Education, Supervised Experience and
Examination How MFTs Stack Up

by: Richard S. Leslie, Of Counsel and
Kathleen McKee, J.D., Deputy Executive Director
(No longer with CAMFT)

It is common for licensed marriage and family therapists to be challenged about their credentials and qualifications for independent practice as mental health professionals and psychotherapists. In a highly competitive and changing health care environment, professional groups are often jockeying for position and are apt to cast aspersions on other licensed practitioners. Insurers, managed care companies, third party administrators, employers, and others, some of whom may be unfamiliar with the marriage and family therapy profession in California (even though MFTs have been licensed in California for approximately thirty years), may also question the profession. Some questioning is justified due to inconsistent credentials from state to state - there are still approximately 20 states without licensure and many states with relatively new licensing laws. Court proceedings also bring challenges, since MFTs who testify as expert or percipient witnesses are cross-examined by attorneys representing "the other side."

This article will explore and compare the licensing laws and regulations of the marriage, family and child counseling profession, the psychology profession and the clinical social work profession. Psychiatrists have intentionally not been included in this comparison because the educational and experiential requirements are not easily comparable. Psychiatrists are first educated, trained, tested and licensed as physicians, and such comparisons are beyond the scope and intent of this article. This article is not intended to attack or demean any profession, nor is it intended to escalate MFTs beyond their appropriate place amongst the healing arts professions. It is intended, however, to describe the key requirements for licensure in each of the three mental health professions.

It is important to remember that licensing laws are passed to assure that the public health, safety and welfare is protected by setting minimum standards, and that licensing alone does not determine which therapists are effective and helpful, and which are marginal or dangerous. Consumers, purchasers, insurers, employers and others should look at a variety of factors when selecting mental health professionals, and should not rely solely upon the license held. New efforts in the emerging health care delivery system to measure quality, effectiveness and value may prove helpful in this regard.

Marriage and family therapists are licensed by the Board of Behavioral Science, as are clinical social workers. Psychologists are licensed by the Board of Psychology. Both licensing boards are within the Department of Consumer Affairs and all three licensing laws are found within Division 2 (Healing Arts Division) of the Business and Professions Code. The MFT and LCSW licensing laws require a master's degree, while the psychology licensing law requires a doctorate. All three licensing laws require approximately the same amount of supervised experience, and all three currently require passage of written and oral examinations prior to licensure.