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What licenses and certifications do you need as a Marriage and Family therapist?

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Robert’s Answer

I'm not in this field, but I would suggest that you find 2 or 3 therapists (younger and older) that you can mentor with. Ask them what the best routes have been from there. My daughter thought that she had the right accreditations for what she wanted to do but, after talking to people in the field, she found out that people today have a certain title. Younger people in the same field had a different title and did what she wanted to do today. While it is a different medical field, the thought process is the same.
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Candice’s Answer

Becoming licensed as a Marriage & Family Therapist requires both a Bachelor's and Master's degree. After those are completed, there are still additional hours of clinical experience required where you will get hands on practice under the supervision of another Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist or LMFT. After that is done, you are then qualified to sit for the licensing exam. From starting a Bachelor's degree to finishing as a LMFT, it often takes people about 6-7 years. This also varies based on how long it takes each person to complete their required clinical hours.

Most people's Bachelor's degrees in this field are in: counseling, psychology, or social work.

Most people's Master's degrees in this field are in: marriage & family therapy or social work.

The supervised clinical experience portion usually consists of 2,000 to 4,000 hours of being trained along with actually seeing patients. This requirement varies by state.

The licensure exam is required in all US states.

Though this may sound like a lot of work it is an extremely rewarding career. It has strong job & financial security with flexible hours. Many LMFT's state that they love their job because they get to do work that is meaningful such as assisting people that may have mental health issues, addictions, marital problems, & family conflicts. If there is an area you find that you like best, you can also take additional optional certification courses to specialize in a certain part.

This is a growing field that is projected to continue to grow nationwide. The states with the highest employment for LMFT's are currently California, New Jersey, Minnesota, Illinois, & Florida. As many LMFT's are self employed some work for larger organizations. The pay range for this career ranges from approximately $37,000 per year to $97,000 per year depending on where you are working & how much work you are willing to put in.

Candice recommends the following next steps:

View the link to find your state & see what the specific LMFT requirements are: https://www.aamft.org/Directories/MFT_Licensing_Boards.aspx
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