General Description
This is an ideal career for analytical thinkers. Family therapy is a specialised area of the counselling profession. Family Therapists understand difficulties for individuals, couples, families in the context of their relationships. As a Family Therapist you work with clients to identify and explore emotional issues and relationship difficulties, and together with your clients come up with meaningful answers and solutions to those problems.
Your work is always within the family relationship context that are often impacted by issues related to health, drug and alcohol problems, accommodation, employment, grief and loss, stress management, child development or abuse issues.
What you do every day
Working as a Family Therapist you will have a number of families, couples and individuals that you see regularly. The type of problems that you assist clients with will vary considerably and will be determined in part by the type of agency or institution that you work for.
The main activity of your working day will be seeing clients as planned, responding to crises that could have occurred in their lives and following up with other key workers or services involved with the clients. As with all counsellors, you are required to keep accurate records of their work. You may also be involved in supervising, either individuals or groups of workers in your workplace.
Personality that best fits this occupation
You need to be sympathetic and caring with good communication,listening and analytical skills. You also need to be a very mature person with good life-coping skills, which will enable you to withstand the difficult and at times distressing situations that you will encounter. You need to be able to work independently and in a team environment.
Best thing about this career
Being a Family Therapist is a very interesting and challenging job. The chance to be involved in work that does make a difference to people’s lives is very gratifying and the opportunity to work alongside like-minded people is stimulating.
Worst thing about this career
At times it can be emotionally overwhelming when you learn of the very difficult things that happen to children, young people and adults. But the opportunity to provide support and care as you see your client journey through the difficult time in their life is rewarding.
About the Author
Fiona McIlwaine,
Fiona McIlwaine is a registered Psychologist and Family Therapist. She completed her initial family and couple therapy training in 1993 and in 2000 completed the Masters in Family Therapy at the Bouverie Centre. She has worked in the community sector in the areas of community health, intensive family based services, sexual assault and in the area of child and adolescent psychiatry. Currently Fiona works part-time as a Lecturer/Family Therapist at the Bouverie Centre, teaching in the Clinical Masters Program and has a part-time private practice based in Carlton North Victoria.
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