{"id":120954,"date":"2026-05-28T11:40:53","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T16:40:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/?p=120954\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T11:40:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T16:40:53","slug":"growing-demand-for-marriage-and-family-therapists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/from-the-magazine\/growing-demand-for-marriage-and-family-therapists\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Demand for Marriage and Family Therapists Is Growing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mental health care increasingly recognizes that emotional well-being is shaped by relationships, social environments, and broader systems, not just individual experience. Marriage and family therapists (MFTs) are trained to understand those connections and help clients deal with them.<\/p>\n

Though often associated primarily with couples or family counseling, MFTs work with individuals across a wide range of clinical settings. The Chicago School\u2019s Marriage and Family Therapy programs<\/a> prepare future clinicians to approach care through this relational, systems-based lens.<\/p>\n

What Does a Marriage and Family Therapist Do?<\/h2>\n

Marriage and family therapists are often misunderstood due to the specificity of their title. While many assume their work is limited to couples or family counseling, MFTs work with individuals across all stages of life.<\/p>\n

What sets MFTs apart is not who they work with but how they approach care. They train to think systemically, meaning they consider the full context surrounding a person\u2019s experiences rather than isolating a single issue.<\/p>\n

A systemic approach recognizes that no individual exists independently of their environment. Family structures, cultural identity, workplace situations, and broader societal influences all shape how a person experiences mental health.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not just addressing the human in the room; we\u2019re addressing the human within the space that they exist in,\u201d says Rylee Sulzer<\/a>, Psy.D., director of clinical training in Marriage and Family Therapy at The Chicago School. Instead of focusing solely on symptoms, MFTs explore how patterns develop across different areas of a person\u2019s life. By understanding these interconnected systems, MFTs provide better care.<\/p>\n

How Relationships Affect Mental Health<\/h3>\n

At the heart of marriage and family therapy is the understanding that relationships shape emotional health. Crucially, such relationships include how individuals relate to themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all have a relationship with ourselves, and most of the time they\u2019re coming to therapy because the relationship with themselves is unkind or painful,\u201d says Dr. Sulzer.<\/p>\n

This perspective reframes therapy as more than resolving immediate challenges. It becomes an opportunity to rebuild internal dialogue, strengthen communication patterns, and develop healthier ways of connecting.<\/p>\n

By addressing relational issues, MFTs help clients uncover patterns that influence behavior, decision-making, and emotional responses. These insights create lasting change that carries into every aspect of life. MFT students at The Chicago School explore both interpersonal and internal issues clients bring to therapy.<\/p>\n

Why Demand for Marriage and Family Therapists Is Growing<\/h2>\n

The growing demand for MFTs reflects more than increased awareness of mental health; it signals a shift in how care is delivered and where it is needed.<\/p>\n

Where Marriage and Family Therapists Work<\/p>\n

Marriage and family therapists are no longer confined to traditional private practice settings. Their skill sets are now integrated across a wide range of environments, including:<\/p>\n