Family and marriage counsellor career

Kaitohuora whānau me te mārena

Family and marriage counsellors help individuals, couples and families deal with marriage and relationship difficulties. They may develop treatment plans or refer clients to specialists.

Family and marriage counsellors help individuals, couples and families deal with marriage and relationship difficulties. They may develop treatment plans or refer clients to specialists.

What would you do as a Family and marriage counsellor?

Family and marriage counsellors

  • usually work regular business hours
  • usually work in offices and may travel locally to visit clients
  • may do emotionally demanding work
  • need to be responsible, identify and solve problems and communicate well

Tasks

  • teach life skills or strategies to clients or their families
  • counsel clients or patients regarding personal issues
  • develop treatment plans for patients or clients
  • maintain client records
  • collect information about clients
  • interview clients to gather information about their backgrounds, needs, or progress
  • counsel clients regarding interpersonal issues
  • confer with clients to discuss treatment plans or progress
  • collaborate with other professionals to assess client needs or plan treatments
  • evaluate characteristics of individuals to determine needs or eligibility

How can you become a Family and marriage counsellor?

You need a qualification to become a family and marriage counsellor.

You need

  • a bachelor's degree in counselling or similar area
  • to pass a police check

You may need

  • a postgraduate certificate or diploma in counselling or similar area
  • a master's degree in counselling or similar area
  • experience working with children and families
  • a driver licence
  • to be registered with New Zealand Association of Counsellors

If you're in school

You need University Entrance to do the study or training for this job.

Qualifications

View all qualifications

If you already have a bachelor's degree, our Master of Counselling prepares you for professional practice, with a focus on narrative approaches.

Once you have at least five years' counselling experience, our Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling lets you train to supervise other practitioners.

View all qualifications

Family and marriage counsellor FAQs

Scholarships

A range of scholarships are available to help with the cost of studying at Waikato. Options are available across a wide range of subjects and study levels, including scholarships for new students, current students and specific areas of study.

Find a scholarship

QS rankings

QS World University Rankings 2027

Waikato is ranked equal 293rd globally, placing us in the top 1.5% of universities worldwide, and 2nd in New Zealand by citations per faculty.

QS Ranking - Education

Waikato is ranked among the top 250 universities worldwide for Education in the QS World University Rankings.