Marriage and Family Therapists
On the Job
Marriage and Family Therapists help to solve problems in a marriage or family. They may diagnose and treat mental or emotional disorders. They use therapeutic theories and techniques to help solve problems.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Help clients get needed services or resources.
- Maintain client records.
- Write reports or evaluations.
- Collect information about clients.
- Interview clients to gather information about their backgrounds, needs, or progress.
- Develop treatment plans for patients or clients.
- Collaborate with other professionals to assess client needs or plan treatments.
- Confer with clients to discuss treatment plans or progress.
- Advise others on social or educational issues.
- Counsel clients or patients regarding personal issues.
Typical Working Conditions
- Having telephone conversations.
- Working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
- Sitting.
- Working with a group or team.
- Being in situations in which conflicts arise.
- Frequent decision-making.
- The freedom to determine tasks, priorities, and goals.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.
