Marriage & Family Therapy Licensure in Oregon

How to Become a Marriage and Family Therapist in Oregon

A licensed marriage and family therapist is uniquely qualified to conceptualize and provide treatment for clients from a systemic perspective — recognizing the interconnected relational and environmental factors that contribute to the client’s development, presenting problems and resiliency resources.

The basic requirements for licensing as a Marriage and Family Therapist in Oregon* are:

• Graduate from an accredited marriage and family therapy program
• Complete postgraduate supervised clinical experience
• Pass an approved competency exam and Oregon Law and Rules Exam

*Licensure requirements and processes vary state to state.

Graduates with a master's degree in marriage, couple, and family counseling (MCFC) are eligible for dual licensure as Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT) in the State of Oregon.

Graduates apply to become professional counselor associates and/or marriage and family therapist associates with the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists (OBLPCT). The OBLPCT is the authority for licensing requirements.

Review the OBLPCT website for detailed information about the required academic education, post-graduation supervised clinical experience and national competency exam. Requirements for accrual of supervised hours, criminal records background check/fingerprinting and national exam toward the professional counselor license (LPC) and marriage & family therapy license (LMFT) can be found on oregon.gov.

Licensure Process
for Marriage, Couple & Family Counseling Graduates

1. After earning your MCFC degree, apply to become a Registered Associate with the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists (OBLPCT). You must provide the board with transcripts verifying your graduation. This process includes an application and completion of a fingerprint background check.

2. Identify a qualified MCFC supervisor and have your supervisor approved by OBLPCT. Qualified supervisors include approved supervisors on the Oregon Supervisor Registry or other licensed professions who meet specific requirements, including training in a systemic approach.

   Frequently, for graduates who begin work in an agency or clinic after graduation, a work supervisor or colleague serves as their supervisor for post-graduation clinical experience.

3. Complete a total of 1,900 hours of postgraduate supervised clinical experience ("direct client contact hours") with individual clients, couples and families over a period of at least three years. At least 750 of those 1,900 hours must be working with couples and families.

   Note: Up to 400 of those 1,900 hours may be counted from pre-graduation internship hours. These hours completed during the clinical portion of the degree program start the clock on the three-year period, and graduates typically complete this requirement within two to three years after graduation.

4. Take and pass the Marital and Family Therapy Examination administered by the Association of Marital & Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB).
5. After passing a board-approved competency exam, take and pass the Oregon Law and Rules Exam.
6. Apply for your LMFT license!