3 answers
Jazmine
Student
Normal, Illinois
1
Question
Updated
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what does a typical day look like as a marriage and family therapist ?
trying to learn more about being a family and marriage therapist
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3 answers
Denyce Martell
Therapist
3
Answers
Norwich, Connecticut
Updated
Denyce’s Answer
This is a great question and realistically has so many answers as it depends on the environment the marriage and family therapist works out of. This could be community health, school counseling, private practice, etc.
Personally, I own and operate within a private practice. This gives me the flexibility and income that is ideal for my lifestyle. I start my mornings with good self-care as this is critical to working in the mental health field. If I am going into the office, my day may start at 10am and go to 6pm with a break in the middle. I conduct 60-minute sessions, which means my sessions run from 53 to 60 minutes long, though sometimes clients require less time. While my days at the office might start this early and end this late, it is also typical for me to come in for a 12 or 2pm start time. I like to get to the office thirty minutes early to set up. This typically entails reviewing my schedule and printing any paperwork that I might give out that day. Additionally, since I own the business, I also look at my email and voicemails to respond to potential clients or other providers. This includes setting up services for the clinicians that work at my practice as well.
Alternatively, I also work from home two days a week. On these days, I may start at 9am and end at 7pm, but I have more breaks in my schedule and spend more of my breaks doing chores at home.
With both schedules, I tend to complete my notes during my break times, or between clients if I have adequate time. I may also start my next day with completing notes if I did not finish the night before in order to have a clean slate for the day.
I end each day eating dinner with my husband and recharging for the next day!
I typically work M-F but the times vary wildly. My schedule may look like: Monday 10am-6pm (one hour break), Tuesday 9am-7pm (2 one-hour breaks), Wednesday 12pm-6pm (one-hour break), Thursday 9am-3pm (one-hour break), and Friday 2pm-6pm (1 or 2 one-hour breaks). This varies by week. I keep strict boundaries to not work during the weekends !
Let me know if you'd like to know more!
Personally, I own and operate within a private practice. This gives me the flexibility and income that is ideal for my lifestyle. I start my mornings with good self-care as this is critical to working in the mental health field. If I am going into the office, my day may start at 10am and go to 6pm with a break in the middle. I conduct 60-minute sessions, which means my sessions run from 53 to 60 minutes long, though sometimes clients require less time. While my days at the office might start this early and end this late, it is also typical for me to come in for a 12 or 2pm start time. I like to get to the office thirty minutes early to set up. This typically entails reviewing my schedule and printing any paperwork that I might give out that day. Additionally, since I own the business, I also look at my email and voicemails to respond to potential clients or other providers. This includes setting up services for the clinicians that work at my practice as well.
Alternatively, I also work from home two days a week. On these days, I may start at 9am and end at 7pm, but I have more breaks in my schedule and spend more of my breaks doing chores at home.
With both schedules, I tend to complete my notes during my break times, or between clients if I have adequate time. I may also start my next day with completing notes if I did not finish the night before in order to have a clean slate for the day.
I end each day eating dinner with my husband and recharging for the next day!
I typically work M-F but the times vary wildly. My schedule may look like: Monday 10am-6pm (one hour break), Tuesday 9am-7pm (2 one-hour breaks), Wednesday 12pm-6pm (one-hour break), Thursday 9am-3pm (one-hour break), and Friday 2pm-6pm (1 or 2 one-hour breaks). This varies by week. I keep strict boundaries to not work during the weekends !
Let me know if you'd like to know more!
Laiba sayed
1
Answer
New York, New York
Updated
Laiba’s Answer
A day in the life of a marriage and family therapist is a blend of meeting with clients, preparing for sessions, and handling paperwork. I spend most of my time talking with individuals, couples, or families for about 45–60 minutes each. Every session is unique because each family and relationship has its own challenges and goals.
In between sessions, I write notes, look over treatment plans, and sometimes talk with other professionals like doctors or school counselors (with the client's okay). I also think about how to help clients in future sessions.
The job is both meaningful and rewarding, but it can be emotionally demanding. It's important to have strong boundaries and take care of myself since I'm helping people through tough times. However, it's very satisfying to see clients grow, communicate better, and improve their relationships.
