“In the first half of 2022, AAMFT conducted an industry workforce study to examine the shifts related to COVID-19, their short- and longer-term impacts, and what challenges and opportunities are facing the field. In each issue of Family Therap-eNews, we examine a data point from this report.
To download the full report, visit aamft.org/workforcestudy
More than 2/3rds of licensed MFT respondents (68%) indicated they learned about marriage and family therapy after their undergraduate education. Segmentation revealed that LMFTs under 40 were more likely to learn about MFT before completing college/university (61%) compared to LMFTs over 60 (26%).
The top five professions of respondents who learned about marriage and family therapy after entering a different career path were counselor (20%), teaching/education (14%), ministry/pastoral (12%), arts/entertainment (12%), and business (12%).
About one-third of LMFTs were influenced to pursue marriage and family therapy by professors or teachers (33%) and classes/courses (30%). LMFTs working in a school/college/university setting were more likely than average to be influenced by professors or teachers (51%).
Because the marriage and family therapy field lacks a direct feeder program at the undergraduate level, and more people are starting training directly after receiving their bachelors’, targeting those in undergraduate programs with information about the profession will be vital to continue its growth.
