Becoming a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist in Oklahoma

The field of marriage family therapy is a specialty field within mental health counseling. As a specialty field there are different requirements for becoming licensed. The education courses are tailored specifically to dealing with family and marital relationships. Marriage family therapists will treat individuals, families, and couples.

The main purpose of a marriage family therapist is to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders that may be causing problems within a group dynamic. Certain requirements need to be met in order to practice marriage family therapy in the state of Oklahoma. These requirements are outlined below.

Educational Requirements for Marriage Family Therapists in Oklahoma

In the state of Oklahoma to meet the academic requirements for licensure in marriage family therapy a person must attend a college that has been accredited by one of these six regional accrediting associations:

• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
• Western Association of Colleges and Schools
• North-western Association of Colleges and Schools
• North Central Association of Schools and Colleges
• Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
• New England Association of Colleges and Schools

A person must obtain at least a master’s degree in marriage family therapy or in a behavioural science, mental health, or counselling field. In order to be considered as a content equivalent degree a person must document the minimum number of graduate degree hours in the following knowledge areas:

• Theoretical Foundations in marriage and family systems: three courses of three credit hours each in any courses that deal with areas such as the family life cycle, marriage and the family, families under stress, sociology of the family, contemporary family, etc.
• Assessment and Treatment in marriage family therapy: three courses that consist of three credit hours that deals with areas such as family assessment, methodology, treatment methods, intervention methods, etc.
• Human Development: three courses that consist of three credit hours in areas related to human development, human sexuality, personality theory, and at least one course in abnormal human behaviour or psychopathology.
• Professional Studies: one course in a subject area such as professional socialization, legal responsibilities, ethics, or family law.
• Research: one course in any area of research dealing with marriage and family therapy

Students must also complete a practicum that consists of at least 300 clock hours.

Read more about Oklahoma MFT degrees.

Experience Requirements for Family Therapy License in Oklahoma

Applicants must complete at least two years of work experience in order to be considered for licensure. This must include at least 1000 hours of direct client contact. There must be at least 250 hours with at least two members of a relational system present during the session.

There should be supervision sessions scheduled each week with no less than 6.25 hours of direct supervision for every 42 hours of client contact. This may be arranged differently if the supervisor requests it in advance and it is approved by the department.

There must be at least 150 hours of face to face supervision and group supervision can be no more than 75 hours of the requirement.

Examination Information

An examination is required to be taken before becoming licensed in the state. This examination is given four times each year. The registration will open in October and close in January for the exam that takes place during the last week of January and the first week of February. For the exam that is open from May through June the registration opens in December of the previous year and closes in May. The August/September examination dates have registration from March through the first week of August. The final examination of the year takes place in October/November and registration is from July through the first part of October.

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Career Outlook In Oklahoma

The good news for those that are seeking to become licensed in marriage family therapy is that the job growth is expected to be around 14% from 2021 through 2031. There were 1,170 licensed marriage family therapists in the state of Oklahoma in May of 2022.

The average salary for licensed marriage family therapists in Oklahoma was $52,570 in May of 2022. The national average salary was $63,300.

Research Additional Psychology Professional Licenses Granted by Oklahoma:

• Oklahoma Psychologist Licensing
• Oklahoma Counselor Licensing
• Oklahoma 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 August 2023.

Schools with MFT Degree Programs Accepting Students from Oklahoma