Marriage and Family Therapist License Requirements in Oklahoma

Oklahoma marriage and family therapists are licensed by the Professional Counselor Division of the Oklahoma State Department of Health. There is one level of licensure, Licensed Marital and Family Therapist.

In order to be licensed as an LMFT, an individual must complete a graduate degree, work under supervision for two years, and pass two examinations.

Individuals typically come under Board jurisdiction soon after graduation. They must turn in a number of documents before their supervised practice can be approved.

Select an Oklahoma MFT License topic…

• Education Requirements
• Supervision Requirements
• MFT Exam
• MFT Applications & Related Materials (Link to Forms)
• Licensure by Endorsement
• Contact Information: Board, Professional Organizations and MFT Programs

MFT Education Requirement in Oklahoma

A candidate will need a master’s in a qualifying field, plus any additional coursework necessary to meet the Board’s content requirements. A qualifying degree is one that is in marriage and family therapy, counseling, or another mental health or behavioral science discipline. All graduate coursework that is used to meet requirements must be completed through a regionally accredited institution.

A candidate whose degree is in a field other than marriage and family therapy will need to ensure that they have three courses in each of the following:

• Marital and family systems theoretical foundations
• Marital and family systems assessment and treatment
• Human development

The candidate will need at least one course in each of the following:

• Professional studies and ethics
• Research

The Board considers four quarter hours or three semester hours to be the equivalent of one course.

There is to be at least 300 hours of practicum/ supervised experience in the educational program.

Supervised Experience

The candidate must work under supervision for two years. The candidate will need to accrue at least 1,000 hours of direct client contact. At least 250 of the hours must be relational – that means that at least two members of a family or relationship system must be present in the therapy session.

The candidate may do only 42 hours of direct therapy/ client contact during a four-week period. The candidate will need weekly supervision sessions, totaling at least 25 hours over a four-week period. If it is necessary to schedule sessions in a different manner, approval must be sought.

The candidate may have one or more supervisors. The candidate will need a board approved clinical supervisor. This will be either an individual who has gone through a national approval process through the AAMFT and is familiar with Oklahoma laws or an LMFT who meets Oklahoma’s experience and training requirements.

The approved supervisor does not have to be employed at the same workplace as the supervisee. If the supervisor is not on-site, however, and it is a private setting, there will need to be an additional on-site supervisor. This individual will need to be available any time the candidate is providing therapy.

The approved supervisor will routinely make observations, watch taped sessions and/ or review case notes; the supervisor will use this data as the basis for supervisory sessions. Over the course of the two years, the candidate will have at least 150 hours of direct supervision from the approved supervisor. At least 75 must be individual; the Oklahoma Department counts supervision as individual, however, if there is one other supervisee present.

Up to 75 of the required supervision hours may be conducted through electronic means. The approved supervisor will need to meet face to face with the supervisee at least once during every six month reporting period. The supervisor will need to make at least two observations (either live or taped). The board approved supervisor and on-site supervisor will need to consult with each other at least once during each reporting period.

The supervisor and supervisee will together maintain a log of clinical contact hours and supervision hours.

Supervision Documentation

At the onset, the Board will evaluate supervisor’s work setting and determine if the duties and population served will be appropriate for an individual seeking licensure as a marriage and family therapist. The supervision must also be approved.

The supervisor will evaluate the supervisee on a six month basis. The supervisor will consider a number of skills, including the treatment the candidate provides to different populations, the referrals the candidate makes, the candidate’s use of research and professional literature, and whether the candidate maintains appropriate boundaries.

At the end of the supervisory period, the supervisee will also evaluate the supervisor, taking into account factors like maintaining confidentiality and providing assistance with treatment planning.

The Application Process

The candidate will typically turn in the application more than two years in advance of licensure. The Board will evaluate the candidate’s education and general fitness before the candidate begins supervised practice. The candidate will also need to turn in the application so that they can be approved to sit for the national board examination.

Forms are available on the ODOH site (http://www.ok.gov/health/Professional_Counselor_Licensing_Forms/index.html). The candidate may print them individually or download a packet that includes everything the candidate will need.

A background check is required; this will be processed through the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. The candidate will need to request fingerprint cards from the Board. The candidate may call (405) 271-6030 or email the representative. The candidate should have the prints done in advance and include them in the same envelope as the application.

Other supplemental materials should also arrive in the same package. Graduate transcripts should be in sealed, stamped envelopes. The applicant will need three recommendations on forms found in the application packet, plus a verification of practicum, which is to be signed by a professional at the school.

The candidate will sign an affidavit that he or she is lawfully present in the United States. The candidate will include a $200 application fee.

The background check may take four to six weeks to process. Therefore, the candidate should not expect to hear back on the application immediately.

MFT Licensure Examination

Two examinations are required: a written one and an oral one. The written test is the Examination in Marital and Family Therapy, which is administered via computer at testing sites around the country (http://www.amftrb.org/examdate.cfm). The oral exam is state constructed.

The candidate must wait for approval before attempting to register for the national exam; The candidate should receive registration materials within 60 days of turning in the application. The candidate will need to pass the test within three years. It is administered in four four-week sessions a year. Registration deadlines are approximately a week before the start of the testing window; the candidate will need to pay a fee (currently $220) upon registration. Later the candidate will schedule at the Prometric site that is most convenient; an additional $75 charge will be assessed.

The candidate will need to pass the state oral exam within one year of becoming eligible.

Out-of-State Marriage and Family Therapists

An out-of-state candidate should seek license verification from their state’s board. The out-of-state LMFT application package should include a copy of the current license plus documentation of having passed the required exam. The LMFT will need to supply most of the documents that an in-state candidate supplies, including transcripts, recommendations, and fingerprint cards.

Contact Information

Candidates can find contact information for several different staff members on the Department site (http://www.ok.gov/health/Professional_Counselor_Licensing_Division/Contact_Us/index.html). They may select the most appropriate one based on the nature of inquiry (academic requirements, licensing, or other business).

Oklahoma Association for Marriage and Family Therapy: http://www.okamft.org/

Marriage and Family Therapist Programs in Oklahoma