Relationship Counseling

Marriage Counselling Video - His Needs vs Her Needs - W.F.Harley 

Relationship counseling is a good career choice in that it offers a number of different opportunities. In fact, the growth rate for marriage counselor jobs is expected to increase at a faster rate than other professions. There is an expected rise of thirty percent by the year 2016.

In fact, it has been reported that since the 1970s there has been a fifty-fold increase in the number of marriage counselors. The expected salary for a marriage counselor depends on experience, education as well the type of agency that you work for. Working in a public agency may pay less than a private agency. The median salary for a marriage counselor is around $45,000 a year with experienced private sector workers making much more than this.

Overall becoming a marriage counselor may be a good choice for you. It can provide a lot of job satisfaction and opportunities for employment both in the public sector and the private sector.

Before you decide to become a marriage counselor, you need to look at the time commitment as well as the licensing requirements for your state.

You may also want to talk to a practicing relationship counselor to get a better feel for the job from someone who is actually doing it. And of course, don’t forget to search for psychology schools offering programs to become a marriage counselor in our graduate school search engine. In the end, only you can decide if being a marriage counselor is the right job for you.

Marriage Counselor is just one of the many options available when it comes to deciding which area of psychology that you would like to focus on. Before deciding that you would like to become a marriage counselor, there are a number of things that you need to consider. These range from what does a marriage counselor do as well as how do you become a marriage counselor.

What Does A Marriage Counselor Do?

One of the first things to realize is that a marriage counselor does not only work with people who are married but can also work with any couple that is experiencing difficulties. This can include married couples, unmarried couples, and even same-sex couples.

You may decide to focus on individual counseling, group counseling or conjoint therapy. You can work in one or all three of these areas. You may also decide to focus on particular age groups ranging from children all the way to senior citizens. As a marriage counselor, it is your decision as to what, if any, specialization you would like to focus on.

The first step in becoming a marriage counselor is to complete your education. Most relationship counseling professionals will have at a master’s degree, doctoral degree or have completed a post-graduate clinical training program.

What Are The Marriage Counselor Requirements?

In the United States, the profession of the marriage counselor is regulated and licensing exams are required. The Federal government classifies marriage and family therapy as a “core mental health profession” in the same fashion as it views psychiatry, psychology, social work or psychiatric nursing. Approximately forty-eight states require licensing or certification to work as a marriage counselor.

In order to qualify for a license to be a relationship counselor, you need to graduate from an accredited program and complete an internship. This internship is usually around two years where you will be provided with close supervision.

After the internship, you will be qualified to write a state licensing exam. Instead of the state licensing exam, you may want to become a member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy which will also require you to take a national examination. This examination by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy can be used for the state certification requirement. You will need to carefully check the licensing requirements for the state where you plan on working.

 

 

Bibliography
“Marriage Counselor ” Is It Right For You?. n.p., 1 Jan. 1970.Web. 31 Jan. 2016