Code of Maine Rules › 02 - DEPARTMENT OF PROFESSIONAL AND FINANCIAL REGULATION › 514 - BOARD OF COUNSELING PROFESSIONALS LICENSURE › Chapter 4 - LICENSED MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS › Section 514-4-2 - Education

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
1. Qualifying Degree
The applicant shall provide documented proof of a master's
				  degree or a doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution that
				  consists of a minimum of 60 semester hours or quarter-hour equivalent and meets
				  the criteria of paragraph A, B or C below:
A. A counseling degree from a program that
				was accredited by CACREP as a marital, couple, and family counseling/therapy
				program at the time the degree was awarded (subject to the 60 semester hour
				minimum);
B. A counseling degree
				from a marital, couple, and family counseling/therapy program that was
				accredited by COAMFTE at the time the degree was awarded at the doctoral level
				only, provided that the applicant can demonstrate completion of a clinical
				practicum as described in Section
				1(1)(C)(7) of this
				chapter, and subject to the 60 semester hour minimum;
C. A counseling degree from a marital, couple
				and family counseling/therapy program that consisted of a minimum of 60
				semester hours or quarter-hour equivalent as an organized sequence of study
				that includes curricular experiences and demonstrated knowledge that
				substantially satisfies each of the nine areas of study described in
				subparagraphs (1) through (9) below;
Except for internship, full area credit will be recognized
				  for a three semester hour course in the designated area or the number or
				  semester hours specified, as the case may be. Except for practicum and
				  internship, partial area credit will be recognized for a course that contains
				  components or significant aspects of an area, and area requirements other than
				  practicum and internship may be satisfied by academic work completed in one or
				  more separate courses. In determining whether a course pertains to an area, the
				  board will consider the content of the course as set forth in course
				  descriptions, catalogs, syllabi, lesson plans, assignment lists, reading lists,
				  or other contemporaneous documents; completed coursework produced by the
				  applicant; any reliable information furnished by the applicant, the instructor
				  who taught the course, a member of the academic department which offered the
				  course, or a senior administrative official of the institution; and the title
				  of the course. No one course will be recognized as satisfying more than one
				  area of study.
In evaluating the applicant's academic credentials, the board
				  shall consider the unavailability of the foregoing materials due to passage of
				  time. In the event of a denial hearing, the board shall give due regard to the
				  credibility of the applicant in evaluating any testimony of the applicant
				  relating to course content, provided that the applicant has first demonstrated
				  to the board a good faith effort to obtain the documentation described in the
				  preceding paragraph.
(1) Marital and
				Family Studies. Nine semester hours or quarter-hour equivalent in theories of
				family development, general systems theory, theories of family functioning, the
				family life cycle, sociology of the family, families under stress, contemporary
				family forms, family subsystems, family of origin and external societal
				influences, family pathology such as addiction, child abuse and sexual abuse,
				and other related topics. Three of the nine semester hours must be in general
				systems theory.
(2) Marital and
				Family Therapy. Nine semester hours or quarter-hour equivalent in the study of
				major marital and family therapy treatment approaches and techniques to provide
				a substantive understanding of systems change. The course work may include
				strategic, structural, object relations, integrative, experiential, systems,
				neoanalytic, communications and behavioral treatment modalities.
(3) Human Development. Six semester hours or
				quarter-hour equivalent in the study of human development across the life
				cycle, personality theory and cognitive development.
(4) Human Sexuality. Studies that provide an
				understanding of human sexuality over the life cycle, sex roles, sexual
				function and dysfunction.
(5)
				Diagnosis and Treatment. Studies that provide an understanding of
				psychopathology, the diagnosis and statistical manual and its use in
				counseling, psychopathology, the development of treatment plans and the use of
				related services, and the role of assessment, intake interviews, and
				reports.
(6) Professional
				Orientation. Studies that provide an understanding of professional roles and
				functions, professional organizations and associations, history and trends
				within the profession, ethical and legal standards, and professional
				preparation standards and professional credentialing.
(7) Research and Evaluation. Studies that
				provide an understanding of the types of research, basic statistics, research
				report development, research implementation, program evaluation, needs
				assessment, and ethical and legal considerations associated with research and
				evaluation.
(8) Practicum. A course
				of clinical instruction that provides practical experience in counseling for
				the purpose of developing marriage and family counseling skills. These
				experiences allow students to perform, on a limited basis, some counseling
				activities that a regularly employed licensed marriage and family therapist
				would be expected to perform.
(9)
				Internship. A full academic year of supervised marriage and family counseling
				experience consisting of at least 900 clock hours, including a minimum of 360
				clock hours of direct client contact. The internship provides an opportunity
				for the student to perform all the activities that a regularly employed
				marriage and family therapist would be expected to perform.
Alternative Experience. In lieu of subparagraphs (8) and (9)
				  above, an applicant may provide documentation of 1,000 hours of lawfully
				  obtained supervised marriage and family therapy counseling. At least 400 hours
				  must consist of direct clinical contact hours. Documentation must include
				  supervisor affidavits and a copy of the applicant's final evaluation.
An applicant who has not completed an internship that meets
				  the requirements of subparagraph (9) above but has completed an internship
				  consisting of at least 600 clock hours of supervised marriage and family
				  counseling experience and has fulfilled all other requirements of Section
				  2(1)(C) of this chapter
				  will be deemed to have a qualifying degree for purposes of Section
				  2(1)(C) of this
				  chapter. Such an applicant must complete additional supervised experience as
				  set forth in Section
				  4(2) of this
				  chapter.