Careers in Health Care: Become a Marriage and Family Therapist

School of Health Professions and Human Services

Careers in Health Care: Become a Marriage and Family Therapist

“We really like to foster students’ interests and passions, and we really enjoy working with them to help figure out where they want to focus.”

Alicia Bosley, PhD Assistant Professor of Counseling and Mental Health Professions Director, Master of Marriage and Family Therapy Counseling program Hofstra University

Careers in Health Care: Become a Marriage and Family Therapist

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“We’re working directly with organizations and agencies in the community to find internships for our students. Some of the biggest agencies that are working with families, and children in particular, on Long Island and in the five boroughs of the city are offering internship placements for our students. I’m also developing more relationships with other areas to broaden our scope and the number of people that we’re able to help. Our growth is just going to continue to blossom in the near future.”

What do they do?

Marriage and family therapists help families and couples work through everything from divorce to layoffs, addictions, to improving the emotional life of the family dynamic. Since the areas of specialization are so diverse, post-graduation clinical work is a crucial step in finding your fit.

— Alicia Bosley, PhD Assistant Professor of Counseling and Mental Health Professions Director, Master of Marriage and Family Therapy Counseling program Hofstra University

Careers in Health Care: Become a Marriage and Family Therapist

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What are my job prospects in this field?

“Hofstra’s program has small class sizes with dedicated faculty.

Because the program is

Marriage and family therapists are expected to have a

23% growth in employment over the next eight

years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics* —

a small, intimate program, you’ll really get to know your faculty. Our alumni are active practitioners in the local area. Several of

more than three times the rate of other occupations.

our internship placements

Increases in integrative care mean marriage and

are actually directed by

family therapists are working in a greater number of environments including private practice, hospitals and medical clinics, juvenile and justice systems and, depending on the state, in schools as well. (Currently,

former graduates of Hofstra.”

— Alicia Bosley, PhD Assistant Professor of Counseling and Mental Health Professions Director, Master of Marriage and Family Therapy Counseling program Hofstra University

New York state does not allow them to work in schools.) *Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016

Careers in Health Care: Become a Marriage and Family Therapist

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Job prospects for Marriage and Family Therapists According to Burning Glass Technologies*, the NY metro area is one of the top 10 areas in the nation in terms of job openings for marriage and family therapists.

Projected growth of jobs in the NY metro area for marriage and family therapists:

Average annual salary in the NY metro area:

$49,576

22.51%

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), states with the highest employment of marriage and family therapists are: Employment

Employment per thousand jobs

Hourly mean wage

Annual mean wage

California

16,420

0.98

$25.04

$52,090

New Jersey

4,220

1.05

$35.64

$74,130

Florida

3,290

0.39

$24.64

$51,250

Arizona

1,510

0.56

$31.00

$64,480

Maryland

1,370

0.51

$23.79

$49,480

Employment

Employment per thousand jobs

Hourly mean wage

Annual mean wage

4,220

1.05

$35.64

$74,130

770

0.30

$32.79

$68,200

Hawaii

Estimate not released

Estimate not released

$32.22

$67,020

Maine

Estimate not released

Estimate not released

$31.90

$66,360

1,510

0.56

$31.00

$64,480

State

BLS reports the top-paying states for this occupation: State New Jersey Colorado

Arizona

*Source: Burning Glass Technologies, March 2019

Careers in Health Care: Become a Marriage and Family Therapist

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What kind of education do I need?

To become a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, you will need a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Counseling and significant clinical experience, including supervised internships that will fulfill the requirements of the state in which you want to be licensed; requirements vary by state.

“When they’re ready for their clinical internships, we place our students with sites that we know

What should I look for in an educational program?

are run by people who will help them with everything from advisement their first couple of semesters to figuring out what track they are interested in going into.

Students have gone on to present at conferences for marriage and family therapy with foster faculty.

We have some of them who have graduated and then worked in clinical placements with foster faculty. We really do work closely

In addition to meeting the course requirements, look for a program that offers enough clinical experience.

Hofstra’s MFT Program, for example, has been granted licensure qualifying status by the New York State Department of Education, which means it meets the education requirements for licensure in New York state and all client-contact hours accrued by students during internships are credited toward the 1,500 hours of client contact required for licensure.

with our students the whole way through, and we tend to keep

“The sky’s the limit for opportunities for our students and

relationships with them after

near or future graduates, which is just incredibly exciting.

graduation”.

