How to Become a Marriage Therapist

Posted by Anonymous , 9/4/2007 Tags:BecomeMarriageTherapist
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How to Become a Marriage Therapist

Introduction

With half of marriages ending in divorce, becoming a marriage therapist provides an extremely valuable service to society. Marriage therapists deal with a wide range of issues including child behavioral problems within the family.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Steps

1

Step One

Lay a foundation for your career in high school. Volunteer to be a peer counselor. You must find out if you have the temperament for counseling people if you think you want to become a marriage therapist. Counseling requires patience and being a good listener.
2

Step Two

Take psychology, family courses and consumer studies in high school. These courses teach human development, emotions, how to relate to one another and communication.
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Step Three

Go to a 4-year college and major in psychology. Then, you must earn a Master's degree in marriage and family counseling which will take an additional year or two.
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Step Four

Consider an online program of study when you are ready to work on your Master's if you are working your way through school. Some offer a 2 to 3 year program. Check your state's licensing requirements, as some areas may vary in qualifications to become a marriage therapist.
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Step Five

Be prepared to deal with more than just counseling couples with marital issues. Problems encompass the whole family. You'll also deal with anger in children and teenage rebellion. Marriage therapists counsel couples together, individually and also with the whole family present.
6

Step Six

Develop your analytical abilities. You must be able to get to the root of what's causing the trouble in a marriage. Many problems stem from childhood hurts and how our parents handled relationships. You must be able to diagnose conditions such as depression through psychological testing.

Tips & Warnings

  • Marriage therapy is part of the mental health industry and offers many opportunities. Private practice, social services work, prison work and full-time staff positions with corporations are some of the possibilities.
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