Occupation Summary

Marriage and Family Therapists

O*NET 21-1013.00

Description:

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.

Annual Wages:
$54,904.00
Employment Rate:
Employment is expected to increase by 18.74%.
Education Level:
Master's Degree. According to O*Net, the majority of people employed in this occupation have this level of education.
Endorsement:
Public Service

  1. Ask questions that will help clients identify their feelings and behaviors.
  2. Counsel clients on concerns, such as unsatisfactory relationships, divorce and separation, child rearing, home management, or financial difficulties.
  3. Encourage individuals and family members to develop and use skills and strategies for confronting their problems in a constructive manner.
  4. Maintain case files that include activities, progress notes, evaluations, and recommendations.
  5. Collect information about clients, using techniques such as testing, interviewing, discussion, or observation.
  6. Determine whether clients should be counseled or referred to other specialists in such fields as medicine, psychiatry, or legal aid.
  7. Confer with clients to develop plans for posttreatment activities.
  8. Follow up on results of counseling programs and clients' adjustments to determine effectiveness of programs.
  9. Provide instructions to clients on how to obtain help with legal, financial, and other personal issues.
  10. 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.
  11. Provide public education and consultation to other professionals or groups regarding counseling services, issues, and methods.
  12. Supervise other counselors, social service staff, and assistants.
  13. Write evaluations of parents and children for use by courts deciding divorce and custody cases, testifying in court if necessary.
  14. Develop and implement individualized treatment plans addressing family relationship problems, destructive patterns of behavior, and other personal issues.
  15. Confer with other counselors, doctors, and professionals to analyze individual cases and to coordinate counseling services.


National Industry Employment Patterns


Industry % of Marriage and Family Therapists employed Annual Growth Rate
Individual and family services 28.6 1.12
Offices of other health practitioners 27.6 1.74
Outpatient care centers 12.9 1.90
Residential mental health facilities 2.8 0.96


Labor Market Information


2024 Statewide average hourly wage $26.40
2024 National average hourly wage $34.96
2022 National employment 71,200
2022 Texas employment 715
Texas projected employment by 2032 849
Texas projected annual employment and Turnover openings through 2032 62




TEXAS COUNTY MAP BY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AREA
* Due to confidentiality rules, not all regions may have the data displayed. The sum of all the regions may not be equal to the state total.


Top 10 Relevant Knowledge Areas Relevant Importance Levels
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.
100.00%
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.
98.60%
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.
80.00%
Sociology and Anthropology
Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
77.60%
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
72.80%
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.
68.00%
Law and Government
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
65.60%
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.
63.20%
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.
58.80%
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
57.60%


Top 10 Relevant Skill Areas Relevant Importance Levels
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.
97.60%
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
87.60%
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
85.00%
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
80.00%
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
80.00%
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
80.00%
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
80.00%
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
80.00%
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
77.60%
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
75.00%


Top 10 Relevant Abilities Relevant Importance Levels
Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
85.00%
Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
85.00%
Written Comprehension
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
80.00%
Written Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
80.00%
Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
80.00%
Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
80.00%
Inductive Reasoning
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
80.00%
Speech Recognition
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
80.00%
Speech Clarity
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
80.00%
Category Flexibility
The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
75.00%


  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    -- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Documenting/Recording Information
    -- Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Assisting and Caring for Others
    -- Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Getting Information
    -- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    -- Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Other Activities


  • Independence
    - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
  • Relationships
    - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.



Tools

Building blocks: Toy block sets;

Desktop computers: Desktop computers;

Doll houses: Doll houses;

Dolls: Dolls;

Laser printers: Computer laser printers;

Notebook computers: Laptop computers;

Personal computers: Personal computers;

Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers: Personal digital assistants PDA;

Photocopiers: Photocopying equipment;

Special purpose telephones: Multi-line telephone systems;

Stuffed animals or puppets: Hand puppets;

Videoconferencing systems: Videoconferencing equipment;


Technology

Accounting software: Intuit QuickBooks;

Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access;

Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook;

Internet browser software: Web browser software;

Medical software: Mdansby The PsychReport; Netsmart Technologies Helper; PM/2 Clinical Planner; PracticePRO Software Systems QuickPractice; Saner Software ShrinkRapt; SumTime Software SumTime; Synergistic Office Solutions SOS Case Manager; TheraManager; Advantage Software Psych Advantage; American Medical Billing Software PMA; Anasazi Software Client Data System; Beaver Creek Software The THERAPIST; Blueberry Harbor Software Clinical Record Keeper; Care Paths eRecord; Casamba Smart; Cornucopia Software Practice MAGIC; DocuTrac QuicDoc; eMDs Medisoft; EZ2Bill Confidant; EZClaim medical billing software;

Office suite software: Microsoft Office software;

Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint;

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel;

Web platform development software: Hypertext preprocessor PHP;

Word processing software: Microsoft Word;


Related O*NET occupational titles for Marriage and Family Therapists include:
  • 21-1021.00 Child, Family, and School Social Workers
  • 19-3033.00 Clinical and Counseling Psychologists
  • 21-1022.00 Healthcare Social Workers
  • 21-1023.00 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
  • 21-1014.00 Mental Health Counselors
  • 29-1125.00 Recreational Therapists
  • 21-1015.00 Rehabilitation Counselors
  • 19-3034.00 School Psychologists
  • 21-1093.00 Social and Human Service Assistants
  • 21-1011.00 Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors


Sources of Additional Information
  • For more information about accredited programs, visit: Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education
  • Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs
  • Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council
  • For more information about marriage and family therapists, visit: American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
  • Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards
  • For general information about counseling and for information about counseling specialties, visit: American Counseling Association
  • For information about contacting state regulating boards, visit: National Board for Certified Counselors
  • Marriage and Family Therapists

  • Contact Texas Workforce Commission
    Labor Market and Career Information  |  101 E. 15th Street, Annex Room 0252  |  Austin, Texas 78778
    Official Website  |  1-800-822-PLAN (7526)  |  512.936.3200

    ** The information in this report may be derived from many sources like O*NET, BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), OOH (Occupational Outlook Handbook), and Career One Stop.