LMFT

 

In Week 3, you will submit a plan that contains important information as a learner, your understanding of the Marriage and Family Therapy program requirements, and your definitions of systems and systems thinking. Download the

Marriage and Family Therapy Program Plan [DOCX]

and start to review the plan.

To balance your work, it is recommended you fill out one part each week until you submit the plan in Week 3. This week, for Part 1, explore resources that will help you throughout this course and through your journey through the Marriage and Family Therapy program, many of which were in this week’s studies. Then, fill out Part 1 of the downloaded plan.

You can find the resources for the Week 3 assignment in Your FAF courseroom (for those fully enrolled in the MFT program: excluding certificate learners). Your FAF courseroom will show up in your iGuide as a separate course titled MFTFAF6299. The FAF courseroom is designed to be a roadmap, taking you step by step through your Master’s Degree and into your new career as a Marriage and Family Therapist. It is also the home for your contact with your Faculty Advisor. We hope that this space offers answers anytime you have a question about what is coming next in your education, as well as providing a social networking space. Please look around and become familiar with what is there. Most questions that may come up—”It’s in your FAF.

 

This week, add to your Marriage and Family Therapy Program Plan that you started last week. Fill out Part 2 using the program resources in this week’s studies. You will also use the information from Part 2 in this week’s discussion.

Note: You will not submit this document for assessment until Week 3. Be sure to save your plan and build on the same copy each week.

 

In this course, you have been exploring resources to help you throughout your program using your

Marriage and Family Therapy Program Plan [DOCX].

This plan will ensure that you have important information related to the program and resources in one document.

For this assignment, if you have not done so, review Parts 1 and 2 of your plan to ensure you have compiled your resources and addressed important aspects of the program requirements. If you have not started, download the Marriage and Family Therapy Program Plan template linked in Resources and complete Parts 1 and 2.

Then, complete Part 3, which is your definition of what a system is and why systems thinking is the foundation for how marriage and family therapists provide therapy. Be sure to write one paragraph for each question in Part 3.

You will be assessed on how well you address the following in your plan:

• Locate resources that can assist you throughout the Marriage and Family Therapy program.
• Identify internship requirements in the program.
• Prepare a timeline for program completion.
• Define the concept of systems.
• Define systems thinking as a foundation for marriage and family therapy.

After you receive feedback on this assessment, be sure to print a copy of your plan and save onto your desktop for easy access.

Marriage and Family Therapy Program Resources

Marriage and Family Therapy Program Requirements

Marriage and Family Therapy Program – 72 quarter credits

MFT5008 Foundations of Couple and Family Therapy

MFT5

3

36 Diversity and Social Justice in Systemic Family Therapy

MFT5222 Professional Ethics in Marriage and Family Therapy

MFT5270 Systemic Family Therapy Theory and Practice

1

MFT5820 Systemic Family Therapy Theory and Practice 2

MFT5106 Assessment, Tests, and Measures for MFT practice

MFT-R5821 Advanced Marriage and Family Therapy Theory and Practice: Pre-Clinical

Residency

Track 1

MFT5271 Working with Families Across the Life Span

MFT5107 Psychopathology: Diagnosis and Treatment of Behavior Disorders

MFT5273 Couple and Marital Therapy

MFT5108 Impact of Addiction and Addictive Behavior on Family Systems

MFT5275 Utilizing Systemic Approaches: Infancy Through Adolescence

MFT5232 Systemic Approaches to Sexual and Gender Issues

MFT5822 Systemic and Group Interventions for Grief, Loss, and Trauma

MFT-R5823 Advanced Clinical Applications in Family Therapy: Pre-Clinical Residency Track 2

MFT5876 Research Methods in MFT

MFT6231 Marriage and Family Therapy Clinical Internship 1

MFT6232 Marriage and Family Therapy Clinical Internship 2

MFT6233 Marriage and Family Therapy Clinical Internship 3

MFT6234 Marriage and Family Therapy Clinical Internship 4

Below are the courses you need to take in the Marriage and Family Therapy program. You can learn more about these courses from the

University Catalog

.

Residency

The Marriage and Family Therapy program includes two required residency courses. The residency requirement for the MS in MFT degree program is satisfied by the completion of two online courses with a face-to-face, 4.5-day pre-clinical residency (MFT-R5821 and MFT- R5823). Learners must have completed the residency requirement prior to starting their internship courses. Each pre-clinical residency experience requires learners to receive training and practice in the areas of systemic family therapy theory and intervention, assessment, multicultural issues, legal and ethical issues. Through the pre-clinical residency, learners gain a stronger sense of academic community by networking and discussing concepts and issues in the field of marriage and family therapy. This experience provides a learning environment that fosters the application of critical thinking and integrated knowledge to professional issues.

