How would you describe your treatment style?

Many treatment styles exist. As a Marriage and Family Therapist, you may find yourself incorporating different styles based on the situation. Tell the interviewer if you prefer a cognitive behavioral therapy approach or alternative forms of therapy like art or music. Talk about how you have developed your style of counseling through your education and research. You may make modifications after trying different approaches with clients and identifying that some strategies work better than others.

What did you like most about your previous position?

"At my last job I worked with a great team of professionals. I look forward to meeting the team here and build professional working relationships."

As an LMFT, what made you want to come to work each day? Was it the team that you were a part of or the excitement of a new case every day? Relay to the interviewer what you liked best and that you are excited about the opportunity to find it in the new position. Here is an example: "At my last job I worked with a great team of professionals. I look forward to meeting the team here and build professional working relationships."

What would your most recent supervisor say about you?

"My last supervisor would say that I was dependable, hard working and organized."

Now is your time to brag a little, assuming you made a good impression at your last job. Keep that letter of recommendation in your back pocket so the interviewer can follow up and learn more about your role and accomplishments in your last position.

What is your greatest strength?

"Over the years I have learned skills and ways to improve my active listening with my patients. Every session I build a better rapport with my clients through effective active listening."

As a Marriage and Family Therapist, you know this question will be asked! Don't choose an answer that you think the interviewer wants to hear. Choose a characteristic that you possess so you can show how it relates to your career. Have you become more empathetic and it allows you to relate with your clients more? Do you pride yourself in creating boundaries with your clients as to not get too emotionally involved?

What is your communication style?

"My communication style in both my professional life and personal life is to be factual and honest. I've found that this achieves the most effective results."

As a Marriage and Family Therapist, your communication style should be effective. For this answer, you will want to tell the interviewer how you communicate as a therapist as well as an employee. As an LMFT, you must communicate with clients to gain information, convey critical information and make important decisions. Without effective communication skills, you may not be able to obtain or convey information and cause detrimental effects to your clients. As a team player, your communication style should be direct, honest and collaborative. Share a situation where you had effective communication and what the outcome was.

Tell me something about yourself that I wouldn't read from your resume.

"Last week I started volunteering at our local animal shelter. I was able to help 6 dogs and 2 cats get adopted. I don't have a pet of my own so I've really enjoyed the time that I spend there."

This question can be your permission to be a little silly and share something unique about yourself. It's always important to make that great first impression or make an impact that the interviewer will remember you. Sharing a short story with the interviewer that had something to do with the job position would be a plus, but not necessary. Whatever you share, make it positive and not too personal. Don't share details about your night out with the girls last weekend. Here's a sample answer: "Last week I started volunteering at our local animal shelter. I was able to help 6 dogs and 2 cats get adopted. I don't have a pet of my own so I've really enjoyed the time that I spend there."

Why should we hire you?

"While I was in school I had the opportunity to volunteer with your organization. I learned so much from you all that when a position came up I knew I wanted to work there and give back to other volunteers."

Obviously, you want a job to pay your bills but during your interview is not the time to bring this up. Tell the interviewer why you chose to apply to their position and how their goals align with yours. Did you want to start working with adults because you've spent the last five years working with children? Whatever your reason, make your answer positive and throw in how you can bring something to the table.

How do you involve key family members or friends?

As a Therapist, you may choose to involve your client's families in your therapy. Tell the interviewer that it can improve communications, reduce stress, and help your client's recovery. Tell the interviewer that you start by educating the family, introduce the family in a low-stress environment, stay focused and positive for both the client as well as the family and focus on the future instead of the past.

How do you help your couples set goals?

"Through individual and couple therapy I encourage my couples to make individual goals as well as goals as a couple. I focus on the importance of being their own person as well as a healthy couple."

Give the interviewer a step-by-step approach to how you would help your client. Give an example to make it more concrete. You could start by talking about one or two issues your hypothetical client might be dealing with. Paint a picture using examples and talk about results. Tell the interviewer how you were you effective in helping your client set and attain their goals.

