Marriage Counselor Career

*A job as a Marriage Counselor falls under the broader career category of Marriage and Family Therapists. The information on this page will generally apply to all careers in this category but may not specifically apply to this career title.

Job Description for Marriage and Family Therapists : Diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, whether cognitive, affective, or behavioral, within the context of marriage and family systems. Apply psychotherapeutic and family systems theories and techniques in the delivery of services to individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of treating such diagnosed nervous and mental disorders.


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Marriage and Family Therapist Career

What skills are required for Marriage and Family Therapists?

Importance Skills
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Operations Analysis - Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

What knowledge is needed to be a Marriage and Family Therapist?

Importance Knowledge
Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Administrative - Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Philosophy and Theology - Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Work Styles

Importance Styles
Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.