Catalog 2007-2008
Graduate School of Education and Counseling

Please Note: This is the 2007-2008 catalog. It is now out of date, and included here only for archival purposes. Please use the current edition. Thank you.

Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology: Marriage, Couple and Family Therapy

The Marriage, Couple and Family Therapy (MCFT) Program is designed to lead graduates to eventual employment as marriage, couple and family therapists in settings that focus on family-based interventions.

The MCFT Program at Lewis & Clark College offers candidates the opportunity to specialize in addictions treatment in the context of families. Candidate training in this area has a strong practice focus. In the highly competitive field of mental health practitioners, this specialty is in great demand.

Candidates in the MCFT Program may also complete coursework necessary for dual licensure as Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT) and Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC).

The curriculum for the MCFT Program builds the knowledge base and skills necessary for practitioners to provide high-quality, effective therapy and integrates preparation for marriage, couple and family therapy with general mental health/community counseling. It prepares students to use an active, positive approach to therapy that will help individuals, couples, and families build on their strengths, improve their relationships, and generate solutions to relational problems.

Lewis & Clark's MCFT Program meets the standards of accreditation set by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, the academic requirements for state licensure in Oregon, and the requirements for clinical membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Graduates of this program will have met the academic requirements needed to become licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT), clinical members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), and/or the American Counseling Association's (ACA) Specialization in Marriage and Family Counseling, and will have met the majority of standards to become licensed professional counselors (LPC).

Degree Requirements
A minimum of 60 semester hours, chosen from the following list:

Degree Courses (60 semester hours)
503 Introduction to Professional Counseling, 1 semester hour
504 Family Therapy: Theory and Practice, 3 semester hours
506 Life Span Development, 3 semester hours
514 Group Counseling With Children and Adolescents, 3 semester hours
or
515 Group Counseling With Adults, 3 semester hours
522 Diagnosis of Mental and Emotional Disorders, 2 semester hours
523 Treatment Planning and Intervention With Children and Adolescents, 3 semester hours
or
524 Treatment Planning and Intervention With Adults, 3 semester hours
530 Research Methods and Statistics I, 3 semester hours
550 Clinical Work With Diverse Populations, 3 semester hours
558 Brief Systemic Therapies, 2 semester hours
559 Social Constructionist and Critical Family Therapies, 2 semester hours
560 Couple Therapy, 3 semester hours
561 Assessment and Prevention in Family Therapy and Counseling, 3 semester hours
562 Advanced Family Therapy, 3 semester hours
563 Treatment Issues in Marriage and Family Therapy, 3 semester hours
566 Sex Therapy, 2 semester hours
579 Practical Skills for Counselors, 2 semester hours
580 Ethical and Legal Issues in Professional Counseling, 2 semester hours
584 Practicum in Marriage and Family Therapy, 3 semester hours
588 Internship in Marriage and Family Therapy, 9 semester hours total

Graduate Elective Requirement
A minimum of 2 semester hours and one Core convocation

Elective Courses
Any remaining required semester hours may be earned by taking elective courses.