Info on an Online Doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy
Marital and family therapists (MFTs) work with individuals, couples, and families. They help their clients to manage and overcome a wide range of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral issues: anxiety, substance abuse, truancy, violence, etc.
Marriage and family therapists view clients and their problems as part of social systems. They help people to understand how their thought patterns and behaviors influence one another. Ultimately, they help clients to develop new ways of thinking and new ways of interacting with others.
What would I study?
Since family therapists work with people of all age groups, developmental psychology courses are prominent in MFT programs. Other common courses address individual assessment, group assessment, cross-cultural counseling, human sexuality, chemical dependency, and statistics. The final years of graduate school are spent working on a dissertation.
Where do MFTs work?
Some common workplaces for marital and family therapists include private psychology offices, community mental health centers, schools, courts, and juvenile justice centers.
How much do MFTs earn?
Most MFTs hold master’s degrees, not doctorates. Their median annual income in 2008 ranged from about $43,000 to about $60,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay is higher for PhDs.
Which schools offer online degree programs?
Amridge University (formerly Southern Christian University)
