Need some serious assurance about MFT..

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Hello,
I'm new here.

I've read a lot of posts in this forum and they have been very helpful but I'm still feeling very anxious and nervous about MFT..

I'm currently a Human Development and Family Sciences major, and I will be graduating in year and a half from now.

I'm really interested in going to grad school for MFT.

Here are some dying questions of mine..

1. I don't really have any experience relating to MFT as of now. My GPA is 3.79 and I haven't taken the GRE but I'm studying for them right now. Would I be competitive enough for Ph.D MFT programs? I would love to just skip MA in MFT and just jump right into Ph.D program (I'm interested in teaching in universities, researches, but also private practicing). I'm mostly looking into schools in Northeast. Everyone I've read about so far is going to schools in CA, but I'm not really interested to live there.. Schools I looked at: U of Maryland, U of Rochester.

2. This question probably has been debated the most - What are the job outlooks for students graduating with MFT? My mother has been nagging on me to change my major because she thinks I can't find any job after I graduate.. I heard there are a lot of unpaid internships for MFT but then I also heard the job outlook for MFT is growing.. I'm just not sure anymore and I'm building up a lot of concerns..

3. What are some top states in US with growing MFT demands? I guess it goes along with question #2, but I would like to know..

I really want some honest answers for my future - I need to stop my mother from nagging me so much! but also for a peace in my mind..

Thank you all!

Originally Posted by audreyp513

Hello,
I'm new here.

I've read a lot of posts in this forum and they have been very helpful but I'm still feeling very anxious and nervous about MFT..

I'm currently a Human Development and Family Sciences major, and I will be graduating in year and a half from now.

I'm really interested in going to grad school for MFT.

Here are some dying questions of mine..

1. I don't really have any experience relating to MFT as of now. My GPA is 3.79 and I haven't taken the GRE but I'm studying for them right now. Would I be competitive enough for Ph.D MFT programs? I would love to just skip MA in MFT and just jump right into Ph.D program (I'm interested in teaching in universities, researches, but also private practicing). I'm mostly looking into schools in Northeast. Everyone I've read about so far is going to schools in CA, but I'm not really interested to live there.. Schools I looked at: U of Maryland, U of Rochester.

2. This question probably has been debated the most - What are the job outlooks for students graduating with MFT? My mother has been nagging on me to change my major because she thinks I can't find any job after I graduate.. I heard there are a lot of unpaid internships for MFT but then I also heard the job outlook for MFT is growing.. I'm just not sure anymore and I'm building up a lot of concerns..

3. What are some top states in US with growing MFT demands? I guess it goes along with question #2, but I would like to know..

I really want some honest answers for my future - I need to stop my mother from nagging me so much! but also for a peace in my mind..

Thank you all!

hey there,
Im just finishing my mft this semester in california, and about to take a different path. ive been working in an unpaid internship in the past 9 months to get my hours, and starting to see that its not really my passion to sit all day and deal with people's problems. also another thing that throws me off about mft is that i have to work at least another 2 years with a low wage internship until i get licensed, and then make like 60,000 if not less, if i dont have my private practice. I would suggest getting some volunteer experience in the field before getting into it to see if its really for u. the major itself is very interesting but very different than the actual job. hope this helps.
Sara

i relate to what you're saying Sara, as someone who's just finished an MSW and also feels that I've learned individual counseling all day really isn't going to bring me the most satisfaction in life/career. You also raise valid points about the extended length of time til full entry into the field, and then average top career pay is comparable to what some make coming straight out of school. When the work is truly what you love, the pay is secondary, but if one's realized it's not their passion, accepting low pay to do something they don't love becomes a serious issue. Curious what you're planning to pursue for your "different path"..?

Hii movershaker,
What ur saying is exactly true, if someone is truly passionate about what theyre doing the pay comes secondary. Ive always been interested in the healthcare area and if med school was shorter wouldve done that, but now considering other alternatives to that such as pharmacy or optometry. Its gonna take me a long time :/ but we'll see what happens!

I have my MA in MFT and while I love the work I do, I made a terrible decision in getting this degree. I live in CA and the job market is flooded with recent graduates so it is really difficult to find a paying job. I currently make 10/hr, and that is only for the time I am directly with a client, no pay for time spent on paperwork and such so I'm really doing a lot of work for free. I am good at my job, but everyone has the exact same work experience on their resumes, so you won't stick out unless you are bilingual or know the person that is hiring. Also, for a lot of jobs you need to have a MSW, for example working within the military or in a lot of hospitals. The MSW is more prestigious, and I wish I had gone that route instead. If you are wanting to put the time in to get a PhD and you want to teach and do research, you should strongly consider a Psychology PhD. If you do not decide to go the PhD route, my advice is go MSW.

Originally Posted by audreyp513

Hello,
I'm new here.

I've read a lot of posts in this forum and they have been very helpful but I'm still feeling very anxious and nervous about MFT..

I'm currently a Human Development and Family Sciences major, and I will be graduating in year and a half from now.

I'm really interested in going to grad school for MFT.

Here are some dying questions of mine..

1. I don't really have any experience relating to MFT as of now. My GPA is 3.79 and I haven't taken the GRE but I'm studying for them right now. Would I be competitive enough for Ph.D MFT programs? I would love to just skip MA in MFT and just jump right into Ph.D program (I'm interested in teaching in universities, researches, but also private practicing). I'm mostly looking into schools in Northeast. Everyone I've read about so far is going to schools in CA, but I'm not really interested to live there.. Schools I looked at: U of Maryland, U of Rochester.

2. This question probably has been debated the most - What are the job outlooks for students graduating with MFT? My mother has been nagging on me to change my major because she thinks I can't find any job after I graduate.. I heard there are a lot of unpaid internships for MFT but then I also heard the job outlook for MFT is growing.. I'm just not sure anymore and I'm building up a lot of concerns..

3. What are some top states in US with growing MFT demands? I guess it goes along with question #2, but I would like to know..

I really want some honest answers for my future - I need to stop my mother from nagging me so much! but also for a peace in my mind..

Thank you all!

If you are interested in research and teaching, I would recommend going for your Psychology Ph.D. It sounds like you still have time to switch majors, so switching to psychology may still be viable. Just know that getting your Ph.D is a long process, you can check the psychology board to see how arduous it is. Yes, the demand for the MFT is growing, but not to the levels that I think you would be able to create a viable career, especially with your interests.