Interns in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT Interns) are highly qualified psychotherapists in training. Interns have earned Master's Degrees in Counseling Psychology, and have hundreds of hours of diverse clinical experience. Interns typically are required to gain a minimum of 150-300 clinical counseling hours before graduation from their graduate programs, and then will spend another 2-6 years as interns. During this period, Interns work independently with clients, attend trainings and consultation groups, and further develop their clinical skills.  

 

MFT Interns must be approved through the Board of Behavioral Sciences and pass extensive background checks through both the Department of Justice and the FBI. They are also required to have weekly supervision meetings with psychology professionals who have been licensed for at least two years. During supervision, Interns and supervisors discuss and review client cases together; the supervisor provides clinical insight, training and guidance pertaining to the ethics and legal issues of being a therapist.

 

The benefit of working with an Intern is that you are receiving quality, professional services for a fee that is usually lower than that of a licensed therapist, while also receiving indirect support and insights from the Intern's supervisor and consultation groups.

 

Check out the BBS website for more information on requirements and regulations for MFT Interns and Licensees here.