How do you decide which approach is best for the patient? Do you ever use more than one approach? When?

"As a Therapist, I find that I treat most of my couples with cognitive behavioral therapy. I feel it is important to focus on a person's thoughts and beliefs as well as focus on their behavior. By bringing awareness to a person's unhealthy behaviors, actions, or habits cognitive behavioral therapy can address many issues at one time."

As a Therapist, you know that many approaches to psychotherapy exist. There is no single approach that works for everyone. Often times you will use a blended approach, sampling techniques from several different types of psychotherapy. Other times, a single focused type of psychotherapy may be the best treatment approach. The kind of psychotherapy a person receives depends on his or her own unique needs.

How long do your counseling sessions last?

As a Marriage and Family Therapist, your counseling sessions could last from 30 minutes to 3 hours. Let the interviewer know that you are flexible to work with the client's needs. You may prefer 60-minute sessions because it gives you enough time to review the last meeting and still have time to listen and advise your client. Explain your preference and then ask about expectations. Share how you manage your time in order to set up your clients for success.

What psychotherapeutic approaches and tools do you use?

As a Marriage and Family Therapist, you integrate cognitive, dialectical, psychodynamic, and interpersonal psychotherapeutic approaches into your treatment. Tell the interviewer that you would use cognitive behavior therapy technics when working with couples to focus on their thoughts and beliefs, and how they influence one another.

What are the measurable criteria you use to assess how well treatment is working?

"I determine the effectiveness of treatment with client feedback. Success is when the couple ends treatment with me because they are in a great place as a couple."

As a Therapist, you may measure treatment with a cognitive test or simple feedback from the patient. Share a situation with the interviewer that shows how you assessed treatment with a family experiencing issues.

What kind of evaluation process do you use to recommend a treatment plan?

As a Therapist, you interview your client to determine their current problems and outline the goals and strategies that will assist them in overcoming their issues. Tell the interviewer how you gather information, follow an outline to ensure you ask all the pertinent questions, note observations during your interview and determine your diagnosis.

Do you take your work home with you? Or do you leave it at the office?

"I'm able to keep my work at the office because I choose to fill my off time with family, friends and my hobbies."

The interviewer is asking you this question to see if you allow your work to affect you. Because we are all human, you may find times that an appointment with a client may affect you personally. Tell the interviewer that you leave your work at the office and find ways to manage your stress after hours with healthy choices.

Why are you interested in this agency?

"I love helping people and have always wanted to be a Therapist. I've heard so many success stories from your clinic that I'm hoping to get the chance to learn, grow and develop at this company."

This question is the perfect opportunity to show the interviewer that you've done your homework on the company and how you might fit into the open role. Tell the interviewer two or three reasons you want to be an LMFT for their company. Memorize at least two reasons this job is a good match for your skills, strengths, experience, and background. What sets you apart from the other candidates? What can you bring to the table?

How did you first become interested in counseling and therapy?

This question is similar to "tell us about yourself." Tell the interviewer what it was that made you decide to pursue your Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy. Whether is was guidance from a family member or a counseling class you took in college, share a brief personal story that shows why you chose the career.

Tell me about your education.

This question is why it is important to review your resume before the interview. Because we update our resume's so often you'll want to be sure you are hitting all the important information. Briefly, tell the interviewer what your education level and if you are licensed. The interviewer will want to hear about your recent work experiences and how they relate to the position you are interviewing for. Without spending too much time answering this question, concentrate on a handful of highlights during your career that will make you stand out and have the interviewer excited to ask more questions.

What other centers have you applied to?

"I have applied to two other centers in the area. The reason I applied for this position is that the position focuses on children. I have 10 years experience working with children in the foster program and have enjoyed every minute of it."

This question could be a way for you to practice your negotiation skills. If you are applying to other centers be sure to say so. Word travels fast when hiring managers are calling around to find out more about you. Be sure to tell the interviewer why you chose to apply for their position and why you would like this job over the others that you have applied to. Don't discuss who pays more but who can offer more opportunity and would be the best fit for you.Here's a sample answer: "I have applied to two other centers in the area. The reason I applied for this position is that the position focuses on children. I have 10 years experience working with children in the foster program and have enjoyed every minute of it."