 

Site-Based Learning

During the site-based learning courses, learners are enrolled in an online course and participate in supervised clinical activities at approved placement sites in their communities. During the online course component, learners attend a group supervision meeting each week with their faculty instructor and peers via webcam/phone in an online meeting room. Learners in the site-based learning courses also have unlimited access to the Family Solutions eStudy website supporting their preparation for the Capstone exam in MFT6233 and COUN6232 which prepares them for the AMFTRB national licensing exam taken after graduation. 

 

The overall goal of site-based learning is to provide learners with a supervised environment to develop clinical therapy skills. The weekly COAMFTE-required, AAMFT-approved supervision is provided by the faculty supervisor during the weekly group supervision sessions. 

The internship experience requires completion of a total of 300 direct contact hours at the internship site(s) including a minimum of 100 relational hours, 100 hours of AAMFT Approved supervision, and 50 hours of observable data. Learners must complete four internship courses: Internship 1, Internship 2, Internship 3, and Internship 4. The internship experience must span one year.

· A minimum of 40 direct client contact hours must be completed by the last day of the Internship 1 course to successfully pass the course.

· A minimum of 60 direct client contact hours must be completed by the last day of Internship 2, and Internship 3 to successfully pass each course.

· A minimum of 40 direct client contact hours must be completed by the last day of the Internship 4 or any subsequent course after Internship 4 to successfully pass the course.

· Learners must utilize 50 hours of observable data in their supervision sessions by the completion of the internship courses. Observable data is defined as audio or video recordings of sessions, or live observation of a session by a supervisor. The observable data hours must be recorded by the learner in their weekly time logs.

· Learners will take a 200-question Capstone Exam during Internship 3 and must earn a score of 70% or higher to pass to enroll in Internship 4. If a learner does not score 70% or higher by the last day of Internship 3, they must repeat the course.

·
Disclaimer: The hours requirements listed above are specific to Capella’s MFT program and COAMFTE accreditation requirements. Learners are responsible to understand and comply with state licensure requirements when they differ or exceed Capella’s requirements. Please check the Capella Licensure Tool from the

Campus Licensure Resource

page for more information on specific state requirements.

National Licensing Exam for Marriage and Family Therapy

The Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) is the association that is responsible for facilitating communication between regulatory bodies about information pertaining to Marriage and Family Therapy, promoting the advancement of legal and ethical practice, and the development, maintenance, and administration of the MFT National Exam. The MFT National Exam is required for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist in all states except California.

The AMFTRB examination is a standardized, multiple-choice examination that covers knowledge content areas that are critical to the practice of Marriage and Family Therapy. The Capella University Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy program supports your success on the MFT National Exam by including exam preparation and study materials throughout the MFCT program courses. During your practicum and internship courses, you will be able to access a virtual workshop series and take practice exams through the Family Solutions Institute’s eStudy Program. You will have access to simulated practice exams of actual exam-style questions. Throughout the course, you will have an unlimited number of times to take the practice exams, while getting personalized feedback around your strengths and weaknesses. Each time you take the exam, a Personal Profile is displayed both as percentage correct and as a graph to show areas where you need to increase your study. Detailed discussions on right and wrong answers are offered, too. You will use this feedback to work with your faculty internship supervisor to create an improvement plan to prepare you for your state’s Marriage and Family Therapy licensure examination.

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Marriage and Family Therapy Program Plan

Part

1

: Your Learner Information

Directions: In Unit 1, you explored resources that will help you on your academic journey towards becoming a marriage and family therapist. Now, collect these resources so you have quick and easy access to this information as you progress in the program.

Under “Resources,” post the links to each resource. In addition to submitting this form as part of your assignment, print this form for your records and save the file on your desktop.

Your Learner Information

Learner ID

Academic Advisor (Name, Phone Number, and Email)

Faculty Advisor (Name, Phone Number, and Email)

Resources: Links

Courseroom Help Page

Effective Learning Strategies

Writing Center

Smarthinking

Academic Honesty

APA Style and Format

Academic Writer

Library – Journal and Book Locator

Library – Summon

Licensure Resources

Part

2

: Marriage and Family Therapy Program Information

Directions: In Unit 2, you explored the Marriage and Family Therapy program information. Affirm that you have read and understood the document by addressing the following questions.

Core Curriculum

How many courses do you plan to take per quarter?

Based on this timeline, when do you expect to graduate?

In looking over the courses you will be taking, which courses do you expect to enjoy the most?

Which courses do you anticipate the greatest challenges?

Internship
Total number of direct client contact hours
Total number of semester or quarter credits and/or total number of calendar months of clinical internship	Credits:
Calendar months:
Requirements about supervisor credentials for pre-Master’s internship hours which potentially count for licensure
Direct contact requirements for working with families and couples

Part 3: Your Definitions of Systems and Systems Thinking

Directions: In Unit 3, you explored the general idea of “systems.” In
one paragraph each, define what a system is in your own words. Then, explain why systems thinking is the foundation for how marriage and family therapists provide therapy.

Systems and Systems Thinking

Define what a system is.

Explain why systems thinking is the foundation for how marriage and family therapists provide therapy.

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