Post job

Marriage and family therapist vs vocational rehabilitation counselor

The differences between marriage and family therapists and vocational rehabilitation 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 a vocational rehabilitation counselor takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a marriage and family therapist has an average salary of $57,856, which is higher than the $45,871 average annual salary of a vocational rehabilitation counselor.

The top three skills for a marriage and family therapist include social work, patients and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a vocational rehabilitation counselor are rehabilitation, substance abuse, and transferable.

Marriage and family therapist vs vocational rehabilitation counselor overview

Marriage And Family TherapistVocational Rehabilitation Counselor
Yearly salary$57,856$45,871
Hourly rate$27.82$22.05
Growth rate14%11%
Number of jobs114,36178,174
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 57%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age4145
Years of experience412

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 a vocational rehabilitation counselor do?

The primary role of a vocational rehabilitation counselor is to help disabled people to live fully and independently. Vocational rehabilitation counselors assist people with disabilities in securing employment. They provide health care to those who are coping with mental illness, substance abuse issues, psychological disorders, or physical disabilities. Knowledge of patient care, health management, rehabilitation program, and clinical psychology is a must for this job.

Marriage and family therapist vs vocational rehabilitation counselor salary

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

Marriage And Family TherapistVocational Rehabilitation Counselor
Average salary$57,856$45,871
Salary rangeBetween $41,000 And $80,000Between $33,000 And $62,000
Highest paying CityBensalem, PAWilliston, ND
Highest paying statePennsylvaniaNew Jersey
Best paying companyHenderson Behavioral HealthNew York State Restaurant Association
Best paying industryGovernmentNon Profits

Differences between marriage and family therapist and vocational rehabilitation counselor education

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

Marriage And Family TherapistVocational Rehabilitation Counselor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 57%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common majorPsychologyPsychology
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - Long BeachCalifornia State University - Long Beach

Marriage and family therapist vs vocational rehabilitation counselor demographics

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

Marriage And Family TherapistVocational Rehabilitation Counselor
Average age4145
Gender ratioMale, 24.3% Female, 75.7%Male, 29.4% Female, 70.6%
Race ratioBlack 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, 13.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 2.9% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%
LGBT Percentage6%21%

Differences between marriage and family therapist and vocational rehabilitation 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.
  • Show more

Vocational rehabilitation counselor example responsibilities.

  • Collaborate with institutions of higher learning and local organizations to help assign veterans achieve independent living and academic success.
  • Conduct vocational assessments, transferable skills analyses, labor market surveys; write r sum s and relate correspondence.
  • Conduct diagnosis interview, eligibility determination, review assessments, plan and implement individual plan for employment (IPE).
  • Determine eligibility for services and develop individualized rehabilitation programs.
  • Provide independent professional vocational rehabilitation counseling to individuals with disabilities.
  • Apply creative and professional conflict resolution strategies to ensure RTW plan success.
  • Show more

Marriage and family therapist vs vocational rehabilitation 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 vocational rehabilitation counselor skills
  • Rehabilitation, 20%
  • Substance Abuse, 12%
  • Transferable, 8%
  • Plan Development, 7%
  • Vocational Assessments, 6%
  • Social Work, 6%

Browse community and social services jobs