Marriage and family therapist vs addictions counselor

The differences between marriage and family therapists and addictions counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a marriage and family therapist, becoming an addictions counselor takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a marriage and family therapist has an average salary of $57,856, which is higher than the $47,226 average annual salary of an addictions counselor.

The top three skills for a marriage and family therapist include social work, patients and crisis intervention. The most important skills for an addictions counselor are patients, social work, and chemical dependency.

Marriage and family therapist vs addictions counselor overview

	Marriage And Family Therapist	Addictions Counselor
Yearly salary	$57,856	$47,226
Hourly rate	$27.82	$22.70
Growth rate	14%	12%
Number of jobs	114,361	79,459
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	41	39
Years of experience	4	6

What does a marriage and family therapist do?

Marriage and family therapists are health professionals who are licensed to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders of married couples and families. These therapists are required to treat patients with issues such as child and adolescent behavioral problems, depression and anxiety, and marital conflicts. They must observe the interaction of people within units while evaluating and resolving their issues with relationships. Marriage and family therapists must also guide their clients to go through transitional crises such as divorce or death.

What does an addictions counselor do?

An Addictions Counselor helps patients overcome personal addiction problems, such as dependence on drugs, alcohol, and other substances. They evaluate the condition of their client through examining, asking questions, and recommending the proper treatment options.

Marriage and family therapist vs addictions counselor salary

Marriage and family therapists and addictions counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Marriage And Family Therapist	Addictions Counselor
Average salary	$57,856	$47,226
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $80,000	Between $32,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	Bensalem, PA	Philadelphia, PA
Highest paying state	Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania
Best paying company	Henderson Behavioral Health	Wellpath
Best paying industry	Government	Non Profits

Differences between marriage and family therapist and addictions counselor education

There are a few differences between a marriage and family therapist and an addictions counselor in terms of educational background:

	Marriage And Family Therapist	Addictions Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	Hunter College of the City University of New York

Marriage and family therapist vs addictions counselor demographics

Here are the differences between marriage and family therapists' and addictions counselors' demographics:

	Marriage And Family Therapist	Addictions Counselor
Average age	41	39
Gender ratio	Male, 24.3% Female, 75.7%	Male, 35.4% Female, 64.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	12%

Differences between marriage and family therapist and addictions counselor duties and responsibilities

Marriage and family therapist example responsibilities.

Conduct play therapy with elementary age students to help manage anxiety, divorce, ADHD, etc.
Develop effective treatment plans and implement evidence-base strategies to assist patients in alleviating psychological symptoms and achieving goals.
Train in EMDR, DBT, work with divorce issues, PTSD, deployment/reunification, anxiety, and depression issues.
Counsele patients experiencing common mental health problems including emotional and physical abuse, family issues, relationship problems and parenting problems.
Attend weekly DBT team meetings and supervision including mindfulness activities and focus on DBT principles.
Administer outcome measures to track baseline symptoms, such as the YOQ, CBCL, UCLA PTSD assessment tools.

Addictions counselor example responsibilities.

Ensure and manage the compliance with Didi Hirsch policies and procedures, contracts and other regulatory agencies, HIPAA and DMH.
Develop treatment plans and recommend a level of care within ASAM and DSM-IV guidelines, and approve requirements.
Restore patients to productive roles by educating them about available community base organizations, and social and employment services.
Perform initial evaluations and intakes, make eligibility determinations, conduct rehabilitation planning and problem solving, and counseling.
Provide drug, alcohol, and rehabilitation counseling and education in a residential therapeutic community for female drug offenders.
Serve as an advocate for family with private/public school-relate agencies (IEP meetings/education plans).

Marriage and family therapist vs addictions counselor skills

Common marriage and family therapist skills

Social Work, 36%
Patients, 9%
Crisis Intervention, 6%
Substance Abuse, 5%
Mental Illness, 4%
Mental Health, 3%

Common addictions counselor skills

Patients, 18%
Social Work, 12%
Chemical Dependency, 6%
Crisis Intervention, 6%
Substance Abuse Treatment, 5%
Intake Assessments, 4%

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Marriage And Family Therapist vs Addictions Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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