instance, becoming a clinical psychologist is long and expensive. You can expect to spend at least six to seven additional years after a bachelor’s to obtain a doctorate as a clinical psychologist. Additional requirements include at least two years of postdoctoral practice.
Contrarily, you can become a family therapist with a four years bachelor’s degree and a two years master’s degree. Comparing the license requirements between these two professions, you get a fast-track approach with MFT.
High Job Satisfaction
Marriage and family therapy helps couples and families to nurture a healthy bond while working on conflict resolution and their differences. As an MFT, you can bring people closer, repair damaged relationships, and improve your clients’ lives.
A sense of achievement and emotional satisfaction is the foundation for a rewarding career path. When you feel satisfied with your profession by contributing value to people’s lives, you intend to outperform and excel in your field. The marriage and family therapist ranks as the second-best profession in the list of social services fields.
A work-life balance is also crucial in achieving high job satisfaction. As a marriage and family therapist, you can manage to balance your life with work without facing any potential hurdles. Many family therapists have flexible working hours to choose what works best. For instance, they can decide whether they want to work all day long or at specific hours of the day.
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Diverse job settings
A career as a marriage and family therapist is highly promising. According to the BLS, the MFT profession is expected to grow by 16% by 2030. With a high projected growth rate of family therapists, you can never stay out of a job. You have an opportunity to work as an MFT in wide-ranging settings in both the public and private sectors. These include:
- Community and social service centers
- Government agencies
- Schools
- Hospitals
- Inpatient and outpatient facilities
- Consulting firms
- Faith-based agencies
- Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)
- Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)
- Veterans Administration Centers
You can also set up your private clinic for family therapy and get a competitive edge over others. This field has low barriers to starting independent practice with high growth potential. If you have enough credentials, acquire a business license and start offering your therapy services independently. Depending on the personal nature of the therapy, people are likely to reach out to therapists who master the skills rather than big names.
Variety of specializations
Family therapy is a multi-facet profession that extends to the diverse and wide-ranging aspects of family relationships. You may opt for one of the following specializations:
- School Counseling
- Addiction and recovery
- Conflict management and infidelity in marriage
- Trauma in relationships
- Community programming
Depending on what suits you, you can choose a concentration in marriage and family therapy. For instance, choose addiction and recovery concentration if you want to deal with drug and substance abuse in patients’ family members. In addition, you can also cater to parents from specific groups like veterans and domestic abuse victims. The choice of specialization depends on your interests and where you want to reach in the next few years. With an in-depth knowledge base and concentrated practice in an area, you have more chances to climb the ladder of success. Make sure whatever you choose fits well with your career goals.
Secure and stable career
One of the benefits of becoming an MFT is to launch your career on solid ground where you don’t have to worry about shortage or lack of opportunities. Family therapy has growth prospects, and this is what you need to take advantage of. In the United States, job opportunities for MFT will continue to expand in coming years, with an approximately 22% increase from 2019 to 2029. It is a much higher percentage than other professions on average. It entails a lot of job openings in various settings, and you won’t have any trouble finding a suitable job. Though salaries in family therapy are already pretty good, they will continue to become even better with increased demand. With more experience and a strong profile, you can land a good opportunity to set your direction for a stable and rewarding career.
Conclusion
Building your career as a family therapist is a viable option that gives your job satisfaction with a lucrative career path. You can work according to your interests with various job settings and concentrations. As the market for this profession is expanding rapidly, you need to look for accredited degree programs to gain an edge over others.