Becoming a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist in Kentucky

Some of the required courses within accredited programs include:

• 3 courses in Marriage Family Studies
• 3 courses in Marriage Family Therapy
• 3 courses in Human Development
• 1 course of Psychopathology
• 1 course of Professional Studies
• 1 course in Research

A practicum or internship that includes at least 300 hours of supervised direct client contact with families, couples, and individuals must be completed. If a clinical practicum is not completed, you may use your first 300 hours of post-degree supervised contact hours to meet this requirement. However, these 300 hours will not be included in the required two years of post-graduate experience.

Many accredited MFT graduate programs are offered in a hybrid/blended or online format, which gives busy, working professionals who want to become an LMFT the convenience and flexibility they need.

If you already hold a master’s or doctoral degree in a related field like psychology, social work, psychiatric nursing, or ministry, you may earn licensure by completing a a post-graduate training program in marriage and family therapy.

Read more about Kentucky MFT degrees.

Additional Requirements for Marriage Family Therapy License in Kentucky

After earning your graduate degree in marriage and family therapy, you must complete at least 1,000 direct client contact hours as a Kentucky associate marriage and family therapist.

Before you begin this supervised experience, you must apply to become a marriage and family therapist associate with the Kentucky Board of Licensure of Marriage and Family Therapists. You must also complete a Supervision Plan for Clinical Experience application with the Board that outlines the duration, nature, and frequency of the supervision during the practice. The supervisor must be approved by the Board and sign the application assuming responsible for the applicant during the supervised experience process.

Once you’ve completed the required supervised experience, you must apply to become a Kentucky licensed marriage and family therapist and pay the $50 application fee and $175 license fee. Once the Board approves your license, you’ll be eligible to take the national exam developed by the Association of Marital & Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) and become a Kentucky LMFT.

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Career Outlook In Kentucky

As of May 2022, marriage and family therapists in Kentucky earned a median salary of $49,020. The top earners in this profession (75^th – 90^th percentile) earned about $57,650 - $74,200 during this time.

Between 2021 and 2031, the number of jobs among the nation’s marriage and family therapists is projected to grow by a truly impressive 14% - that’s almost three times the projected national employment growth rate of 5% during this time. During this ten-year period leading to 2031, the country will see about 6,400 annual job openings among marriage and family therapists due to a combination of new job growth, retirements, and natural job turnover.

Research Additional Psychology Professional Licenses Granted by Kentucky

As you further explore what it takes to become an LMFT and the details of the this profession, you may also be interested in learning more about similar professions in Kentucky and their educational requirements and earning potential:

• Learn more about how to become a psychologist in Kentucky: Requires a PhD or PsyD; clinical and counseling psychologists in Kentucky earned a median salary of $93,000 as of May 2022, while the top earning pros in the field (75^th – 90^th percentile) earned about $108,470 - $171,990.
• Learn more about how to become a licensed counselor in Kentucky: Requires a master’s degree with a focus in the specialty; substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in Kentucky earned a median salary of $45,340 as of May 2022, while those who have earned considerable experience in the field earned closer to the 75^th – 90^th percentile, which was $59,580 - $78,340 during this time.
• Learn more about how to become a social worker in Kentucky: Requires a master’s in social work; Kentucky’s mental health and substance abuse social workers earned a median salary of $39,560 as of May 2022, while those at the top of the pay scale (75^th – 90^th percentile) earned about $51,690 - $64,900 during this time. Child, family, and school social workers earned a median salary of $43,510 as of May 2022, and the top earners (75^th – 90^th percentile) earned about $50,880 - $62,070.

2022 US Bureau of Labor Statistics job market trends and salary figures for marriage and family therapists, clinical and counseling psychologists, substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, child, family, and school social workers, and mental health and substance abuse social workers are based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2023.

Schools with MFT Degree Programs Accepting Students from Kentucky