There are two different universities that provide higher education within the MFT field, and these programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE).
Holding accreditation from an organization like COAMFTE means that graduates will be well-prepared for research-driven therapy sessions and working with a diversified group of patients.
All curriculum is reviewed thoroughly by COAMFTE and universities must maintain these high standards to get renewed.
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Consider an online counseling program: The University of West Alabama Online Master of Science in Family Counseling has a flexible online learning environment. Learn more.
Tennessee LMFT Degrees (Marriage & Family Therapy Programs)
Marriage and Family Therapist Degrees in Tennessee
Lee University in Cleveland is slightly bigger than Lipscomb University in Nashville, and both are medium-sized private institutions.
Lee University Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy
The Christ-centered university offers a Master's degree in marriage and family therapy that implements faith and science-based therapy solutions and prepares students for the profession.
At least five semesters are required to complete the program, which requires 60 credit hours. Clinical experiences on campus will prepare students to deal with real-world scenarios on hundreds of hours of training and experience.
MFT Courses
Example courses in the curriculum include Traditional and Systemic Therapies, Human Growth and Development, and Family Stress and Resilience. Admission requirements for the program include an undergraduate degree, GRE scores if the GPA is not high enough, and potential students may be interviewed.
Prior to taking any courses, students will need to get a background check through the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to determine if they are eligible to participate in practicum coursework.
Lipscomb University Master of Marriage and Family Therapy
The Master of Marriage and Family Therapy is a 60-credit hour program that explores various problems and conflicts within relationships and family, such as grieving, addiction, and transition.
Specializations
The goal is to provide solutions for these patients through a mixture of science-based therapy and family systems theory.
There is a specialization in Play Therapy, where children will use toys to communicate their feelings and knowledge in a therapeutic fashion. Students will utilize Spark Cool Springs, the university's idea center that aids in training and has served thousands of clients.
LMFT Licensure in Tennessee
There are various requirements needed to gain marriage and family therapy licensure in the state of Tennessee. Candidates must have a graduate-level degree from an accredited program, and those designated by COAMFTE would satisfy this criteria.
MFT Licensure Requirements
They would also satisfy the various coursework needed in human development, family studies, research, and professional ethics, along with the 300 hours needed in clinical practicum experience. There must be at least 1,000 hours of post-graduate supervised experience, and the supervisor must have at least five years of clinical experience in the field, two years of experience in supervision, and their training must come from the American Association for Marriage and Family Training (AAMFT).
Applicants must also complete a national examinations in a proctored location. The national exam takes place once every four years and graduates must take it nine months after receiving a temporary license for post-graduate supervision experience. Even if the applicant fails the exam, they will have up to two years to pass after receiving the temporary license. A criminal background check is required and fingerprints will be made during the application process. Applying out-of-state will require the use of hard copies of finger prints with an additional fee.
Tennessee Board of Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists and Licensed Pastoral Therapists
665 Mainstream Dr. Second Floor Nashville, TN 37243 Website LMFT Licensure:
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
LMFT Careers and Salaries in Tennessee
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Tennessee has over 500 workers in the field of marriage and family therapy. That is on the higher spectrum compared to the rest of the nation, and is similar to its neighboring states, North Carolina and Virginia.
Median salary is significantly lower than the national average, hovering around $36,500 annually. This number is similar with states like Kentucky, Alabama, and Mississippi.
Youth Villages is a regional health care center with many locations in the Southeast and along the West Coast. They provide treatment and therapy from the comfort of the patients' own home, and also offer crisis services and foster care.
Here are some of the most popular online counseling programs. On each page you will find a detailed write-up of the program, specific courses, and schools that offer that program that are currently accepting applicants.
CACREP is the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs. Nearly every state requires counselors to have a graduate degree from a CACREP-accredited institution. There are currently 785 counseling programs in the US accredited by CACREP.
