MightyRecruiterWhen you need to write a solid marriage and family therapist job description, you should review what people do in this job. Marriage and family therapists provide treatment to families and couples. They help people cope with tough situations within the family unit, such as substance abuse, trauma or divorce.
Marriage and family therapists must have a postgraduate degree in counseling or psychology to be qualified for employment. They need to be licensed in the state where the position is located. They also need to have completed an internship as part of their graduate educational experience.
People who succeed in this role need to possess strong interpersonal skills and excellent listening skills. A good marriage and family therapist should also be highly organized and empathetic. In the marriage and family therapist job description template below, you can get even more ideas about what to write.
Marriage and Family Therapist Job Summary
Our facility is currently hiring a licensed marriage and family therapist to join our group counseling team. We are looking for someone who has a client-focused approach to the treatment of families and couples in committed relationships. If you are skilled and experienced in helping family units work together to overcome serious problems and communicate better, this may be the right place for you. As a therapist in our center, you would be supporting a variety of clients on your caseload and providing therapy and other services to help them heal. Utilize your commitment to making life better for others and improving relationships with us.
Job Responsibilities
- Talk to clients about their problems and investigate their feelings about certain topics related to their relationships with their significant other or other family members
- Provide weekly counseling services to families and couples dealing with problems such as divorce, custody issues, abuse, mental illness and financial problems
- Empower clients to discover their own methods of coping, and help them develop strategies to deal with conflict on a daily basis
- Manage clients on a caseload and develop appropriate treatment services for each individual situation
- Collaborate with other professionals in the mental health industry, such as psychiatrists, counselors and school support staff to create the best treatment options for clients
- Evaluate and observe children during court-mandated sessions to make recommendations for family custody issues
- Assist clients with finding resources to help support their progress, such as referring them to housing services, financial assistance and other benefits
- Educate other professionals in various industries for company professional development days to help employees manage stress in life
Job Skills & Qualifications
Reqiured:
- Master’s degree in marriage and family therapy or another closely related subject
- Professional state license in therapy
- Completion of an internship program in marriage and family therapy
- Personable and compassionate personality
Preferred:
- Experience providing counseling services to families
- Ability to work on-call weekends and nights
Marriage and Family Therapist Job Responsibilities
In a sea of job postings, a thorough and reader-friendly job responsibilities section can make the difference in reeling in the perfect applicant. While it’s not advisable to list every single responsibility and day-to-day task required of the position, this section should be the most detailed of your marriage and family therapist job description.
Bullet points are a win-win strategy for you and jobseekers alike, making the list easy to read and understand. Strong action verbs are a best practice for starting off each of the described duties in your marriage and family therapist job description. This type of active language helps applicants clearly imagine themselves in the role. Shoot for 6-8 bullets total.
Have a look at these examples of marriage and family therapist job responsibilities:
- Question and counsel clients on a broad spectrum of issues concerns, including relationships, parenting challenges and legal or financial struggles
- Develop customized strategies for gradually overcoming patterns of destructive behavior and encourage clients to implement these techniques in their daily lives
- Determine whether clients would benefit from referrals to psychiatrists, attorneys or other specialists
- Retain client files, progress notes and evaluations of parental aptitude for divorce and child custody cases
- Attend hearings and testify in court when necessary
Marriage and Family Therapist Job Specifications
At first glance, the job qualifications and skills section of the marriage and family therapist job description may seem like a piece of cake to write, but its significance is remarkable. What it lacks in wordcount, it demands in careful authorship. This brief list of minimum requirements is a powerful tool for drawing in applicants with ideal qualifications. Resist the impulse to jot down this section in a single draft, even if it appears adequate. Additional consideration, time and effort today may well save you from a stack of underqualified applicants a few weeks down the line.
Conferring with colleagues is an excellent approach to ensure your marriage and family therapist job description is crystal clear regarding mandatory skills versus those which are preferred. Supervisors, department heads or successful therapists currently working in the field may all provide insightful consults as you craft your list.
Below are a handful of sample marriage and family therapist job specifications you may wish to consider:
- Master’s degree from a Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) accredited university
- At least 1 year in an internship or residency
- Exceptional active listening and interpersonal communication
- Strong critical thinking, motivation, negotiation and social perceptiveness skills
- Time management, organization and meticulous client recordkeeping abilities
