Marriage and Family Counseling Track

Explore Marriage and Family Counseling at the University of Florida

Discover a rewarding career path with our dual master’s and specialist program in marriage and family counseling/therapy. The 72-credit hour entry-level program prepares marriage and family therapists for successful careers in public and private social service agencies, hospitals, churches, businesses and independent practice settings. This program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and meets the Florida licensure requirements.

We equip our students with the pre-professional competencies required for Registered Intern status. Following two years of post-degree supervised clinical experience, graduates are eligible to apply for licensure in the State of Florida as Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT) and/or Mental Health Counselors (LMHC).

The GRE is not required to apply for this program.

Our Approach to Marriage and Family Counseling

Our marriage and family counseling specialty area teaches students how to address and solve real-life problems in relationships and families. By adopting what we call an eco-systemic approach, students learn to see issues from all angles and consider how various factors in someone’s environment might affect their situation. We are dedicated to guiding students through comprehensive training and practical experiences. Students learn to understand and solve human issues by examining the relationships and environments affecting individuals and families.

We focus on supporting our students as they:

• • Develop practical skills and learn to provide effective counseling and therapeutic services as “empirical practitioners.” Our graduates can deliver effective clinical and psycho-educational services and use real-world research methods to assess and improve their clinical practices.
  • Broaden their professional expertise and knowledge in all marriage and family counseling therapy areas to enhance their capabilities as counseling professionals.
  • Integrate varied theoretical approaches, from individual clinical-developmental perspectives to broader, social-ecological theoretical perspectives, to craft effective mental health interventions.
  • Explore multiple interventions and gain hands-on experience with many therapeutic practices and settings, preparing them for career versatility.

Program Details

Our foundational program requires a minimum of 72 credit hours, leading to dual degrees: Master of Education (M.Ed.) and Education Specialist (Ed.S.). Students who choose to complete a master’s thesis are awarded a Master of Arts in Education (M.A.E.) instead. We equip our students with the skills required to apply for Registered Intern status.

The marriage and family counseling/therapy program specialization prepares graduates who:

• Establish a professional identity as a marriage and family therapist.
• Have specialized knowledge of and experience with people who present with a range of couple and family problems, including intimate relating, marital discord, divorce, child-rearing, family/school conflicts, family violence, suicide, and medical/psychiatric distress.
• Have specialized knowledge and skills for mental health service delivery within specific settings or for targeted needs.
• Have general knowledge of clinical, developmental, systemic and social-ecological theories of human behavior, development and relating.
• Have general knowledge of and experience with systemic and social-ecological intervention modalities appropriate for a broad range of mental health service recipients and settings.
• Interact effectively with the full spectrum of mental health professionals.
• Provide competent professional service and leadership within the mental health field.