Becoming a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist in Ohio

Marriage family therapy focuses on the marriage and family systems. There are major theories of the family system that are used to help treat individuals, couples and families regarding their relationships with others. The marriage family therapy field is a specialized field in the realm of mental health counselling. The focus of a marriage family therapist requires an education that matches the counselling that will be provided.

The specialty of marriage family therapy education means that there are different licensing requirements for becoming a marriage family therapist in most states. In the state of Ohio there are educational and experience requirements that must be met in order to become a licensed marriage family therapist.

Educational Requirements for Marriage Family Therapists in Ohio

A master’s degree or doctoral degree in marriage family therapy is required to become licensed in the state of Ohio. Those that complete a program that has been approved by COAMFTE will fulfill the required coursework during their program.

For individuals that complete a master’s degree in another area they must provide evidence that they have completed the following courses during their program, at least one graduate course in each of these areas is required:

• Marriage family studies
• Systems theory
• Research
• Professional ethics
• Human development
• Appraisal of individuals and families

A practicum must be completed that consists of one year of supervised clinical direct client contact hours. There is a 300 hour minimum required and at least half of the hours must be with families and couples.

Read more about Ohio MFT degrees.

Experience Requirements for Family Therapy Licensure in Ohio

In Ohio, the experience requirements for are post-licensure and must include at least 1000 hours of direct client contact that is documented in marriage family therapy. During these 1000 hours of direct client contact there must be at least 200 hours of supervision that takes place face to face. At least 100 hours must consist of individual supervision. The supervisor providing the supervision of the applicant must meet the experience and training requirements that have been set by the board.

Approved supervisors include an AAMFT or IMFT approved psychiatrist, LISW-S, PCC-S, or psychologist. You can search for an approved supervisor at www.aamft.org.

Examination Requirements for Licensure in the State of Ohio

In the state of Ohio the AMFTRB examination is used for licensure requirements. Information about this examination may be found at www.amftrb.org. This site also offers links to study guides for the examination.

If you have a degree in marriage family therapy you will need to submit the MFT request for examination form. Along with the application you will need to submit a transcript showing that you have completed the education requirements for examination. If you have completed a non COAMFTE program you will also need to submit the education requirements form along with course descriptions.

For those that have a related degree you will need to submit an MFT request for examination form along with a transcript showing the degree that has been obtained. You will need to fill out the education requirements form along with the course descriptions as well.

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Salary and Career Outlook In Ohio

With just 210 licensed marriage and family therapists working throughout Ohio as of 2022, it's a place where the field has room to grow. The largest concentration can be found in Columbus, where 60 are licensed to serve families and couples who need to work through challenges in their relationships.

While the average salary statewide was $54,810 that year, the top ten percent in the field earned more than $65,750. In Cincinnati, average salaries for marriage and family therapists come in at $60,420, considerably higher than the statewide average for the profession. At the top of the salary scale, the top ten percent of MFTs in Cincinnati earn more than $101,520.

Research Additional Psychology Professional Licenses Granted by Ohio:

• Ohio Psychologist Licensing
• Ohio Counselor Licensing
• Ohio Social Work Licensing
• Learn More About The Career of an LMFT

2022 US Bureau of Labor Statistics job market trends and salary figures for marriage and family therapists are based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed July 2023.

Schools with MFT Degree Programs Accepting Students from Ohio