U.S. News & World Report Names Marriage and Family Therapy a 'Best Career of 2010'

Although many Americans are struggling to find work in the midst of a prolonged economic recession, careers in the healthcare sector have largely been resistant to downsizing. Marriage and family therapy is one field that has grown as more Americans seek out counseling – more than 1.8 million people receive treatment from a marriage and family therapist. This demand – projected to increase by 14% by 2018 – prompted U.S. News and World Report to name marriage and family therapy one of the best careers of 2010.

Thomas Jefferson University is preparing graduates to work in this vital field. The Department of Couple and Family Therapy in the Jefferson School of Health Professions, in collaboration with Council for Relationships, a major training facility in marriage and family therapy, offers a two-year Master's in Family Therapy (MFT). Students in Jefferson's MFT program train in the context of a major healthcare system, alongside students from other health professions and a faculty who bring a wealth of clinical and teaching experience. This powerful learning environment prepares them well for the challenges graduates face in clinical practice.

"Jefferson's MFT program provides me with tools to repair distressed relationships," said Elisabeth Mandel, MFT ’10. "I'm receiving specialized training in a field that is very relevant to people's lives."

Marriage and family therapists address mental health issues in the context of the family and help clients work through problems like divorce, eating disorders, family violence and abuse. To enter the field, candidates typically obtain a master’s degree and complete two years of supervised clinical work before taking a licensing exam.

Students who choose Jefferson for their MFT preparation have the unique option of a sex-therapy concentration, which gives graduates additional expertise to address issues related to sexuality.

"I want to make people feel good about themselves from the inside out. I chose sex therapy because sexual intimacy is one of the most important relationships a person can have," said Alexcis Brown, MFT ’10.

Although marriage and family therapists deal with high stress levels and must maintain flexible schedules to accommodate clients, those in the field find helping others resolve their familial issues to be very rewarding, both emotionally and financially. Marriage and family therapists make on average $45,000 a year, with the highest ten-percent bringing home $71,000 annually.

In addition to the MFT, Jefferson prepares students for other careers that U.S. News and World Report counts among the best, including physical therapy, occupational therapy and nursing. To learn more about these and other healthcare degrees at Jefferson, visit http://www.jefferson.edu.

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