The job of a marriage counselor is decidedly tough. Reconciling a troubled couple on the verge of a divorce, isn’t the easiest job in the world. But the remuneration is not too bad either!
Average Salary
Marriage counselors generally runs solo operations in a dedicated clinic. They are generally not employed, but are practicing professionals. This means that they don’t get a salary, but earn counseling fees for every appointment. So, the pay depends mainly on the charges levied by the counselor for his services, and also the number of clients coming in every day.
Estimates suggest that the median salary is supposed to be around USD 40,000. The more experienced counselors earn more of course, as their reputation commands higher counseling charges. They will also see a lot of clients coming in for help in resurrecting their marriage. The salary for those working in this field for above 20 years is anywhere between USD 50,000 – USD 75,000 annually.
Job Description
Trying to reconcile a couple whose differences have gone so far, that not only has all the love gone, but is replaced by an absolute repulsion of each other, because of the marital problems, can be very tough. To start with, the counselor first sits with the couple and brings out the problems in the relationship. He/she listens to the problems of one partner and then the other, in the relationship. Then, after the problems in the marriage are sufficiently deliberated on, he tries to sort them out one by one. But if there are problems, how can they be corrected?
The very essence of the marriage counselor’s job is to delve into the psychology and the thinking of the two people in front of him, and try to help them assess and eliminate their problems. The job requires him to sit the couple down, and on understanding the problems they have between themselves, sort them out amicably. Of course, this will require him to have really good convincing skills. Because, if one partner in the relationship has a problem with the other, the only option there is left is to bring in a change in one of the two partners. This requires one of them to give up on something and make a sacrifice to help their relationship improve.
Another very important task is to make the married couple understand the foundations on which their original relationship existed. After all, there was something, some common interest that sparked the interest off in each other and developed into love. It is the job of the counselor to discuss this little detail, and help them realize that beneath the small paper-like layer of hatred, the couple may still have a lot of love for each other.
Certainly, it is one of the great career opportunities for those who like problems, and have a penchant for understanding human psychology and have a problem-solving attitude.