Saving American Families: Marriage & Family Therapists in Action

As you very well know, this Thursday the United States celebrates Thanksgiving, but that isn't the only celebration happening this week. November 22 - 28, 2015 is also National Family Week, an annual tradition dating back more than 40 years. During this special week, Americans across the country & world will be reuniting with family to share meals, stories, fun & games. We here at Enky want to take the time this week to honor some very special professionals who help the families & couples of America get through some of the most challenging times of their lives together: Marriage & Family Therapists (MFTs).

These mental health professionals are the ones we turn to when communication breaks down in our relationships, when we suffer terrible loss & have trouble moving forward, and when we just need someone to talk to about whatever is bothering us in the context of our family or relationship. Marriage and family therapists treat a wide range of serious clinical problems including depression, marital problems, anxiety, individual psychological problems, and child-parent problems. They frequently work in group settings, where a couple or a family unit would come in for counseling together, although some MFTs do individual sessions as well. MFTs are highly trained professionals; they all must complete at least a Master's degree in the field, and many either complete Doctoral degrees or other post-graduate clinical work. The average Marriage & Family Therapist has 13 years of clinical experience in the field, so many of these therapists are quite practiced at the art of helping families through difficult challenges.

However, this does not mean there are no opportunities in the profession; quite the opposite in fact, as marriage & family therapy is projected to grow at a rate of over 30% from 2012 - 2022 according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, whereas the US average occupation is only slated to grow at 11% for the same period. As the stigma around both mental illness in general & seeing counselors & therapists specifically decreases in American society, more & more people will be visiting MFTs each year. So remember this during your Thanksgiving meal when your spouse, sibling, or parent has inevitably gotten on your nerves: Marriage & Family Therapists are always there waiting to help you & your family recover from the most difficult challenges you will face.

Be sure to check out our helpful infographic below, which is chock full of statistics & other facts to teach you more about the profession of Marriage & Family Therapy & keep coming back to this blog & our social media pages all this week for more MFT focused content!!

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