If you love helping others, are a great listener and have an interest or background in psychology, a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy may be just the thing you need to take your career to the next level.

While every client you book will be unique, you will find that there are some trends when it comes to marriage and family therapy and what your clients need help with. Here are five common issues that couples, families, groups and individuals will reach out to MFTs for.

1. Premarital Education

Engaged couples who want to build their marriage on a strong foundation will often reach out to a therapist for premarital counseling. Sometimes, this counseling is done in the church and is often a requirement to get married in specific churches. Other times, clients will approach you on their own, wanting to work out any issues they may have before they head to the altar. As their premarital counselor with a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy, you will give them tools they will need to work out any disagreement and tools for better communication so that these disagreements don’t come up in the first place.

2. Treatment Planning

It’s not always a problem that the entire family is having that sends them to therapy. Many times, a family member is suffering from addiction, alcoholism, gambling, depression or other mental illness. This can have an effect on the family as a whole, and therapy is sometimes the best way to make sure everyone is feeling heard and respected. Part of this is coming up with a treatment plan for a client who is struggling with something.

3. Children Having Issues in School

A child having issues in school doesn’t mean that they are not smart or well-behaved. It may be an issue they are having with a classmate, issues at home or a learning disorder that is keeping them from achieving everything they are capable of. Your master’s degree in marriage and family therapy will help you diagnose the issue and work with the child and his or her family to get them back on track.

4. Life Coaching

Some clients may not be struggling with addiction or trying to get over a trauma, but simply stuck on what to do next. Life coaching involves working with a client in order to figure out what they really want from their work, relationships and life in general. You will often explore their goals and interests in order to help them find more fulfillment in their everyday life. These clients could be new graduates, retirees, anyone having gone through a divorce or simply someone who is feeling a little bit lost.

5. Abuse

One of the most difficult situations to help clients through is abuse. It can be child abuse, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, verbal abuse and etc. Each of them are damaging in their own way. Working with victims to make peace with their experience and helping them to go on living a happy and fulfilling life is a long but rewarding process. In these situations, you may be working with individuals or groups. While these cases can be emotionally trying, your master’s degree in marriage and family therapy will prepare you for handling these situations.

Think you can make a difference as a marriage and family counselor? Contact our admissions counselors today!

‌