If you feel called to a career in mental health and are interested in how relationships shape individual well-being, marriage and family therapy may be the right field for you. Marriage and family therapists work with individuals, couples and families through a systems-based approach that considers how relationships, interaction patterns and broader social contexts influence a client’s experiences and mental health.
What is Marriage and Family Therapy?
The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy describes marriage and family therapists as mental health professionals trained in psychotherapy and family systems, and are licensed to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders within the context of marriage, couples and family systems.
Marriage and Family Therapist Salary and Job Outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for marriage and family therapists in 2024 was $63,780 with the highest 10 percent earning more than $111,610. Employment of marriage and family therapists is expected to grow 13% over the next decade, much faster than the average for all occupations.
What are the differences between an MFT, LPC, and LCSW?
Students exploring a career in mental health have several paths to consider, including marriage and family therapy (MFT), licensed professional counseling (LPC), and licensed clinical social work (LCSW). The chart below highlights what distinguishes marriage and family therapy from these related fields and how they complement each other.
MFT | LPC | LCSW | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theoretical Focus | Relational: emotions, behaviors, and distress take shape within families, relationships, and broader social contexts | Individual development, psychopathology, and intrapersonal change | Individual development, vocational growth, and intrapersonal change |
| Clinical Lens | Works directly within relationships and family systems, shifting interactional patterns to create change throughout the whole system | Individual psychotherapy: emotional regulation, personal growth, trauma recovery, symptom reduction | Systems and advocacy focus: helping clients navigate social, cultural, and resource-based challenges |
| Training & Supervision | Extensive relational hours with couples and families under systemically trained supervisors (COAMFTE requires 150 of 300 direct client contact hours be relational) | Similar clinical hour requirements, though not necessarily with relational systems | Supervised practice emphasizing case management and psychosocial assessment |
| Educational Roots | Family therapy and psychology traditions: cybernetics, interactional dynamics, family systems theory | Education and counseling psychology traditions: developmental and cognitive-behavioral frameworks | Social work traditions: social justice, advocacy, and resource navigation |
| Typical Settings | Outpatient agencies, couple and family clinics, private practice, healthcare systems focused on relational health | Mental health centers, schools, private practice | Hospitals, community agencies, policy settings |
Professional Licensure and Accreditation
Baylor University's Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy has been developed with the academic and clinical requirements for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist in Texas in mind, including coursework and clinical hour requirements aligned with standards set by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council and the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). As a new program, Baylor is not yet accredited by COAMFTE, accrediting bodies require new programs to operate and graduate at least one cohort before becoming eligible to apply, and Baylor intends to pursue accreditation once eligible.
Because the program has not yet graduated a cohort, Baylor cannot currently guarantee that it meets licensure requirements in any state, including Texas. Licensure requirements vary by state and are set by individual state licensing boards, not by Baylor University. Students intending to pursue licensure, in Texas or elsewhere, are strongly encouraged to confirm current requirements with their intended state's licensing board and speak with the MFT Program Director about any additional coursework or clinical hours that may be needed. Baylor's program is built to exceed Texas's baseline clinical hour requirements and will work with students to help meet higher thresholds in other states where possible.