At first, entering into the field of family marriage counseling may seem like an emotional landmine that’s best avoided. These counselors tend to work with people who have experienced mental or emotional trauma from grief, depression, abuse, or infidelity. However, practicing family marriage counselors offer many reasons for choosing this career path.
Help Resolve Conflicts
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Family marriage counselors are compassionate people who want to help their clients resolve conflicts and overcome emotional and mental disorders. Typically, these counselors listen to the issues their clients are facing, help their clients understand these problems, help set specific goals for their clients to work toward, and develop strategies to meet these goals.
Additionally, family marriage counselors will deal with a variety of problems that are affecting relationships. Some of these problems include anger management issues, communication difficulties, infidelity, substance abuse problems, parenting differences, and financial problems.
Work With Various People
Family marriage counselors do not work solely with married couples. These counselors can work with any couple experiencing difficulties. While this situation can certainly include married couples, those seeking help can also encompass unmarried couples, same-sex partners, families, and individuals. Additionally, family marriage counselors offer treatment to couples before they enter a marriage, when they’re going through a divorce, and after a divorce. Counseling may also involve couples who are marrying again after a divorce. In addition, counselors can also help clients through major life changes, such as a layoff or a death in the family.
Work in Your Own Practice
While some family marriage counselors work in facilities, such as substance abuse centers, hospitals, nursing homes, and mental health homes, others choose to open their own private practice. For these counselors, clients generally travel to their office and meet with the counselor in the office. However, counselors may occasionally travel to meet the clients. Family marriage counselors usually work full time. Since counselors work with people who have family and job responsibilities, these professionals might also work evenings and weekends.
Enter a Growing Field
The stigma that was once attached to counseling and therapy is vanishing. Today, more people are realizing the benefits of seeking professional help to resolve their conflicts. Additionally, more insurance companies are referring clients to family and marriage counselors instead of psychologists and psychiatrists. As a result, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that this field will grow about 29 percent over the next 10 years. In fact, many schools are creating online counseling degree programs to help meet the demand for certified marriage counselors.
Earn a Decent Living
Since family marriage counselors offer an important service to their community, they’re able to earn a decent wage. The BLS reports that in 2012, the median annual wage for counselors was $46,670. While the lowest 10 percent of counselors earned less than $25,540, the top 10 percent were able to earn more than $75,120.
For those professionals who have a helpful and compassionate nature, a family marriage counselor may be the ideal job. This growing field offers plenty of job opportunities and much job satisfaction as well.