Licenses for MFTs certify that they’re permitted to practice in a state and are issued by each state regulatory board. Prior to becoming a fully licensed marriage and family therapist, graduates of a program need to obtain an initial license. This allows the graduate to be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner in post-graduate practice and can be thought of as a temporary professional license. After obtaining the initial license, graduates will need to take additional steps to earn their independent practice license, typically including completion of a specific number of hours under the supervision of a licensed independent practitioner, though the requirements will vary by state.