Pennsylvania Code › Title 49 - PROFESSIONAL AND VOCATIONAL STANDARDS › Part I - DEPARTMENT OF STATE › Subpart A - PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 48 - STATE BOARD OF SOCIAL WORKERS, MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS AND PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS-LICENSURE OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS › GENERAL PROVISIONS › Section 48.1 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
The following words and terms, when used in this chapter,
						have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates
						otherwise:
AAMFT
-The American Association for
						Marriage and Family Therapy.
AMFTRB
-The Association of Marital and
						Family Therapy Regulatory Boards.
Accredited educational institution
-A
						graduate school which is recognized as an institution of higher education or
						which is accredited by a regional accrediting association recognized by the
						Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
Act
-The Social Workers, Marriage and
						Family Therapists and Professional Counselors Act (63 P. S. §§
												1901-1922).
Board
-The State Board of Social Workers,
						Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors.
COAMFTE
-The Commission on Accreditation
						for Marriage and Family Therapy Education.
Client/patient
-An individual, group or
						family for whom a licensed marriage and family therapist provides marriage and
						family therapy services. In the case of an individual with a legal guardian,
						such as a minor or legally incapacitated adult, the individual is the
						client/patient.
Doctoral degree in marriage and family
						therapy
-A doctoral degree which is awarded upon successful completion
						of a program in marriage and family therapy which is either accredited by
						COAMFTE, or, which includes coursework that meets the criteria in §
											48.2 (relating to educational
						requirements).
Field closely related to the practice of marriage
						and family therapy
- Includes the fields of social work, psychology,
						counseling, child development and family studies, medicine, nursing, pastoral
						counseling, ministry, theology, education and sociology.
Graduate level coursework in marriage and family
						therapy acceptable to the Board
-Coursework that meets the criteria in
						§ 48.2.
Immediate family member
-A
						parent/guardian, child, sibling, spouse or other family member with whom the
						client/patient resides.
Institution of higher education
-An
						independent institution of higher education, a community college, a
						State-related institution or a member institution of the State System. (See 22
						Pa. Code §
											33.102 (relating to
						definitions)).
Master's degree in marriage and family
						therapy
-A master's degree which is awarded upon successful completion
						of a program in marriage and family therapy which is either accredited by
						COAMFTE, or, which includes coursework that meets the criteria in §
						48.2.
MFT
-Marriage and family
						therapist.
Planned program of 60 semester hours or 90
						quarter hours which is closely related to marriage and family
						therapy
-A program which includes coursework that meets the criteria in
						§ 48.2.
Professional relationship
-A therapeutic
						relationship which is deemed to exist for the period of time beginning with the
						first professional contact or consultation between a licensed marriage and
						family therapist and a client/patient and continuing thereafter until the last
						date of a professional service. If a licensed marriage and family therapist
						sees a client/patient on an intermittent basis, the professional relationship
						is deemed to start anew on each date that the licensed marriage and family
						therapist provides a professional service to the client/patient.
Program recognized by a National accrediting
						agency
-A master, doctor or postgraduate degree training program
						accredited by COAMFTE.
Related field
-Includes the fields of
						psychiatry, psychology, social work, counseling, art therapy, dance/movement
						therapy, drama therapy, music therapy, human services and counseling
						education.
Sexual intimacies
-Romantic, sexually
						suggestive, sexually demeaning or erotic behavior. Examples of this behavior
						include the following:
(i) Sexual
					 intercourse, or any touching of the sexual or intimate parts of the person for
					 the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire in either person.
(ii) Nontherapeutic verbal communication or
					 inappropriate nonverbal communication of a sexual or romantic nature.
(iii) Sexual invitations.
(iv) Soliciting or accepting a date from a
					 client/patient.
(v) Masturbating in
					 the presence of a client/patient or encouraging a client/patient to masturbate
					 in the presence of the licensed marriage and family therapist.
(vi) Indecent exposure, kissing, hugging,
					 touching, physical contact or self-disclosure of a sexual or erotic
					 nature.
Supervisee
-An individual who is
						fulfilling the supervised experience requirement for licensure.
Supervision
-The act of overseeing,
						directing or instructing the activity or course of action of another.
Supervisor
-An individual providing
						supervision to a supervisee who meets the criteria in §
											48.3 (relating to qualifications
						for supervisors).
This section cited in 49 Pa. Code §
													48.13 (relating to licensed MFT);
						  and 49 Pa. Code §
													48.15 (relating to exemption from
						  licensure examination).