MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY 

A Marriage and Family Therapist, (MFT), is the formal title for a California state licensed Psychotherapist who holds a Masters Degree in the Clinical Psychology/ (Behavioral Sciences), issued by an accredited college or university.  A Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) is a behavioral health professional who specializes in human psychodynamics.  

An MFT is, thus, qualified to treat a variety of conditions and specific diagnoses within a “Scope of Practice.”  It is implied that the presenting symptoms or disturbance (ie: depression, anxiety, substance abuse, feeling inadequate, etc) has some connection to, or likely stems from a relationship of various degree.  This may be in the present and or historical in nature and perhaps related to either a significant-other, friends, casual dates, employer/co-worker, parents, siblings, other family, other people in one’s life, etc.  Of course there are many other factors involved in determining a specific diagnosis, including chemical/biological basis as well as the extent that the symptoms/conditions manifest in one’s life.

During the MFT/Masters Degree Program, very specific academic requirements must be met. Candidates must also demonstrate competency throughout the course of a comprehensive internship program including a minimum of 3000 internship hours wherein applicable practical experience is typically gained in multiple clinical and case-management settings.

Upon completion of the masters program, candidates must pass two separate extensive state examinations, (which as of 2000), consisted of both complex written and oral components. Only after such extensive training and demonstrated proof of competency have been fulfilled, may one be licensed in the state of California as a Marriage and Family Therapist.  Although the words "marriage" and "family" are used in this title, an MFT is trained and qualified to treat many different types of people, whether or not they are married or living within a traditional family structure.

Section 4980.02 of the California Business and Profession's Code defines Marriage and Family Therapy as:

"A practice that provides a service for individuals, couples or groups wherein interpersonal relationships are examined for the purpose of achieving more adequate, satisfying and productive marriage and family adjustments."

The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) states that:

"Marriage and Family Therapists are core mental health practitioners educated and trained to help relationship difficulties, diagnose and treat the mental disorders and emotional problems of individuals, couples, families and groups. MFT's treat clients in the context of their diverse lifestyles, cultural backgrounds and religious/political affiliations."