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Remember, your first job in the field after graduation with your master’s degree is in the nature of a residency—you are gaining practical experience, learning a great deal, and preparing to meet the requirements for licensure. Think about how this first job will help you meet your goals, but don’t expect it to be your final job.
over 20 years, we have found ourselves very impressed with the wide variety of jobs our graduates obtain. We started interviewing our own graduates and those of other programs, to find out
the range of jobs available to recent graduates, and to develop advice for new graduates and for experienced MFTs who want to increase their options (Rambo, Boyd, & Marquez, 2016).
While new graduates of MFT programs have many options, they do struggle
at times with confusing nomenclature and differences between states. New graduates typically seek to become licensed marriage and family therapists. All states in the United States require certain educational requirements, typically met by a COAMFTE-accredited program. In addition, all states require
the AMFTRB national licensing examination—except for California, which has its own state exam. Twenty-eight states issue a partial license (variously referred to as an associate, limited, or training license) upon completion of the educational requirements and successful completion of the AMFTRB exam. The partial license becomes a full license
upon completion of a term of supervised experience (either in a job or in private practice under supervision). Ohio actually has the LMFT designation as its partial license, and changes the designation
to Licensed Independent Marriage and Family Therapist after the two years
of supervision. But 21 states do not
have such a partial license, and their prospective LMFT candidates must refer to themselves as “interns” until they have completed the supervised experience, as well and receive the full license. Most states offer licensure by endorsement to those who have met comparable licensure requirements in other states, but some require additional supervision or a certain number of years of experience. Navigating this process can be confusing for new graduates. International students must also navigate the requirements of their home countries.
A Military Family Life Counselor (MFLC) also works in a school setting, but his
job is to work with the children of active military personnel, and to specifically provide solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT), under the terms of a federal contract. The MST therapist, the ESE family counselor, and the MFLC all spend most of their day with clients, but the Utilization Review case manager spends most of his day reviewing the treatment plans of other therapists. He discusses cases with these therapists,
and at times even meets with clients.
But his job is primarily to ensure clients receive quality services, and he works for
an insurance company that reimburses therapists in private practice. His day
is spent inside an office, but an equine- assisted psychotherapist spends most
of her day outdoors, working with both horses and clients. These descriptions highlight five very different jobs, but they have something in common: they are all held by individuals with a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. The clinical training and the knowledge of systems provided by a COAMFTE- accredited program in marriage and family therapy prove valuable in a wide variety of work settings. As faculty in
a COAMFTE-accredited program for
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