Educational Requirements for LMFT in Massachusetts
How we prepare our students for licensure
Graduates of the Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program with an emphasis in Couples and Family Therapy at William James College meet all the educational and field placement requirements for licensure, which are described below.
Each student in our master's program meets regularly with their academic advisor who will address questions of licensure so that graduates are prepared for the next steps once they earn the degree.
| MA Board of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions Requirement for LMFT | William James College Couples and Family Therapy Course Requirements |
| Completion of a 60-credit program from a recognized educational institution. | Program requirements meet both licensure requirements for a Marriage and Family Therapist and Mental Health Counselors in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Our college is recognized by the New England Council of Higher Education (NECHE), a regionally accrediting agency. |
| Successful completion of the three graduate level courses in each of the following areas: | |
| 1) Marital and Family Studies | FX675 Trauma and The Contemporary Family FX690 The Role of Intimacy and Human Sexuality in the Family FX 680 Collaborative Consultation with Larger Systems |
| 2) Marital and Family Therapy | FX510 Introduction to Family Therapy
FX630 Collaborative Therapy with Multi-Stressed Families |
| 3) Human Development | CN520 Psychopathology LS659 Lifespan Development CX510 Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy |
| One graduate level course in each of the following content areas (A total of 2 courses is required): | |
| 1) Professional Studies |
PS635 Professional Issues and Ethics
|
| 2) Research | RS610 Research and Program Evaluation |
| Practicum and Clinical Internship | |
| A minimum of 300 hours of direct/face to face client contact with individuals, family groups, couples, groups or organizations (public or private) under the direction of an approved supervisor. The supervision shall consist of 100 face to face hours, of which 50 must be individual supervision. |
CN501 Clinical Skills and Practicum I
CN502 Practicum II
CN601 Mental Health Counseling Internship I
CN602 Mental Health Counseling Internship II
The total minimum clinical hours for these four courses are 960 hours, with 330 direct face-to-face clinical hours. Supervision is provided for a minimum of 30 weeks at an average of one hour per week for individual supervision and 2 hours per week for group supervision, exceeding the LMFT requirements. Our Field Education Office ensures that the field experience and supervision meets
the Board established criteria.
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For more information on becoming a licensed marriage and family therapy, visit:
4 Steps to Your LMFT in MA
Marriage and Familiy Therapy Licensure in all 50 States
Frequently Asked Questions