Explore the LGBTQIA+ identity while preparing to better serve all communities
Earn your M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy with a specialization in LGBTQIA+ Family Studies.
The LGBTQIA+ community deserves trained therapists who are capable of providing comprehensive treatment and family support. This new specialization prepares mental health professionals to address this need by developing the awareness, knowledge, and skills necessary to work effectively in clinical settings. By exploring the complexities of the LGBTQIA+ identity, clinicians graduating from this MFT specialization are better suited to provide affirmative therapy to all communities.
About the LGBTQIA+ Specialization
This unique marriage and family therapy specialization offers curriculum informed by the strengths and experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, people in the LGBTQIA+ community with mental illnesses often face a perceived double stigma and can benefit from trained, LGBTQ-inclusive therapists who are capable of providing comprehensive treatment and family support. By earning your M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy with an LGBTQIA+ Family Studies Specialization, you will be uniquely positioned to provide comprehensive and culturally appropriate therapeutic support services at any mental health agency.
“LGBTQIA+ history is the history of every one of us. By learning the history of the LGBTQIA+ community, we are able to gain a fuller, better-rounded understanding of the past and of the struggles that a historically marginalized community has had. This expands our world view, our sense of community, and our ability to have empathy and understanding for others.”
—Eugenia Rodriguez, Psy.D., LMFT, core faculty member in the School of Cultural and Family Psychology at Pacific Oaks College and coordinator of the Latinx Family Studies and LGBTQIA+ Family Studies programs.
Why choose Pacific Oaks?
Our Marriage and Family Therapy programs offer multidisciplinary, inclusive curricula based on developmental and family systems theories and evidence-based theory and practice. With years of experience in the field, our faculty help you maintain a commitment to understanding your patients holistically—taking into account life experiences, culture, oppression, and social-political context.
The program also provides you with a robust blend of theory and hands-on practice. By maintaining relationships with clinics and community agencies throughout the greater Los Angeles and San Jose areas, we are able to provide you with extensive choices of locations in diverse communities to fulfill your supervised fieldwork practicum requirement.
Additional Marriage and Family Therapy Specializations
- African American Family Studies (online)
- LatinX Family Studies (online)
- Trauma Studies (on-campus and online)
Licensure Information
This MFT program satisfies all of the requirements of SB 33 and the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) (Business and Professions Code Sections 4980.36c, d e 4980.39, 4980.40, and 4980.41).
The program prepares graduates to sit for the California MFT exam to earn a Marriage and Family Therapist License awarded by the California Board of Behavioral Science.
Experience what sets us apart
- Benefit from flexibility and convenience: Classes occur on nights, weekends, and online to accommodate the working professional.
- Take advantage of our scholarships and financial aid*: Inquire today to learn about one of the eight different scholarships for incoming students along with other financial aid opportunities.
- Have confidence in knowing we are an institutionally accredited, nonprofit institution: Accredited by the WASC Senior Colleges and Universities Commission (WSCUC), Pacific Oaks College has offered programs in education and human development for nearly 60 years.
*Financial aid is available to those who qualify.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When can I start?
You can apply year-round, with multiple start dates throughout the fall, spring, and summer.
What kind of student support will I receive?
Academic advisers will help you pursue the best learning path for your goals. The Financial Aid Office will help you understand and pursue various
financing options. Campus resources include CARE (Center for Achievement, Resources, and Enrichment), library services, and much more.
Is Pacific Oaks accredited?
Yes. Pacific Oaks College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).
About Pacific Oaks College
Rooted in the extraordinary potential that lives in every human being, Pacific Oaks offers an environment where your perspective and experience can play an integral part in your educational journey. Through our unique progressive approach to teaching and learning, everyone in our classrooms is both student and teacher. Students relate subjects to their own personal experiences—sharing with the teacher and fellow students.A nonprofit, accredited, higher education institution, Pacific Oaks College offers teacher credentialing preparation as well as bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in a variety of fields, including business and management, education, early childhood education, human development, marriage and family therapy, psychology, and social work.
