Marriage and family therapists (MFTs) assess, diagnose, and treat mental and psychological issues in relationships, marriage, and families. If you are passionate about providing solutions to individuals struggling with premarital, marital, divorce, and/or family issues, you may want to pursue a career in marriage and family therapy might be the right choice for you.
To become a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) in California, you will need to become licensed to practice by the state. This blog will cover all the degree, practice, and license requirements needed to become a marriage and family therapist in California in five steps. At Pacific Oaks College, we offer multiple options for a degree in marriage and family therapy. Offered in both Pasadena, California, as well as online, there are different specializations students can choose from. Explore our M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy degree programs.
What is a marriage and family therapist?
An MFT is a mental health professional trained to listen, assess, diagnose, and provide mental and emotional treatment for couples and families to improve their well-being.
MFTs evaluate and provide treatment for other health and behavior-related issues in relationships and the family system, such as affective mood disorders, marital distress and conflict, drug and alcohol abuse in adults and adolescents, and more.
Before you can become a licensed marriage and family therapist in California, you must have graduate training in MFT with at least two years of clinical experience.
As a California marriage and family therapist, you can provide your services in mental health clinics, residential care homes, state government, outpatient care centers, private practice, and other sectors and institutions where mental health services are required.
How to become a marriage and family therapist in California
To become a licensed MFT in California, you must accomplish a few key steps, including an academic degree and licensure requirements.
Step 1: Earn a bachelor’s degree.
The first step to becoming a marriage and family therapist is to earn an undergraduate degree. The major or minor of your bachelor’s degree doesn’t have to be in any particular field. However, you must have completed courses in therapy, psychotherapy, and some other program within psychology, depending on the requirements of your master’s school of choice. For our Pasadena M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy program, the only admission requirements for the undergraduate degree are for students to have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
Step 2: Complete a master’s degree program in marriage and family therapy.
In order to become a licensed marriage and family therapist in California, you must earn a master’s degree that satisfies all of the requirements of the SB 33 and the BBS (Business and Professions Code Sections 4980.36c, d e 4980.39, 4980.40, and 4980.41).
A master’s program normally takes two to three years, including clinical fieldwork and a research thesis. To be an MFT in California, you can major in either Marriage and Family Therapy or any related mental health field. At Pacific Oaks, we offer a general M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy program in California, as well as MFT specializations in African-American Family Studies, Latinx Family Studies, LGBTQIA+ Studies, and Trauma Studies, for those students who want to hone their studies into a specialized area. All of these program specializations qualify students to sit for the California MFT exams.
Stage 3: Complete two years of clinical experience in the state of California.
This experience can be gained through working for nonprofit organizations, private practice, institutions, charities, and other mental health service organizations. As part of our MFT master’s program, students complete 225 hours of the pre-graduate portion of the total 3,000 supervised hours that are required in the state of California.
Stage 4: Pass the California marriage and family therapy licensing exams.
To obtain a California marriage and family therapist license and become an LMFT, you must sit for and pass two MFT exams, the LMFT California Law and Ethics Exam and the LMFT Clinical exam. Both tests will be administered through Pearson Vue, and licenses are issued by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
These marriage and family therapist license exams will test you in various areas pertaining to the practice of MFT, including client diagnosis, treatment, and ethics. Learn more about the California MFT exam process here. After passing this exam, you can now apply for licensure and start working as an LMFT.
Stage 5: Participate in continuing education (CE).
CE courses are not only required for license renewal but also provide additional learning and professional development in your field. Continuing education allows MFTs to remain up to date and trained on any new developments in the field, as well as provide opportunities to specialize or advance in their career.
Continuing education courses are available at a variety of accredited institutions, boards, and more. Confirm with the California Counseling Board to ensure the current requirements and schedule for valid MFT CE programs.
Ready to become an LMFT in California? Start with Pacific Oaks College. Our master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy provides students with a blend of theory and hands-on experience in the field. In addition to equipping students with the knowledge to become an MFT, our marriage and family programs also prepares students to sit for the California licensing exam and satisfies all requirements of SB 33 and Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS). Request more info about our MFT programs today.
For more insight into the world of marriage and family therapy, explore our digital magazine, VOICES.
