Job outlook for couples therapists in the United States

What skills stand out on Couples Therapist resumes?

Dr. Nathan Tenhundfeld Ph.D.: Strong analytical skills are a must. This includes both logic and reasoning skills, but also data analysis skills. For many jobs, the ability to collect and scientifically evaluate data will be vital, if not an absolute necessity. Similarly, a strong understanding of experimental methods can put a candidate in a great position to be able to help a company evaluate existing programs and chart a path forward for new ones. Finally, I would say that a strong ability to write is critical. Those graduates who are able to effectively and persuasively communicate in writing are setting themselves up for success at any company and allowing the company to leverage them for increasingly important tasks.

What soft skills should all Couples Therapists possess?

Dr. Nathan Tenhundfeld Ph.D.: Students need to be able to read individual and group dynamics in order to act appropriately in any given situation. This includes not only the interactions with one's bosses but also peers and subordinates. Similarly, being comfortable with networking can help any company, but networking skills shine through in interviews.

What hard/technical skills are most important for Couples Therapists?

Dr. Nathan Tenhundfeld Ph.D.: Technical skills like the ability to perform statistical analyses are critically important for most Psychology-related jobs. This allows a candidate to collect and analyze data but also to interpret and understand other existing data. A strong statistical background can also help set a candidate apart from their peers in the application process. This includes understanding when and how to use various parametric and nonparametric statistics to be able to answer questions regardless of the data one is working with.

How do you envision technology impacting Couples Therapists in the next 5 years?

Elizabeth Morgan Ph.D.: The forced use of technology to connect with others during the pandemic will likely encourage lasting change in education, counseling and human services, business and marketing endeavors, research, and other areas where graduates in psychology end up. This will create shifts in what the jobs look like, what training is needed, and even perhaps, the mental health and well-being of workers in general. As these technological changes are introduced, new graduates will need to learn and embrace them to keep up with the trends, as well as evaluate their effectiveness.

What type of skills will young Couples Therapists need?

Camille Skubik-Peplaski Ph.D.: I teach my students that the experience that stands out most on a resume is the experience that best matches the job posting. A summary is only a selected snapshot of your experiences. Choose to display the experiences you have had with what the job posting is looking for.

How do you envision technology impacting Couples Therapists in the next 5 years?

Janelle Bussert: The impact of technology on musical instruments is enormous -- from keyboards to rhythm instruments to making music accessible to people with disabilities. The sky is the limit on helping people participate in making their sounds. And, of course, how we chart and how we keep track of people's health records.

Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Couples Therapists?

Janelle Bussert: I think Music Therapy graduates will be more aware of death and the fragility of life. If they have experienced the virus in their family, they will know the seriousness of taking safety precautions, etc. I think this awareness will be beneficial in all types of Music Therapy jobs.

What experience really stands out on Couples Therapist resumes?

Carlos Wilson Ph.D.: Typically, our students come in with a wealth of experience. Some have been in their careers for years and are looking to advance to a management level position. Their work experience shows them being well qualified. I think what does stand out on the resume is their earning of a degree. Being that the degree is in interdisciplinary studies, making sure to choose a concentration or emphasis in the career discipline students are seeking, and sharing their coursework on their resume is a great way to highlight students' preparation.

How do you envision technology impacting Couples Therapists in the next 5 years?

Carlos Wilson Ph.D.: One way technology may impact this field is the demand that has been created by the pandemic. There are industries that have been forced to work partially or fully remotely over the last eight months. I think that there will be a need for professionals that can operate in these alternative environments. Technology has been a primary means of conducting business for many of us. We may see students focusing on technology-based disciplines, as they choose their interdisciplinary coursework, over the next few years and possibly beyond.

What experience really stands out on Couples Therapist resumes?

Sonia Manuel-Dupont Ph.D.: When I review resumes, I look for life skills and transferable skills. These include skills that emerge from leadership positions, interdisciplinary teamwork, work with individuals and communities who are ethnically and linguistically different from the applicant, and extended practice with technical and professional communication.

