December 3, 2008
What type of degree to pursue to become a Marriage and Family Therapist?
Can you answer yeayea1427's question about degrees?:
I am thinking about a career in Marriage and Family Therapy. Just finished my undergrad and I want to know what type of degree I need to become an MFT. Also, does anyone know what type of income MFT's make? And does anyone know of any good degree programs in Boston area grad school?
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I am thinking about a career in Marriage and Family Therapy. Just finished my undergrad and I want to know what type of degree I need to become an MFT. Also, does anyone know what type of income MFT's make? And does anyone know of any good degree programs in Boston area grad school?
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Comments on What type of degree to pursue to become a Marriage and Family Therapist? »
there is a MFT Counseling program you can look for. Or counseling programs that specialize in MFT. Either way you need to get a LPC.
There are some schools that offer a bachelor's degree in marriage and family therapy. Psychology is an extremely good choice as it can prepare you for what you will have to learn in grad school. As for the salary, it isn't very good for a master's level professional. Your best bet is to go into private practice after around four years of school and work to gain experience. It is very rewarding when you finally get to a couple and see them begin to lower their defenses. MFTs will make more if insurance companies begin to pay for the service on a regular basis.
You have a few options….
(1) Get an MSW. Become a clinical social worker and specialize in marriage and family therapy.
(2) Get a masters degree in clinical psychology. In *some* (but not all!) states you will be able to become a licensed professional counselor after completing a masters in clinical psych. It's really important that you look into this first though to see if Massachusetts provides licensure for masters-level therapists. If you don't have a license, you can't be reimbursed by insurance companies and will have a hard time getting referrals
(3) Get a PhD, PsyD, or EdD in psychology. Were you a psychology major as an undergrad? If you were, you probably know how hard these programs are to get into (the national acceptance rate is about 4-7%). To really improve your chances of getting in, you need to have extensive research experience and should try to work with a research psychologist who is currently publishing so that you can get your name on either a publication or presentation. It also helps to have some type of clinical experience (working at a crisis hotline, working with autistic children, etc.). It's definitely possible to get into these program, but most people take a few years off between undergrad and clinical psych doctoral programs so the other options might be better if you're interested in continuing your education right away.
I am not aware of any state that allows someone with a bachelors degree perform therapy in any type of unsupervised or independent capacity.