Are you reachable in a crisis?

"I'm very flexible with my schedule. I've found that evenings and weekends are sometimes better with my clients. If flexibility is needed in this job we can work together to create a schedule that works best for the clients and the office."

The work of a Marriage and Family Therapist is never ending. You may find yourself working overtime, weekends or even evenings. If you are flexible with your schedule let the interviewer know. If you are strictly a 9-5 you'll have to have good justification. The important thing to relay to the interviewer is that you have good time management skills. Do you work evenings simply because that is the only time your clients can meet? Have you found yourself working weekends due to emergencies? There is always a special occasion to work outside of your normal hours. Make sure you let the interviewer know that you are able to leave work at work and pick it up the next day.

What counseling issues do you prefer to refer to another therapist?

"I think it is best to work with the patient's primary care doctor or psychiatrist when patients need medication management."

As a Marriage and Family Therapist, you may be a part of a multidisciplinary team and refer your clients to other medical professionals. Tell the interviewer how you have been a part of a team, how you co-treated patients and that it has been a positive experience and outcome.

What counseling issues do you feel you are best trained to handle?

"I feel I'm best trained to handle anxiety and depression with my clients. I've found that Group therapy can be a valuable place to practice social dynamics in a safe environment and get inspiration and ideas from peers who are struggling with the same issues."

As a Marriage and Family Therapist, you may choose to treat your patients through individual, group or family therapy. Research the type of clinic that you are applying to and tell the interviewer how you are best to handle those issues.

Are you part of a professional association that credentials marriage and family therapists?

"I am a member of the American Association for Family and Marriage Therapy. Being a part of this association gives me the opportunity to network with fellow therapists, participate in online education and learn more about fellow therapists research."

This question may be your chance to be able to connect with the interviewer. If you are part of an organization that members of your interviewing panel is, you'll be able to connect and possibly engage in a casual conversation about that month's topic. Being able to personally connect with the interviewer will set you apart from the rest of the candidates.

How do you see the importance of keeping a marriage together when there are problems?

"After working with a couple of multiple sessions I'm able to help them identify if their marriage is repairable and if they can move on with their future."

As a Marriage and Family Therapist, you have been the facilitator between many sessions that have been promising as well as ones that were best to go their separate ways. Tell the interviewer how you identify signs of irreconcilable differences and couples that show signs that they can work it out with additional therapy. Be sure not to use patient names or too many details.

What percentage of your practice is marriage therapy?

"My current position is made up of approximately 60% marriage counseling. I chose to apply to this position because I've wanted to focus my career on marriage counseling. I'm excited at the opportunity to learn and grow in this field and help couples find happiness in each other."

As a Marriage and Family Therapist, the majority of your work may or may not be marriage counseling. Do your research to determine what type of therapy the particular office you are applying to focuses on. If your work history didn't comprise much of marriage counseling be sure to mention this to the interviewer, the last thing you want is for the majority of your caseload to be appointments you're not accustomed to treating.

Can you tell me about your background and training in marriage and family therapy?

The interviewer is asking this question to invite you to share your educational and work history highlight reel. Preparing and practicing a 2-3 minute snapshot of your background will be imperative when interviewing as a Marriage and Family Therapist. Focus on classes supervised hours and past employment that directly relates to the position you are applying to.

What are your career goals?

Keep this answer within the same wheelhouse as the job you are interviewing for. 5 years isn't very far away so it would be ideal to let the interviewer know that you would like to be at the same company. Now would be the best time to tell the interviewer that you would like to start working on a second Masters Degree and have it within the next 5 years. Have you always wanted to be an entrepreneur? Owning your own counseling office would be a great goal to achieve in 10 years.

What types of patient is most difficult for you?

"The most difficult client would be the one that given the tools to help themselves they choose not to. Over the years I've been able to be creative on how I work with these clients. These clients are always challenging but after time they see that I'm trying to help and it is very rewarding."

