Transforming lives: making a career as a marriage and family therapist

By: The Capella University Editorial Team with Drs. Roxanne Bamond and Carol Pfeiffer Messmore

Reading Time: 4 minutes

An overall goal of marriage and family therapy (MFT) is to help people navigate life’s challenges.

But unlike life coaches, religious leaders and other professionals who assist people with personal problems, marriage and family therapists have special expertise in family systems and their impact on individuals.

“I often work with individuals,” says Roxanne Bamond, PhD, a licensed marriage and family therapist and Capella faculty member, “But my questions, assessments and suggestions are always through the lens of the larger system. How do the person’s partner, children, parents or larger family impact the situation? I’m interested in the context.”

What is marriage and family therapy and how does it work?

Marriage and family therapy is a form of psychotherapy. Relationships and family systems shape mental health and behavior, often just as much as anything happening inside a person. Therapists in this field take a systemic approach, working with individuals, couples and families to understand relationship patterns and the wider context behind a concern.

“We don’t automatically assume that the individual is dysfunctional,” Dr. Bamond says.

“Rather, the individual is functional but is often trying to operate in a dysfunctional system that shapes their behavior. If the person can figure out how that system affects them, they may be able to change the system and alter the outcome.”

For example, Dr. Bamond might ask a person with an eating disorder how their partner talks about food. “I might say, ‘Who else is around when you’re eating or not eating? What is their relationship with food? Do things change when other family members are around?’” Dr. Bamond explains. “I’m trying to get a larger view of how food, eating and relationships fit into their lives.”

Carol Pfeiffer Messmore, PhD, a licensed marriage and family therapist and Capella faculty member, prompts clients to think about the larger family context by asking questions like, “If your mother was here, what would she tell us?” Depending on the nature of the problem, clients may even choose to bring other family members to therapy sessions. “In some cases, the issues we’re dealing with are intergenerational,” she says.

The job carries its share of behind-the-scenes work too. Therapists document client progress, write treatment plans and handle insurance and billing paperwork.

Where are marriage and family therapists employed?

Many marriage and family therapists run private practices. Others work in inpatient, outpatient, residential and community-based settings, at hospitals, hospice programs, faith-based counseling centers, government agencies and social service organizations.* Some take their training into other kinds of roles, such as providing clinical supervision, working in human resources or consulting with organizations directly.

Occasionally, people in other professions believe a background in therapy can help them with their work. Dr. Messmore says she knows of Capella graduates and military chaplains who have pursued marriage and family therapy degrees to strengthen how they help people work through challenging issues.

*These are examples intended to serve as a general guide. Some positions may prefer or even require previous experience, licensure, certifications and/or other designations along with a degree. Because many factors determine what position an individual may attain, Capella cannot guarantee that a graduate will secure any specific job title, a promotion, salary increase or other career outcome. We encourage you to research requirements for your job target and career goals.

What kind of education is required to practice MFT?

“You’ll need a master’s level education or higher to work in the field,” Dr. Messmore says. Most practitioners have a master’s or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy.

If you’re considering a degree in the field, be sure to look for a program that’s properly accredited. COAMFTE accreditation is the recognized professional benchmark in marriage and family therapy education, aligning with most states’ licensure requirements.

What kind of licensure and other requirements are needed to practice?

All 50 U.S. states require a license to practice marriage and family therapy, although requirements vary by state. In addition to an advanced degree, applicants generally must complete 2,000 to 4,000 hours of supervised post-graduate clinical experience before applying for full licensure.

What does it take to succeed in marriage and family therapy?

“It definitely helps to be nonjudgmental,” says Dr. Messmore. Therapists have to be able to meet people where they are. “Our clients are the experts on themselves. We cannot tell someone how to live their life, we can only offer guidance. They have to take the action.”

Listening skills are vital to success in the profession. “You have to have a deep-seated curiosity in the way the world works,” Dr. Bamond says. “You have to like people and have an interest in helping them.” Creativity is also key, she says: “You have to be able to think up new approaches and solutions. You have to be able to think outside the box.”

What is satisfying about working as a marriage and family therapist?

Dr. Messmore finds therapy satisfying because when it’s done right, it transforms people. “It’s about making a difference in someone’s life,” she says. “You get to see it in their interactions with other people. For example, you might get to see them laugh or enjoy being a parent after just a few sessions. It’s such a delight.”

Dr. Bamond agrees. “The people we work with have often been beaten down by a problem that they’ve been unable to solve for years. We get the opportunity to see people get better. I like that process. I’m hooked on change.”