A marriage and family therapist is a mental health professional who has expertise in family systems and psychotherapy, and who works with couples, individuals and families who are experiencing mental and emotional disorders, particularly those that may affect relationships.^{(See disclaimer 1)} What is an LMFT? An LMFT is a licensed marriage and family therapist, which indicates that the therapist has met the state requirements for licensure in marriage and family therapy.^{(See disclaimer 2)}

Marriage and family therapy is short-term, solutions-focused counseling that identifies and works to meet specific, attainable therapeutic goals intended to improve the relationships of couples and families.^{(See disclaimer 1)} Marriage and family therapy recognizes that the mental and behavioral health struggles of individuals have effects that go beyond the individual; they also impact the entire family unit and the relationships between its members. Because of these complexities of the family dynamic, marriage and family therapy tends to involve sessions with individuals by themselves, couples and the entire family unit.^{(See disclaimer 3)}

Marriage and family therapy can address a wide range of challenges, including:^{(See disclaimer 3)}

• Substance use
• Financial strain
• Grief
• Divorce and separation
• Parent-child conflict
• Sexual dysfunction
• Relationship issues
• Life transitions, including job loss and elder care

Families may also visit these therapists when a family member is struggling with depression, anxiety, schizophrenia or another mental health challenge.^{(See disclaimer 3)}

A marriage and family therapist helps individuals, couples and families develop coping skills and address challenges that are affecting their relationships.

They may do any of the following:

• Assessing emotional, behavioral and psychological needs and challenges
• Encouraging clients to freely share their thoughts and emotions
• Helping clients adjust to life transitions and process their emotions
• Creating treatment plans focused on strengthening coping skills and building relationships
• Referring clients to other specialists as needed

Marriage and family therapists may use a variety of therapeutic approaches and techniques to help improve their clients’ mental health and empower them to work through challenges. One example is cognitive behavioral therapy, which can help clients recognize and understand harmful thoughts and feelings, and start using positive thought patterns instead.^{(See disclaimer 2)}

A marriage and family therapist may work in a variety of settings. These can include mental health centers, substance use treatment centers, outpatient care centers and private offices.^{(See disclaimer 4)}

Successfully administering marriage and family therapy requires a blend of field-specific competencies and soft skills.

You’ll examine counseling competencies in your degree program, and along the way, you can work on cultivating the following soft skills:^{(See disclaimer 5)}

• Clinical judgment and decision-making skills
• Professional ethics
• Emotional resilience
• Cultural sensitivity and humility
• Collaboration
• Communication skills
• Ethical reasoning skills
• Building rapport

Marriage and family therapists can also benefit from a sense of compassion and empathy, as they work with people who are navigating difficult and stressful issues. Interpersonal skills are essential, as these therapists must work well with people from diverse backgrounds and with a range of personalities. In addition, organizational skills are helpful, as marriage and family therapists must keep accurate and up-to-date records.^{(See disclaimer 2)}

Marriage and family therapy is a distinct profession that is supported by licensure regulations across all 50 states. These licensure requirements vary by state, but generally, aspiring LMFTs need a marriage and family therapy degree at the master's level. An MS in marriage and family therapy will include supervised clinical experience hours.^{(See disclaimer 2)} 

Licensure also typically requires passing one or more state-required exams and maintaining licensure thereafter with continuing education credits. Since licensure requirements vary,^{(See disclaimer 2)} it’s important to research the requirements for the state in which you plan to work.

If you aspire to pursue a career as a family and marriage counselor, you may want to explore the pathway more closely. Is marriage and family therapy a good career choice for your goals? Marriage and family therapy can be a great career for individuals who are passionate about helping people and their loved ones work through challenges, cultivate better mental health and learn to live life well. In strengthening families, marriage and family therapy may also help strengthen communities.

What is an LMFT’s salary like? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for marriage and family therapists was $63,780 as of May 2024.^{(See disclaimer 6)} Keep in mind that salary can vary based on many factors, like geographic location, employer, years of experience and advanced qualifications.

Before deciding to pursue a career in marriage and family therapy, you might also want to take a look at the projected job growth rate. According to the U.S. BLS, the anticipated job growth rate for marriage and family therapists will be 13% from 2024 through 2034. This rate of growth is much faster than the national average for all professions, and it indicates that therapist employers expect to hire about 9,800 new professionals during this time period.^{(See disclaimer 7)}

Is marriage and family therapy a good career for you? If you’ve decided that the answer is yes, then Grand Canyon University empowers you to add to your career qualifications with the marriage and family therapy certificate or the clinical mental health counseling with MFT emphasis program available at our institution. As a Christian university, GCU integrates our Christian worldview throughout the curriculum, focusing on professional ethics and servant leadership in the counseling field.

MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling With an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy

This master’s degree leads to licensure in clinical mental health counseling and includes an emphasis in marriage and family therapy, preparing future clinicians to support couples and families. The Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy also examines key topics such as:

• How to assess marital and family challenges
• How to implement intervention methods in counseling
• Understanding the family and family systems from biopsychosocial perspectives
• Working with diverse families, including multicultural, blended, adoptive, single-parent and separated families
• How substance use disorder affects relationships and families

This degree program includes a counseling practicum and two counseling internship experiences, during which you will be expected to apply counseling skills under supervision, with a documented minimum number of direct client contact hours.

Post-Master Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy

If you’ve already earned a master’s degree and you’d like to focus your clinical skills on marriage and family therapy, consider earning the Post-Master of Science in Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy Certificate. You can explore the challenges affecting couples and families, from divorce to family reunification and beyond. Study advanced family systems theory, the dynamics of couples and families and treatment interventions.

Get Started Today at GCU

Grand Canyon University invites you to explore all our online counseling degrees at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.