Running head: MARRIAGE & FAMILY THERAPY 1

Marriage & Family Therapy

Christopher Zaragoza

Loras College
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Marriage / Family Therapy

The career path that I would like to pursue after I graduate from Loras College is that of

a marriage and family therapist. In order to accomplish this goal, I would have to obtain a

master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. Currently, I am considering taking a year off to

volunteer with different organizations and gain more experience in the counseling field. After

completing this year of service, I will apply to different grad schools. My ultimate goal within

this career path is to work for the Catholic Church and help prepare couples for marriage. I also

dream of obtaining a doctoral degree in psychology and be able to open my own practice.

There are numerous courses that I have taken in college that will be useful as I consider

family and marriage therapy. Without a doubt, Introduction to Family Studies allowed me to

learn more about families and the current challenges that they face. In this course I had the

opportunity to acquire knowledge on the way that different cultures understand families. This

awareness can be useful to help couples from different cultural backgrounds better understand

each other and how their unique points of view are a result from their upbringing.

Knowing the different family forms is also valuable since as a therapist I will be working

with different types of families. For example, as the divorce rate has increased, blended families

have become more common in our society. According to the Introduction to Family Studies

course that I took, one common problem with blended families is that it takes a while for

children to build a relationship with their step parent. In fact, it can take two to seven years.

LGBTQ families have also become popular; these families need support since not all members of

society accept them. A misconception that is attributed to these families is that they are not able
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to raise what many consider “healthy” children. In this course we learned that children raised by

LGBTQ parents are as healthy as those raised by heterosexual parents.

Introduction to Families Studies makes it clear that families and dating has changed in

recent years. Gender roles were very traditional; women were expected to be housewives while

men typically acted as the breadwinner. In society today, with the rise of feminism, and other

social equality movements, there has been a fight for equal rights for men and women. In recent

years, both parents in a household typically work. Because of this, it is not uncommon that an

issue that many families face is that parents are not spending enough time with their children. As

a therapist, there will be many times I will have the responsibility to help clients balance their

role as both a parent and an employee. Dating has also changed. We have transitioned from a

traditional approach to marriage, courtship, to dating. There are many reasons why individuals

date whether it is for recreation or companionship. Also, in Intro Family Studies I learned about

the responsibility that married couples have with their spouse even though they are busy. It is

fruitful for them to have time for each other and go out on dates. This is because communication

as well as shared responsibilities are key for a successful marriage.

Another course that will be beneficial for my career is Conflict Resolution. Most couples

will come to therapy when they have a major conflict with their spouse. At times, a judge may

make it mandatory to seek professional help before finalizing a divorce. My Conflict Resolution

course provides me with the skills I will need to bring different parties together through

respectful dialogue. The mediator needs to see the major problem and what form of conflict

resolution will be useful in order to resolve it. The therapist has to create a safe environment

where individuals can voice their opinion without fear. The dialogue must be done professionally
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in order to ensure that everyone is heard and that couples are able to find common ground to find

a solution that is agreed by both parties.

As a marriage and family therapist there are many ethical principles that I will have to

obey when I work with my clients. The APA Code of Ethics explains in the general principles

section what those ethical principles are. It is my obligation to follow them, because failure to do

so can result in negative consequences by the APA. These ethical principles clearly state the

behavior that we cannot engage in as a psychologist, and the work responsibilities that we have.

Section 10 of the APA Code of Ethics specially explains the rules that therapist must follow. For

instance, section 10.02 and 10.03 mention the role of a therapist who work with couples, families

and in a group (American Psychological Association, 2017). The main ethical principle is to

ensure the well-being and the rights of my clients and their privacy.

An individual must have specific abilities in order to perform this job. For example, I

have the ability to interact with individuals from different cultures and backgrounds. This ability

I gained while being raised in a very diverse neighborhood. Also through the multiple people that

I have met throughout my lifetime. It is also important for an individual to have a deep

appreciation and respect for marriage, something that I have gained through my Hispanic

heritage but also by witnessing the marriage of my parents. I am a very sensitive individual who

always wants the well-being of others for this reason I chose to major in psychology and are

involved in different organizations that advocates for people. I have professional speaking skills

which I have developed through the different careers that I have had but also learned in Public

Speaking.
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Throughout my college and work experience I have obtained different achievements. For

example, I have been part of the Honorary Dean’s list which show my attributes as a student and

my capacity to learn. Also in my first job at Little Caesars they promoted me to assistant

manager because I was a responsible employee and was able to get along with everyone. During

my sophomore year of college, I was chosen by Silver Lake College Student United Way to

become their treasurer because I was a trustworthy individual. By far the most notable

achievement is being the first one in my family to graduate from college even though I had many

odds against me. All these achievements explain the ability and skills that I have for this future

career.

In order to be successful in this career I will have to be knowledgeable about how to give

therapy in a responsible and positive manner. Being a student in college, I have learned to be

responsible and organized which are traits which will be useful for this career. Another habit that

I have developed is being independent and taking account of my own actions. What motivates

me to pursue this career path is trying to make a difference in society. With divorce rates very

high, it is clear the impact I will have is immense. Throughout my life I have met individuals

who were impacted by the divorce of their parents in a negative manner or were raised by a

single parent. With a great understanding of the impact a family can have on an individual,

combined with my passion and a great understanding of human psychology, I will do my best to

have a positive impact on broken families.

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References

American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of

Conduct. Retrieved November 16, 2019, from https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/