What Couples Therapist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Sonia Manuel-Dupont Ph.D.: If a student takes a gap year, I advise them to look for opportunities to build the skills listed above. Often this comes from community engagement and volunteer work. If the work situation does not align with the intended graduate work, the student should look for volunteer work to practice these skills.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Couples Therapists in the next 3-5 years?

Sonia Manuel-Dupont Ph.D.: Telehealth and teletherapy. Building meaningful relationships and providing top quality intervention through telehealth and teletherapy is already becoming an essential skill for new graduates.

What general advice would you give to a Couples Therapist?

Ron Precht: Generally, metropolitan areas have had more openings for massage therapists. This is a report from the end of 2019 that has the most recent data we have available. Report

What type of skills will young Couples Therapists need?

Lyndal Khaw Ph.D.: Most of our graduates in the field of Family Science and Human Development are in this field because they want to help professions that work with children, individuals, and families. Thus, there are several skills they should have when they graduate and enter the workforce. First, they need to have excellent interpersonal and communication skills. If you want to work with people, that is an absolute given.

Second, students should demonstrate their ability to adapt to new challenges and changes, including technology skills. When working with children and families, the natural ebbs and flows of family life, across the life course, necessitate flexible professionals and who can still be useful under changing circumstances. Third, skills make you stand out in working with people, like conflict management and leadership skills. Employers want to see that graduates are not only "book smart" but have the experience to use these skills when needed on the job.

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Couples Therapists to find work opportunities?

Lyndal Khaw Ph.D.: Families and children are ubiquitous and exist in every social space across the country. They are in homes, schools, workplaces, and communities. That being said, many issues impact children and families and services to support them best. With areas where populations are more extensive, there are typically more services and job opportunities for graduates in this field. Note, too, that with COVID-19 there is the capacity to work in the field remotely, so you may very well live in New Jersey and telecommute and be employed in New York state.

How do you envision technology impacting Couples Therapists in the next 5 years?

Lyndal Khaw Ph.D.: Quite a bit. COVID-19 notwithstanding, technology has changed how families interact with each other and effectively how others work with kids and families. Graduates should consider how services can be delivered virtually, but still in impactful ways. Because of COVID-19, many students in our program are completing internships or student teaching, almost, so they are already getting exposure to this type of experience. Students should also think about translational work in family science and human development. Consider a new parent who wants information on their child's first year of life. Chances are, they will seek this information online, use apps on smartphones to track their child's development, and attend online parenting classes. There has always been a market for this type of knowledge and service delivery in this field, and I envision this growing, even more so, under our current circumstances.

How do you envision technology impacting Couples Therapists in the next 5 years?

Dr. Brenda Cross: Telepractice/teletherapy is a recent addition to our area but, with COVID, it has developed very quickly. We are a field that relies heavily on technology but now we are learning to embrace the internet.

What experience really stands out on Couples Therapist resumes?

Charles Westerberg Ph.D.: I don't think it is particular experiences that make the most significant difference. Instead, I believe that telling a story about interests and skills across time makes resumes and cover letters stand out. The ability to show connections across different experiences demonstrates the sort of perspicacity that employers are searching for. If you insisted on one skill, I would highlight the statistical analysis. Being familiar with statistical software packages, coupled with the ability to do fundamental data analysis, opens up a wide range of career options. Data is everywhere, and more and more organizations are using it to advance their reach.

What Couples Therapist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Charles Westerberg Ph.D.: For students taking a gap year, I think they should focus on building up their social capital networks. They should get as much exposure and face time as possible in fields that will give them access to people who can vouch for them. This might not be precisely the sort of position they are looking for, but it should provide them with access to relatable skills and contacts. To do this, students should call and email relentlessly. You never know when you will get a break. Passivity is not an excellent way to create gaps for yourself.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Couples Therapists in the next 3-5 years?

Charles Westerberg Ph.D.: Given that technology changes so fast, I'd think less about what specific technology will be most useful instead of new applications for the technology. How can you use the web, social media, and other applications to address questions and solve problems? If you practice this, you will adapt your findings to all sorts of new technologies.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Couples Therapists in the next 3-5 years?