Don't get hung up on the word 'difficult' but think of it as a welcomed challenge. If you choose to highlight a particular population, the interviewer may fear that you are not comfortable or knowledgeable working with that particular crowd. Instead, choose a character that is difficult. Don't use names or too many details. The important thing to remember with this question is how you learned and become a better Therapist because of this type of client.

What type of patients do you typically work best with?

"My most desirable type of client has been the one that has helped identify the problem, allows me to help them with the tools provided and makes positive progress every day."

As a Marriage and Family Therapist, your most desirable clients would be the ones you can tick a box and confirm that they are on the road to recovery. Obviously, not every client is that easy. What characteristic do these dream patients have that makes your job so easy and rewarding. Steer clear of mentioning names and too much personal information. Feel free to mention a particular population if you know that it is the only population the agency works with. If you are interviewing for a position within a family therapy agency, and your favorite population is patients with eating disorders, you might talk yourself out of a job.

What are your salary expectations?

"Currently, I am earning a salary of $80,000 per year. What range are you offering for this position?"

The compensation question can be very difficult to answer. It's always best to start with what you are currently earning and then discuss what your future compensation goals look like.

Marriage and Family Therapist Interview Questions

Go Back

1. How would you describe your treatment style?
2. What did you like most about your previous position?
3. What would your most recent supervisor say about you?
4. What is your greatest strength?
5. What is your communication style?
6. Tell me something about yourself that I wouldn't read from your resume.
7. Why should we hire you?
8. How do you involve key family members or friends?
9. How do you help your couples set goals?
10. How do you decide which approach is best for the patient? Do you ever use more than one approach? When?
11. How long do your counseling sessions last?
12. What psychotherapeutic approaches and tools do you use?
13. What are the measurable criteria you use to assess how well treatment is working?
14. What kind of evaluation process do you use to recommend a treatment plan?
15. Do you take your work home with you? Or do you leave it at the office?
16. Why are you interested in this agency?
17. How did you first become interested in counseling and therapy?
18. Tell me about your education.
19. What other centers have you applied to?
20. Are you reachable in a crisis?
21. What counseling issues do you prefer to refer to another therapist?
22. What counseling issues do you feel you are best trained to handle?
23. Are you part of a professional association that credentials marriage and family therapists?
24. How do you see the importance of keeping a marriage together when there are problems?
25. What percentage of your practice is marriage therapy?
26. Can you tell me about your background and training in marriage and family therapy?
27. What are your career goals?
28. What types of patient is most difficult for you?
29. What type of patients do you typically work best with?
30. What are your salary expectations?

Marriage and Family Therapist Interview Questions

1. How would you describe your treatment style?

2. What did you like most about your previous position?

3. What would your most recent supervisor say about you?

4. What is your greatest strength?

5. What is your communication style?

6. Tell me something about yourself that I wouldn't read from your resume.

7. Why should we hire you?

8. How do you involve key family members or friends?

9. How do you help your couples set goals?

10. How do you decide which approach is best for the patient? Do you ever use more than one approach? When?

11. How long do your counseling sessions last?

12. What psychotherapeutic approaches and tools do you use?

13. What are the measurable criteria you use to assess how well treatment is working?

14. What kind of evaluation process do you use to recommend a treatment plan?

15. Do you take your work home with you? Or do you leave it at the office?

16. Why are you interested in this agency?

17. How did you first become interested in counseling and therapy?

18. Tell me about your education.

19. What other centers have you applied to?

20. Are you reachable in a crisis?

21. What counseling issues do you prefer to refer to another therapist?

22. What counseling issues do you feel you are best trained to handle?

23. Are you part of a professional association that credentials marriage and family therapists?

24. How do you see the importance of keeping a marriage together when there are problems?

25. What percentage of your practice is marriage therapy?

26. Can you tell me about your background and training in marriage and family therapy?

27. What are your career goals?

28. What types of patient is most difficult for you?

29. What type of patients do you typically work best with?

30. What are your salary expectations?