Licensed Marriage And Family Associate: Fill & Download for Free

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (fully licensed, able to operate independently)Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist-Associate (first 3000 hours of licensed practice- unable to practice independently without supervision)Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist-Supervisor (fully licensed at least 3 years and has board approval to supervise LMFT-Associates as they complete their 3000 hours)

You don’t have to be unhealthy to go see a psychologist.One answer said a therapist can lose her license for providing therapy to a healthy person, because they would be doing it just for the money.Nonsense. Anyone can consult a psychologist for any reason, any time. You absolutely do not have to be “unhealthy.” Health insurance isn’t going to pay for it, obviously, but lots of very healthy people see psychologists and pay for it.Random real examples:Professional basketball player wants to improve already excellent focus/observation skills though self-hypnosis techniques.Catholic seminary student wants to work through the idea of life-long celibacy (daunting) vs. marriage and family (incompatible), before final decision on becoming a priest.Newspaper columnist needs a creativity boost because it’s getting harder and harder to come up with new ideas, and seeks techniques she can useNew restaurant owner is a great chef, but quite introverted, and seeks coaching about how to motivate his staff for commitment and teamwork,Healthy mom wants to explore new approaches to parenting a 13-year-old daughter after the divorce.Dad starting college at age 50, wants to plan and strategize for success, help with approaches to organizing studies, and everything that would have been easier at 18.Therapists who are convinced that there has to be something wrong with their clients before it’s OK to work with them? Crazy, and it fosters the stigma still associated with seeing a mental health professional.

We have to separate out marriage and family therapists with credentials in other fields (such as Counselling Psychology, or Social Work) from those with specific training in Marriage and Family Therapy. Your question has asked specifically about Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT) so I will proceed on that basis.The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT) sets out the basic requirements to become an LMFT. They include:Completing education in Marriage and Family Therapy. This is usually a 2-year Master’s degree program, though Doctoral programs also exist that meet the licensing requirements. A degree in another field will not qualify an individual to register as an LMFT if it does not include the necessary foundation in family therapy.Gaining supervised hours of experience. Once you’ve completed your degree, you will require two years of supervised practice (or 3000 hours), under an LMFT. This is to ensure that you’ve cemented all of your learning.Completion of the LMFT Licensing Exam. Each state has their own licensing exam, but the AAMFT also provides a “model exam” that can be completed. Because the states have harmonized their licensing, completion of the national or state exams allows your license to be recognized in other states with minimal paperwork, in contrast to some other professions (Psychiatry is the easiest licensed mental health profession to move with, Licensed Mental Health Counsellor [LMHC] is the hardest.)Once you’ve completed these requirements, you will be registered as an LMFT and agree to abide the AAMFT Code of Ethics.