Dr. Cheryl Stenmark Ph.D.: First, I think technology, in general, is going to become increasingly important across all jobs in the next few years. I believe organizations will continue to conduct business remotely and electronically in the future, so it will be essential for job seekers to be comfortable with the technology (software and hardware) necessary for these small work tasks. Additionally, job seekers will want to be satisfied with multiple small task platforms, rather than choosing a favorite and only using that one. There are so many options right now for videoconferencing and other web meeting/streaming activities, and the number of options available will likely only increase in the future. So it will be essential to be flexible in one's comfort with/use of such platforms.

What type of skills will young Couples Therapists need?

Dr. Eva Moya Ph.D.: Graduates of the social work profession need to be able to work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and mobilize communities to bring about social, economic, political, or environmental change, in addition to being involved in social policy development.

Skills in research, to study social issues, with the intention of developing social policy or micro-level approaches to practice to improve people's lives, and training in relation to multiculturalism, cultural competence, cultural humility practice is vital.

Key skills include:

1. Collaboration


2. Critical thinking


3. -Ethics in evidence based-practice


4. Assessment, intervention, and evaluation


5. Social work competencies to inform behaviors.


6. Administration and management


7. Community practice


8. Policy practice

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Couples Therapists to find work opportunities?

Dr. Eva Moya Ph.D.: Absolutely. Social Workers are well-positioned to work in multiple sectors at the local, state, national, and international levels. From health care, gerontology, safety net, mental health and substance abuse, child and family, education, immigration, and criminal justice sectors.

Employment is usually based on the market, economics, needs, and value of social work. The place does matter.

Social workers are in schools, courts, hospitals, community-based organizations, federally qualified health centers, mental health clinics, shelters, transitional living facilities, detention facilities, academic settings, prisons, industry, political arena, palliative care, hospice, research, international organizations, immigrant and migrant centers, elderly care facilities, protective services, the child welfare system, counseling centers, health and human service organizations, environmental and public health venues.

Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Couples Therapists?

Dr. Erica Holmes: It is difficult to guess what the future holds and what the long-term impact of a global pandemic might be for psychology graduates. We have certainly experienced many academic and training challenges that arise during this time. For example, many summer graduate students had to complete their remaining courses, graduate thesis, defend their dissertations, analyze research results, etc. using video conference technology, and adapt in-person therapy skills to continue seeing clients using teletherapy platforms.

I am sure that there will be an enduring impact of transitioning into the world of therapy during a global pandemic, and I'd like to think that the impact will include both positive and negative elements. Some positive elements may be increased resilience and flexibility, broader thinking about career paths and professional roles, along with the development of new skills and techniques to use with their clients, and increased access to mental health services.

How do you envision technology impacting Couples Therapists in the next 5 years?

Dr. Erica Holmes: The COVID19 crisis thrust many therapists into the world of telehealth. Many of whom, never imagined working with mental health clients over video-conferencing, and a large number were vehemently opposed to the idea. However, as the old saying goes, "Necessity is the mother of invention." With no other option, mental health practitioners and their governing licensing boards have been forced to move from the standard face-to-face delivery model to technology-based platforms, to continue providing much-needed services to their clients.

This has necessitated the development of HIPPA compliant software, adoption of new ethics and legal codes to protect client welfare, and a myriad of new protocols. I doubt that our field will ever completely return to operating the way we were trained, prior to the pandemic. I believe that our field will continue to have increased integration of technology in our standard operations to a much greater degree than any of us could have imagined at the beginning of this year. I foresee the use of teletherapy; electronic session note keeping, automated scheduling, using text messaging to communicate with clients, etc. will become standard practice over the next five years.

Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Couples Therapists?

Kevin Bennett Ph.D.: I think Covid-19 will have a long-lasting impact on the current class of college students. Graduates coming out of college right now are entering into an unrecognizable world. Normally, the time following graduation includes an adjustment period as students exit the comfort and routine of campus life and make their way into the uncharted territory of the job market. This year, it is especially hard for new graduates. Going through such a pivotal moment while living in a pandemic will significantly impact their memories, future salaries and earning power, and their opinion on what it means to live in a normal society.

Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Couples Therapists?

Jennifer Hughes Ph.D.: I think many will be impacted because of the economic recession. They will end up taking jobs with lower salaries, if they cannot get jobs that pay more, and that will mean that they will be paid less throughout their careers.