Marriage and Family Therapists Go Back to List 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.

Technology used in this occupation:
	Medical software

Tasks
	Ask questions that will help clients identify their feelings and behaviors.
	Counsel clients on concerns, such as unsatisfactory relationships, divorce and separation, child rearing, home management, or financial difficulties.
	Encourage individuals and family members to develop and use skills and strategies for confronting their problems in a constructive manner.
	Maintain case files that include activities, progress notes, evaluations, and recommendations.
	Collect information about clients, using techniques such as testing, interviewing, discussion, or observation.
	Determine whether clients should be counseled or referred to other specialists in such fields as medicine, psychiatry, or legal aid.
	Confer with clients to develop plans for posttreatment activities.
	Follow up on results of counseling programs and clients' adjustments to determine effectiveness of programs.
	Provide instructions to clients on how to obtain help with legal, financial, and other personal issues.
	Gather information from doctors, schools, social workers, juvenile counselors, law enforcement personnel, and others to make recommendations to courts for resolution of child custody or visitation disputes.

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.
	Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
	Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
	Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
	Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
	Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
	Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
	Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
	Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

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.
	English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
	Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
	Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Search for Jobs on Connecticut's Labor Exchange (CTJOBcentral)
	(Please note that some searches may not produce any results.)

Education & Training   Education:   Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).   Related Experience:   Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

View Related Programs on Connecticut's Education & Training ConneCTion site.

Browse Through a List of Businesses That Employ People With Your Same Skills
	Potential Employer Search

Wage Information
	Region Average Entry Level  Mid-Range  Annual  Hourly  Statewide $70,624.00 $33.96  $23.26  $25.50 - $37.53  Bridgeport/Stamford $73,719.00 $35.44  $25.93  $27.00 - $32.62  Danbury $76,481.00 $36.77  $26.06  $28.46 - $44.80  Hartford $65,016.00 $31.26  $21.40  $24.86 - $35.94  New Haven $81,164.00 $39.02  $24.27  $25.36 - $38.34  New London/Norwich $63,646.00 $30.60  $22.62  $24.81 - $31.85  Waterbury $80,178.00 $38.55  $27.61  $31.90 - $51.62

Related Occupations
	School Psychologists
	Clinical Psychologists
	Counseling Psychologists
	Neuropsychologists and Clinical Neuropsychologists
	Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
	Educational, Guidance, School, and Vocational Counselors
	Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary
	Mental Health Counselors
	Child, Family, and School Social Workers
	Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

	Some of the occupational information on this page is formulated from O*NETTM v17.0 data. O*NETTM is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.