Becoming a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist in Minnesota

Created by careersinpsychology, Last Updated: September 26, 2023

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How to Become a Marriage Family Therapist in Minnesota

Marriage and family therapists are state licensed mental health professionals who provide evidence-based, solution-focused therapies for individuals, couples, and families. The work of marriage and family therapists is done within the context of the family. It addresses relationship dynamics and is designed with clear goals in mind that can usually be achieved in a relatively short period of time.

Minnesota’s licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) work in a variety of mental health settings, including major health systems like the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, governmental agencies like Central Minnesota Mental Health Center in Saint Cloud, and private mental health centers like the Minnesota Center for Psychology in Saint Paul.

If you want to learn how to become a marriage and family therapist in Minnesota, you’ll want to start with looking into education and state licensing requirements:

Educational Requirements for Marriage Family Therapists in Minnesota

To become an LMFT in Minnesota, you’ll need to earn a master’s or doctorate degree offered through a school that holds basic institutional accreditation. Though state law doesn’t require the program itself to hold specialty accreditation, it’s never a bad idea to consider programs that hold this sort of national recognition for quality curriculum. Two agencies specialize in accrediting these types of programs: Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

MFT Educational Track	Education Requirements	Education Length	Available Programs
Undergraduate Work	Earn a Bachelor's Degree in Counseling	4 Years	Online or Campus
Graduate Work	Earn a Master's Degree in Counseling	5-6 Years	Online or Campus
PHD or Doctoral Work	Earn a Doctorate in Counseling	7-8 Years	Online or Campus

An accredited graduate program will include courses in the following areas:

Human development
Marital and family studies
Marital and family therapy
Research methods
Professional studies

Your degree will also include a practicum of at least 300 hours, 150 of which must be working directly with individuals.

An increasing number of accredited MFT graduate programs are now offered in a hybrid/blended or online format, thereby providing busy, working professionals with a convenient and flexible route to becoming an LMFT.

If you currently hold a master’s degree or higher in a related field like psychology, social work, psychiatric nursing, or ministry, you may also meet the educational requirements for licensure through a non-standard process by completing a post-graduate training program in marriage and family therapy.

Learn more about Minnesota MFT degrees.

Additional Requirements for Marriage Family Therapists in Minnesota

Once you graduate from an accredited program in marriage and family therapy, you’ll need to complete 4,000 hours of post graduate supervised experience, 1,000 hours of which must include face-to-face clinical contact that includes the assessment diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness and cognitive, emotional, and behavioral disorders and at least 500 hours must include work with couples, families, or other relational groups.

Once you’ve completed this required course of experience, you’ll apply for licensure with the Minnesota Board of Marriage and Family Therapy and pay an application fee of $143.25. You must apply for initial licensure within six months of completing your post-graduate supervised experience.

Once the Board approves your application, you’ll be able to schedule and take the national exam developed by the Association of Marital & Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB).

Upon passing the AMFTRB exam, you’ll earn a Minnesota state license to practice as a family and marriage therapist.

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Career Outlook In Minnesota

Between 2020 and 2030, the number of jobs among marriage and family therapists in Minnesota is projected to increase by 15% - that’s slightly higher than the national projected growth rate of 14% among marriage and family therapists during this time (2019-2029). During this ten-year period leading to 2030, the state expects to see about 170 annual job openings in the profession due to a combination of new job growth, retirements, and natural job turnover.

As of May 2022, Minnesota marriage and family therapists earned a median salary of $65,960, which is much higher than the national median of $56,570 for this profession. The highest earners in Minnesota (75^th – 90^thpercentile) earned about $83,500 - $98,160 during this time.

Research Additional Psychology Professional Licenses Granted by Minnesota

As you explore the career of a marriage and family therapist, you may also be interested in learning more about similar professions and their earning potential in Minnesota:

Learn more about how to become a psychologist in Minnesota: Requires a PhD or PsyD; Minnesota’s clinical and counseling psychologists earned a median salary of $100,510 as of May 2022, while the top earners here (75^th – 90^th percentile) earned about $119,600 - $174,510 during this time.
Learn more about how to become a licensed counselor in Minnesota: Requires a master’s degree with a focus in the specialty; substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in Minnesota earned a median salary of $49,530 as of May 2022, while the most experienced in the field earn salaries that closely reflect the 75^th – 90^th percentile, which was about $58,990 - $66,440 during this time.
Learn more about how to become a social worker in Minnesota: Requires a master’s in social work; child, family, and school social workers earned a median salary of $63,590 in Minnesota, while mental health and substance abuse social workers earned a median salary of $64,700 as of May 2022. The top earners in this profession (90^th percentile) earned $89,630 and $90,060, respectively, during this time.