Overall, my day is organized but never dull. It's focused on people, emotionally engaging, and all about helping others build healthier relationships.
In between sessions, I write notes, look over treatment plans, and sometimes talk with other professionals like doctors or school counselors (with the client's okay). I also think about how to help clients in future sessions.
The job is both meaningful and rewarding, but it can be emotionally demanding. It's important to have strong boundaries and take care of myself since I'm helping people through tough times. However, it's very satisfying to see clients grow, communicate better, and improve their relationships.
Overall, my day is organized but never dull. It's focused on people, emotionally engaging, and all about helping others build healthier relationships.
Stan Hutch
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
5
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Stan’s Answer
I am a licensed therapist in Los Angeles. Fun question. There isn't really one typical day in this job, which is part of why I love it, but I'll give you a snapshot of what mine looks like and the variation you'd see in this field.
I'm in private practice, so my schedule is something I built around the rhythm that works for me. A typical day starts around 9am with notes and emails from the previous day, then I see clients in 50-minute sessions from about 10am through mid-afternoon, with a longer break for lunch and a short break between each session to write notes and reset.
The actual session work varies enormously. I might see an individual adult dealing with anxiety in one hour, a couple working through communication issues in the next, then a family with a teenager in the afternoon, then back to an individual at the end of the day. Each session is its own little world. The 'marriage and family' in the credential doesn't mean we only see couples and families. Many LMFTs see lots of individuals too.
Between sessions and after the clinical day ends, there's: progress notes for insurance, returning client phone calls, consulting with psychiatrists or other providers on shared clients, scheduling, and reviewing recordings of my own sessions to keep improving.
Things vary across the field. Therapists working in community mental health or schools have very different days, often with shorter sessions, more clients per day, more crisis work, and a built-in team they collaborate with. Therapists in residential or inpatient settings have a completely different rhythm again. So if a 9-5 office structure doesn't appeal to you, there are other ways to practice.
The biggest thing I tell students: the training during your master's program shapes whether your daily clinical work will feel effective and rewarding or frustrating and uncertain. Programs vary enormously in how much real practice they give you before you graduate. Ask about recorded session review, outcome tracking, and hands-on hours.
If you are considering this career, here's a helpful ad-free directory of MFT graduate schools to help you research and compare programs: https://sentio.org/mft-programs-in-california
Being a therapist is a really great career I and recommend it highly.
A helpful ad-free directory of MFT graduate schools to help you research and compare programs: https://sentio.org/mft-programs-in-california
I'm in private practice, so my schedule is something I built around the rhythm that works for me. A typical day starts around 9am with notes and emails from the previous day, then I see clients in 50-minute sessions from about 10am through mid-afternoon, with a longer break for lunch and a short break between each session to write notes and reset.
The actual session work varies enormously. I might see an individual adult dealing with anxiety in one hour, a couple working through communication issues in the next, then a family with a teenager in the afternoon, then back to an individual at the end of the day. Each session is its own little world. The 'marriage and family' in the credential doesn't mean we only see couples and families. Many LMFTs see lots of individuals too.
Between sessions and after the clinical day ends, there's: progress notes for insurance, returning client phone calls, consulting with psychiatrists or other providers on shared clients, scheduling, and reviewing recordings of my own sessions to keep improving.
Things vary across the field. Therapists working in community mental health or schools have very different days, often with shorter sessions, more clients per day, more crisis work, and a built-in team they collaborate with. Therapists in residential or inpatient settings have a completely different rhythm again. So if a 9-5 office structure doesn't appeal to you, there are other ways to practice.
The biggest thing I tell students: the training during your master's program shapes whether your daily clinical work will feel effective and rewarding or frustrating and uncertain. Programs vary enormously in how much real practice they give you before you graduate. Ask about recorded session review, outcome tracking, and hands-on hours.
If you are considering this career, here's a helpful ad-free directory of MFT graduate schools to help you research and compare programs: https://sentio.org/mft-programs-in-california
Being a therapist is a really great career I and recommend it highly.
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