For detailed
information related to becoming a Licensed Marriage and Family
Therapist in Arizona, check
out the links below:
Arizona Board
of Behavioral Health Examiners (AzBBHE)
AzBBHE Marriage and Family Therapist Licensure
Information
AzBBHE Frequently Asked Questions
FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS ABOUT BECOMING AN MFT IN ARIZONA:
Q:
How do I go about becoming an MFT?
The
Training Programs page of
this web site is very helpful in providing information about MFT
programs in Arizona and across the country.
Q:
What special classes should I have to become an MFT?
The Arizona Board of
Behavioral Health Examiners (AZBBHE) is the governing body that
regulates licensure of marriage and family therapists and other
behavioral health professionals. AZBBHE determines the
educational requirements for MFT's in the state. The
Board-specified curriculum, examination, work experience and
supervision requirements are found at:
http://www.bbhe.state.az.us/prelim require/reqmft.pdf.
Q: What's the
difference between a Licensed Associate Marriage and Family
Therapist (LAMFT) and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)?
An LAMFT
shall not practice independently and shall only practice under
direct supervision.
Q: How do I
register to take the MFT licensure exam after I have my Master’s
Degree?
You
first have to fill out the Associate’s application for the board
and be approved to take the board exam. The application can be
found at:
http://www.bbhe.state.az.us/mft.htm.
Once your are approved by AzBBHE
for certification testing, you must contact
Professional Examination Service (PES) at
(212) 367-4248 to schedule your examination.
Q: Where can I
find the study materials for the MFT Licensure exam?
The best materials for this can
be found at the Family Solutions Institute. Visit their
web site at
http://www.fso.com or call them at (888) 583-3388.
Q: What can I do
with an MFT license?
- Practice all forms of
psychotherapy
- Become a clinical
member of both the Arizona Association for Marriage and Family
Therapy (AzAMFT) and the American Association for Marriage and
Family Therapy (AAMFT)
- Provide qualified
mental health care
- Work in a range of
educational, health and social service institutions or have a
private practice
Q:
How long does it take to get licensed?
Approximately 2 to 3
years depending on how fast you accrue your supervision hours
and client contact hours.
Q:
How do I obtain supervision?
You are responsible for locating your own supervisor. For
licensure in Arizona your supervision must be provided by an
Arizona licensed MFT. The AAMFT web site provides a
referral list for AAMFT Approved Supervisors and can help you
locate a supervisor in your geographic area. Supervision
in Arizona does not have to be provided by an AAMFT approved
supervisor Any licensed MFT in Arizona can provide
supervision. The AAMFT list of supervisors is not
inclusive of all licensed MFT's in Arizona.
Q: What types
of jobs do MFT’s do?
-
community mental health
centers
-
family counseling centers
-
clinics
-
hospitals (working in
inpatient or outpatient family therapy)
-
residential schools
(working with children and families)
-
as family business
consultants and therapists
-
hospice programs
-
administration in mental
health programs
-
human resources or
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) for businesses
-
private practice
Q:
Where can I get a job and be supervised by an MFT?
This may be a repeat
of the above question about where MFT's can work, but in Arizona
it is very difficult to find an agency job where you can be
supervised by a licensed MFT. The best advice is to call
various agencies and organizations that employ counselors to
inquire about the availability of supervision by a licensed MFT.
Additionally, members of AzAMFT can post a resume on the Job
Connection page of the AAMFT
web site. Click
here for more information.
Q:
How long will it take me to get into private practice?
This is very dependent
upon how long it takes you to become licensed and then it
usually takes another 1 to 2 years to build up a private
practice depending upon how you market yourself. It is
also dependent upon whether or not you specialize in a
particular treatment and/or population
Q: How much
money do MFT’s make?
According to a 1997 survey in
Psychotherapy Finances
published in May 1997, MFTs were the
only branch of the
mental health field to show an increase in salary. MFTs showed
an increase of 7.2 percent, bringing their median professional
income to $57,119.
Psychotherapy Finances attributes this exclusive
increase to an improvement in "opportunities to receive payment
from managed care and other insurance companies." According to
Family Therapy News,
"MFTs’ share of managed care income went up, while it went
down for professional counselors and stayed the same for all
other groups." The Psychotherapy Finances survey also reported
that the mean hourly payment for MFTs in private practice was
$58. However, beginning therapists generally earn significantly
less than this. Recent graduates report salaries ranging from
the mid-$20,000's to the mid-$30,000's.
