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Marriage and Family Therapist Intern/Trainee Supervision

General Qualifications

Licensed mental health professionals interested in providing supervision to Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT) Interns and Trainees must meet certain minimum qualifications in order to supervise. The qualifications differ depending on the license type of the potential supervisor. Listed below are the licensed mental health professionals authorized to supervise MFT Interns and Trainees and some of the general qualifications needed to provide supervision to a MFT Intern or Trainee. For further specific information, please review sections 1833 – 1833.2 of Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations.  (NOTE: This information only applies to those supervising MFT Interns and Trainees. Information on supervising Associate Clinical Social Workers is available on another page.)

Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) – MFTs must:

  • possess a current and valid California license for at least two years prior to the commencement of supervision,
  • complete a 6-hour supervision training within the two-year period immediately preceding supervision and every renewal period when supervising, NOTE: If the supervisor has never taken this course, it must be taken within 60 days of commencement of supervision.
  • and have practiced psychotherapy or directly supervised trainees, interns, or associate clinical social workers who perform psychotherapy as part of their clinical practice in two of the past five years immediately preceding the commencement of supervision,

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) – LCSWs must:

  • possess a current and valid California license for at least two years prior to the commencement of supervision,
  • complete a 6-hour supervision training within the two-year period immediately preceding supervision and every renewal period when supervising, NOTE: If the supervisor has never taken this course, it must be taken within 60 days of commencement of supervision.
  • and have practiced psychotherapy or directly supervised trainees, interns, or associate clinical social workers who perform psychotherapy as part of their clinical practice in two of the past five years immediately preceding the commencement of supervision.

Licensed Psychologist (licensed through the Board of Psychology) – Psychologists must:

  • possess a current and valid California license for at least two years prior to the commencement of supervision,
  • and have practiced psychotherapy or directly supervised trainees, interns, or associate clinical social workers who perform psychotherapy as part of their clinical practice in two of the past five years immediately preceding the commencement of supervision.

Licensed Physicians certified in psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology – Psychiatrists must:

  • possess a current and valid license for at least two years prior to the commencement of supervision,
  • and have practiced psychotherapy or directly supervised trainees, interns, or associate clinical social workers who perform psychotherapy as part of their clinical practice in two of the past five years immediately preceding the commencement of supervision.

Six Hour Supervision Training

LCSWs and MFTs supervising MFT Interns and Trainees must complete a minimum of six hours of supervision training within the two-year period immediately preceding the commencement of supervision and every renewal period while supervising. If such coursework has not been completed in the two-year period immediately preceding supervision, the supervisor must complete the six-hour training within 60 days of commencement of supervision and in each renewal period thereafter.

This course must be taken through an accredited or approved school or an approved Continuing Education Provider. A course taken through an online approved provider will also be accepted. Supervisors must retain documentation verifying completion of this requirement and must provide it to the Board upon request.

MFT Intern and Trainee Supervised Experience Requirement

The Board has several resources relating to the supervised experience requirement, including:

Other Important Resources for MFT Intern and Trainee Supervisors

The MFT Licensure Walk Through provides a detailed explanation of the entire MFT licensure process. This information is valuable for MFT Interns, Trainees, and their supervisors.

The MFT Experience Calculator is a useful resource for MFT Interns who would like to determine how close they are to finishing their supervised experience.

The MFT Standard and Written Clinical Vignette Candidate Handbooks include tasks and knowledge tested on the examinations. Many future licensees and supervisors do not realize that this information is available on the Board’s Web site.

Forms Relating to Supervision

Updated: February 25, 2008