Licensed Christian Marriage and Family Counselor
Educational Requirements for CLMFC
A candidate can be licensed with either a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy, a master’s in a field that’s closely related, and or a master degree in Christian Marriage and Family Counseling.
USACCCA sets the minimum credit hours at 36. The candidate will need at least one course (three semester hours or four quarter hours) in each of the following:
• Techniques and theory of marriage counseling
• Techniques and theory of family counseling
• Personality theory or general counseling
• Marriage and family system dynamics
• Psychosocial theory
• Psychopathology
• Diagnosis, appraisal, and assessment
• Human sexuality theory
• Substance abuse theory/ counseling
• Behavioral research (with an emphasis on clinical application)
• Professional, ethical, and legal standards of practice
The student must also have an internship or clinical practicum that includes at least 180 contact hours of direct service delivery in marriage and family counseling.
Additional Educational Requirements for CMFC Licensing
There are additional coursework requirements that may be obtained through Theological Seminary and /or Christian university in Christian Thoughts and Christian Marriage’s foundation. A licensee must have an eight hour class in laws and rules and a two hour course in preventing medical errors.
Courses in HIV/AIDS and domestic violence are also required, but an individual can be licensed without them; she will need to meet the requirement during her first six months as a licensee.
USACCCA requires the graduate will need to work under supervision for one year (50 weeks). To be eligible for licensure, she must accrue at least 800 hours of experience providing therapy to clients. Her supervisor should have five years of experience in Christian marriage and family therapy; the candidate does not necessarily have to work at the same facility as the supervisee.
The intern will need at least one hour of supervision for every 15 hours of therapy – there should be at least one hour every two weeks. It is acceptable to alternate between individual and small group supervision, but there may not be more than six supervisees in the group.
Before beginning, the candidate will submit a provisional license application. The candidate will need a letter from her proposed supervisor stating that He/she will be providing supervision.
The provisional license application carries a nonrefundable $150 fee.
Experience gained in a doctoral level internship may be applied toward the supervised practice requirement.
During her period of supervised practice, the candidate should gain experience with a wide variety of family groups, including unmarried couples and those who are going through separation or divorce.
CMFC Examination
The candidate will take the USACCCA exam for Marriage and Family Counseling license and /or AMFTRB national board exam. There are several testing windows each year. A candidate will need to submit her application materials well in advance of the date he/she plans to test. A list of upcoming application and registration deadlines can be found on the site of the USACCCA.COM.