And with all this excitement and momentum going into — Alicia Bosley, PhD

Assistant Professor of Counseling and Mental Health Professions Director, Master of Marriage and Family Therapy Counseling program Hofstra University

marriage and family therapy, I think it’s safe to say that we’re just going to see our population and our student base continue to grow.”

— Alicia Bosley, PhD Assistant Professor of Counseling and Mental Health Professions Director, Master of Marriage and Family Therapy Counseling program Hofstra University

Careers in Health Care: Become a Marriage and Family Therapist

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ALUMNI PROFILE: STUDENT PROFILE: Megan KaitlinPatierno, SmithHofstra Class of 2018 Major: Training ClassAthletic of 2019

Hired: TK

Student-athlete Megan knew that What attracted youPatierno to Hofstra Hofstra’s athleticMarriage training program would be University’s and Family the perfect program? way to combine her passions for Therapy biology and sports.

athletic training program at Hofstra.

Jayne This the clinical psychology students. and Kristin have always encouraged is a unique opportunity at and Hofstra supported me in my studies.” because it is one of the few training

KS: “One thing I liked about Hofstra’s As she prepares to graduate, Megan, an program is that there is such a focus on infielder on Hofstra’s softball team, is one clinical experience. I knew I would have of the first female students to be chosen a whole year of experience in practicum for a paid, postgraduate athletic training with my other classmates before internship with the New York Jets, a position going on to another year of outside she’ll start this summer. experience and that really sold me.”

MP: “I’ll be working directly with the players during pre-season, setting up practices, Tell us about your relevant doing treatments, and all aspects of sports experiences outside of the classroom. medicine.”

Share information about any internship/research/volunteer/work She credits strong m entorship from Hofstra opportunities of Larissa which Anderson you tookand Softball Head Coach advantage. two professors in the Department of Health

clinics where the team integrates family

After logging more than 1,000 hours of therapy into the DBT model. That was experience between her freshman and an amazing opportunity for me. While senior years, Megan feels ready to meet the on the team, I also ran a DBT skills demands of working for an NFL team.

group, which really helped me apply my knowledge and work on important MP: “Every semester, you’re assigned therapeutic skills to use in to work with a different college teamthe or field.

It Ialso methe todoctors’ many of the doctor. also introduced helped manage doctoral students and gave clinics for Hofstra athletes and was ableme to an to helpand with two doctoral assistopportunity them with orthopedic general dissertation studies.” medicine.”

Professions, Jayne Ellinger and Kristin KS: “I really made sure to take LoNigro.

Since her freshman year, Megan has done Describe your experience working athletic training rotations with three Hofstra and studying with faculty within sports teams, Molloy College’s softball team, the department. and Nassau Community College’s football team, as well as a physical therapy rotation KS: “The faculty were really wonderful with ProHealth.

MP: “Jayne and Kristin recommended me I could.

I started with participation for the opportunity and were instrumental in the MFT club, which I took in helping me get my foot the door over as president.

Theinclub was ... a Athletic training really wasn’t considered great experience because of the aopportunities profession for women.

They’ve worked to go to conferences in the field for 20 years and pioneered the and workshops. Those were great

MP: “I’ve opportunity to workOne of my easyhad to the connect with them. underfavorite a lot of athletic trainers and have with them parts about working learned so much.

I’veinformation built a large network is how much they have of professionals in my fieldabout and hope to share, not just the classes, to continue to make connections at my but also about finding placements, internship and beyond.” applying to doctoral programs, and

advantage of all the opportunities

to work with. The small classes made it

ways to expand my knowledge of the resources that I could use. I always field. I especially loved going to the found the faculty to be easy to reach Psychotherapy Networker Symposium and very approachable. I never felt Megan’s story D.C. isn’t unique – 100% of 2015-2016 School of Health Human in Washington, That great judged when Professions I brought and in questions. conference allowed me to learn from When I went the Psychotherapy Services undergraduate degree recipients who responded to ourto graduation survey or and other interact with professionals in all Networker, my classmate I were reliable sources (64% knowledge rate) reported that they were employedand or have the mental health fields.

I was also able meet with two of the faculty started or were planning to start graduate schoolable withintoone yearup of graduation. to join the DBT (Dialectical Behavior for lunch. That’s the kind of welcoming Therapy) team at Hofstra’s Saltzman atmosphere that the faculty maintains Center Clinic, where I worked with with the students. ”

Careers Healthcare: an Athletic Trainer Careers in HealthinCare: BecomeBecome a Marriage and Family Therapist6

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School of Health Professions and Human Services

Click here to learn more about Hofstra’s Marriage and Family Therapy program.