Marriage And Family Therapist
Ph.D. and MS Degree
Graduate School Planning and Information
What is a marriage and family therapist?
Marriage and family therapists (MFTs) are highly-trained mental health professionals who bring
a family-oriented perspective to health care. They evaluate and treat mental and emotional disorders
and other health and behavioral problems, and address a wide array of relationship issues within the
context of the family system. MFTs believe that individuals and their problems must be seen in
context, and that the most important context is the family.
What do MFTs do?
MFTs pioneered brief, solution-focused, family-centered treatment. They work to understand
the problem as it exists now, and focus on solutions or actions which might help to resolve the
problem. They may typically ask questions about family roles patterns, rules, goals, and stages of
development. A family's patterns may influence an individual's health condition or problem, are
usually affected by the disorder, and therefore need to be a part of the treatment plan. The unit of
treatment is no longer the person - even if only a single person is interviewed - it is the set of
relationships in which the person is imbedded.
Who do MFTs treat?
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Families facing severe mental illnesses and emotional disorders, such as schizophrenia,
depression and anorexia/bulimia
Substance abusers and their families
Sexual abuse victims and perpetrators
Children and families in the foster care system
Juvenile offenders and others in the criminal justice system
Couples in crisis
Young children and their parents
Where do MFTs work?
Marriage and family therapists work in a variety of settings including:
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Inpatient facilities
Employee Assistance Programs
Health Maintenance Organizations
Community Mental Health Centers
Business and Consulting Companies
Schools and Head Start Centers
Social Service Agencies
Universities and Research Centers
Courts and Prisons
Private Practice
Sometimes MFTs work in teams with other health care professionals, such as family physicians. And
some are involved in family research and public policy analysis from a family perspective.
How does one become an MFT?
Two options are available for those interested in becoming a marriage and family therapist. You
could choose to complete an accredited* master's or doctoral program in marriage and family
therapy.
Master's degree programs take 2 to 3 years, providing you with broad areas of theory and practice
in marriage and family therapy. These programs will provide you with entry level education
requirements for independent clinical practice in the profession. They are designed to prepare you for
beginning a career in marriage and family therapy by providing basic didactic and clinical skills, as
well as professional development and socialization.
Doctoral degree programs take 3 to 5 years - depending on whether or not you have a master's
degree in MFT - and will prepare you for an academic career, research, advanced clinical practice and
supervision. The doctoral curriculum provides you with advanced instruction in marriage and family
therapy research, theory construction and supervision.
The second way to become an MFT begins by earning a graduate degree in another mental health field
- psychiatry, psychology, clinical social work, psychiatric nursing, etc. After earning a degree you may
decide to study MFT in depth at one of the accredited* post-graduate degree clinical training
programs that provide clinical education in marriage and family therapy. A program may allow you
to receive specialized training in a particular modality or treatment population.
Whichever path you choose you will be trained in the diagnosis and treatment of mental and nervous
disorders and in such areas as human growth and development, behavioral patterns, marital and
family interaction, sexual dysfunction, parent-child relationships, and the dynamics of family
systems. You will also learn to use a variety of therapeutic techniques and processes.
*In 1978, the Department of Education recognized the AAMFT Commission on Accreditation for
Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) as the national accrediting body for graduate
and post-graduate educational and training programs in the field of marriage and family therapy - the
number of accredited programs has grown from 24 in 1983 to 75 in 1996.
Advice for those interested in MFT programs
Get clinical experience - Because it is essential that MFTs have good interpersonal skills
and emotional maturity, graduate programs will be looking for evidence that you have been successful
in working with people. Many colleges and universities offer internship or externship programs or you
can volunteer at local teen homes, women's shelters, crisis hotlines, or mental health centers. Choose
a place where you will have direct contact with clients.
Get research experience - Because many universities require graduate professors to conduct
original research, programs will look for applicants who have experience conducting psychological
research and have an interest in helping professors with their research. Try to take at least one
research course and one statistics course prior to applying to admission into a graduate program in
marriage and family therapy.
Identify and emphasize your strengths - If you are concerned that your grades will not gain you
admission into the program, take time to think about what other aspects of your experience could
make up for your grades. Make sure to emphasize these aspects of your experience in your application
and during your interviews.
Be a good consumer - Not only do you need to sell yourself to the programs, but you also need to
determine which programs will be a good fit for you. If you are honest with yourself and are clear
about your desires, you will succeed in selecting a program that allows you to learn the art of marriage
and family therapy in a comfortable and supportive atmosphere
Planning For a Career in Social Work at SDSU
Recommended Methods Classes:
Complete Psy 301 (Intro. Research Methods) or Psy 410 (Lab in Exp. Psychology). However,
most graduate schools in MFT will only require that students take Psy 301.
Recommended Breadth Classes:
*Psy 350 (Abnormal psych) *Psy331, 332,333 (Developmental Classes) *Psy 380 (Cognitive)
*Psy344(Psy and Culture)
*Psy340 (Social Psy)
Recommended Elective Classes:
*Psy 499[Research Lab( 1 or 2 semesters)]
*Psy452 (Intro to Coun. & Therapy)
*Psy 495[Community Psy(1 or 2 semesters)]
*Psy 407(Health Psy.)
*Psy331, 332,333 (Developmental Classes)
Other Recommendations:
*Students should consider getting involved in appropriate field experience: work with students
with learning disabilities, in a mental health institution or a relevant population (troubled children,
teens, elderly or families). This may be in a volunteer or in a paid basis.
MFT graduate programs in the Western United States
*Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
*Cal Poly, Pomona
*Cal State, Bakersfield
Master Degree Info.:
MS Psychology :
Counseling Psyc:
http://www.calpoly.edu/~psychhd/masters.html
http://www.class.csupomona.
http://www.csub.edu/CPSY/
edu/bhs/ms-psy.html
*Cal State, Dominguez Hills
*Cal State, Fresno
*Cal State, Sacramento
Counseling Option:
Counseling:
Marriage &Family Therap.
http://www.csudh.edu/soe/degrees.htm
http://www-catalog.admin.csu
http://aaweb.csus.edu/catalog/
fresno.edu/current/masters.html
*Humboldt State Univ.
*Univ. of San Francisco
current/colleges/c_educ.asp
*San Jose State
Counseling Program:
Programs in Counseling Psy. :
Social Welfare:
http://www.humboldt.edu/~
http://www.usfca.edu/acadserv/
http://psych.sjsu.edu/grad/
psych/gprog.htm
catalog/soe_cpy.html
clinical/general_questions.pdf
*Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas
*Colorado State Univ.
*Santa Clara Univ.
Dep. Of Counseling Psychology:
Department of Counseling:
Marriage and Family Therapy:
http://www.scu.edu/cp/
http://www.unlv.edu/Colleges/Urban/
http://www.cahs.colostate.edu/
hdfs/Graduate%20Program
/MFT%20Info.htm
*Arizona State Univ.
*Univ. of Nevada, Reno
*Univ. of Oregon
MFT Program:
MS in Counseling:
http://www.asu.edu/clas/fhd/fhdmftinfo.htm
http://www.unr.edu/educ/cep
http://education.uoregon.edu/
/marfamma.html
field.htm?id=47
*Univ. of San Diego
*San Diego State Univ.
Marriage and Family Therapy:
*Univ. of Southern California
Marriage and Family Therapy :
Marriage & Family Therapy:
Marriage &Family Therapy :
http://www.sandiego.edu/soe/acadprog/
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/csp/programs/
http://www.usc.edu/dept/
mft/whychoose.php
programs.html#mft
education/couns_mmft.html