Marriage & Family Therapy Licensure in Oregon

Licensure Process
for MCFC (Marriage, Couple & Family Counseling) Graduates

1. After graduation, become a Registered Associates with the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists (OBLPCT). You must provide the board with transcripts verifying your graduation. You will pay a fee, complete a background check, and provide fingerprints.
2. Identify your supervisor and have your supervisor approved by OBLPCT. Frequently, for graduates who begin work in an agency or clinic after graduation, a work supervisor or colleague serves as their supervisor for post-graduation clinical experience.

3. Complete a total of 1,900 hours of graduate and postgraduate supervised clinical experience ("direct client contact hours") with individual clients, couples and families over a period of at least three years. At least 750 of those 1,900 hours must be working with couples and families.

   Up to 400 of those 1,900 hours may be counted from pre-graduation internship hours. These hours completed during the clinical portion of the degree program start the clock on the three-year period, and graduates typically complete this requirement within two to three years after graduation.

   Note that all hours must be supervised by a supervisor trained in the systemic approach and meeting the OBLPCT requirements.

4. Take and pass a board-approved competency exam.
5. After passing a board-approved competency exam, take and pass the Oregon law and rules exam.
6. Apply for your LMFT license.