We share a strong and special bonding with our family, as the family is the most beloved for everyone. No family is perfect though, there may come many ups and downs in our relationships with family members. The main component of the conflicts is miscommunication or lack of understanding. This leads to developing distance among family members. All types of families experience such problems whether it is extended family, single-parent family, or blended family.
A marriage and family therapist is the one who can solve the relationship conflicts among the couple or family members effectively. They listen, evaluate, and sort out the problems among the families and train the families the effective ways of communication and living style. Here in this article, we will describe the steps by which one can be a family therapist.
Steps to become a family therapist:
A marriage and family therapist generally has a good level of education and experience in the field as well. What type of education one needs to become a marriage and family therapist? Here we will discuss it.
- Bachelor’s degree:
Most psychologists or therapists are required to have a graduate degree. To obtain a graduate degree you first need to have a bachelor’s degree in psychology. However, if you have done your bachelor’s in other subjects, some universities still allow you to do a Masters in psychology.
- Masters in Psychology:
The minimum education for being a psychologist is having a master’s degree in psychology. In masters, you may have two options
I. masters in Arts Ma
II. Masters in Science Ms
Masters in arts have more focus on research methods and statistics while Masters in science have more focus on scientific methods and counseling. The marriage and family therapist needs to have a master’s degree in marriage or family therapy or similar fields such as clinical social work or clinical psychology. In these courses, you will get immense knowledge about therapies, developmental sciences, and research work. You will have to study 2-3 full years along with clinical practice and research thesis.
- Clinical experience:
After obtaining a master’s degree, you need to complete two to three years of clinical work in hospitals or clinics or other institutions. The family therapists will have to serve their services under the supervision of professional family therapists, free of cost for the sake of gaining in-field experience,
- State license exam:
After completing your master’s degree and having enough experience, you have adequate knowledge and expertise in family therapy. But to practice professionally you need to pass a state licensing examination. This exam has different standards for different states. Without passing a state license exam you can not practice independently and can not be called a licensed family therapist. This exam is held by family therapists boards or associations. It consists of multiple-choice questions based on therapies, diagnosis, ethical standards, and treatment procedures. This test evaluates the candidate’s knowledge and expertise. However, the pattern of the test can be different around the globe.
- Where to practice:
When you have obtained your license then it is the last step to decide about in which environment you want to continue your practice. Hospitals, clinics, agencies, non-profit organizations, and some colleges also recruit family therapists who are always looking for professional and qualified individuals which can identify underlying issues of the clients and find the solutions. You may work with any of these or individually. But the best thing to do in the start of your professional career is, to work under the supervision of seniors in this way you will learn more and become more expert in dealing with tough family problems.
- Continue studying:
Marriage and family therapy license lasts for two years of time so you need to renew it with time. This is known as continuing education credits. These credits can be obtained through state-approved courses, workshops, or training programs. Therapists can also earnt these credits by practicing supervising or teaching responsibilities in educational institutions.
Some people opt for doing P.H.D to enhance their knowledge and utilize their research skills.