Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT)
Purpose
- Practice-based profession to address issues facing families, couples, adults, and children
- MFTs treat relationship issues, emotional disorders, behavioral problems, and alcohol and substance use concerns
-
MFTs look at clients in the context of their relationships
Program Length
- Masters programs in marriage and family therapy usually 2-3 years
-
Requires additional post-graduation hours of supervised clinical or field work
Licensure
- Depending on the state, candidates must accrue between 3000-4000 supervised clinical hours
- Pass the state-specific jurisprudence exam, e.g., California Law and Ethics Exam
For more requirements, see the board website
Program Specialization Examples
- Some programs allow specialization in particular populations, such as Latino or LGBTQ Counseling
Work Setting
- Many agencies, hospitals, community clinics, senior centers, and schools employ MFTs as therapists
- Private practice
Graduate admissions requirements (in addition to general requirements)
- Most programs have general liberal arts coursework requirements (units in humanities, social sciences, biological sciences, and natural sciences)
- Some programs may have specific course requirements in research methods, statistics, lifespan development, or theories of personality. It will be important to look closely at each program’s admission requirements.
Example programs (here are some nearby programs and tuition costs):
University of Southern California's MFT Program
