Many students experience the excitement and frustration that come with searching for that perfect program. After all, the unique experiences that brought them to this point have culminated in the decision to enter an important helping field, so they want to find the program that will fit the student, their goals, and their needs. This is a great place to start. Take a look at what Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) programs look like in Virginia and dive into the requirements for licensure in this state. There are many state MFT programs to choose from, so it can be overwhelming.
Accredited MFT Programs in Virginia
There are a number of different counseling programs in Virginia, but how many of them are specifically catered to those interested in marriage and family therapy programs? It turns out, there are not as many as might be assumed at first glance. While accredited online MFT programs are legitimate and recognized for licensure, here are a few options for MFT programs physically located in Virginia that might be a good fit.
CACREP Accredited MFT Programs in Virginia
William & Mary
M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling – Couples, Marriage and Family Concentration
This CACREP-accredited program offers coursework that satisfies academic requirements for licensure as both a Virginia MFT and as a licensed professional practitioner (LPP) in Virginia. The MFT program is a concentration of their general clinical mental health counseling program. It takes place on-campus and can be taken full-time or part-time. The full-time coursework takes about two years to complete and includes a 150-hour practicum and 300-hour internship.
Regent University:
M.A. in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling (online and on-campus options)
Regent University offers an online or on-campus MFT program that is also CACREP accredited. The program mixes classroom learning of theories and techniques from a Christian perspective with hands-on clinical experience working with clients. The online program is designed to be flexible and cater to working students and students with families.
COAMFTE Accredited Virginia MFT Programs
First of all, what does it mean to be COAMFTE accredited? The Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy (COAMFTE) is an accrediting agency specifically for on-campus and online MFT programs. Either a COAMFTE or CACREP-accredited program will satisfy the prerequisites to become an MFT, but the COAMFTE-accredited MFT programs are specifically meant to ensure the satisfaction of requirements for becoming a marriage and family counselor.In Virginia, most MFT programs will be CACREP-accredited but not COAMFTE-accredited. Currently, the COAMFTE database only lists one Virginia MFT program.
| Name | City | State | Degree Level | Accreditation | GRE Required? | Full Program Name | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Therapy Center of Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, | VA | Masters | COAMFTE | N/A | marriage and family therapy doctoral program | Learn More |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University - Blacksburg (PhD) | Blacksburg | VA | Doctoral | COAMFTE | No | Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy Concentration | Learn More |
| Virginia Tech | Blacksburg | VA | Masters | COAMFTE | No | Virginia Tech’s marriage and family therapy doctoral program | Learn More |
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech.)
The Virginia Tech MFT doctorate program is offered on-campus in Blacksburg, Va. and takes four years to complete all coursework and supervised clinical work. Unfortunately, they don’t currently offer this program at the graduate level, so students interested in finding a COAMFTE-accredited program in Virginia might consider coming back for their doctorate. As CACREP-accredited programs will more than satisfy the requirements to become an MFT, there are still options in-state even if the program is not specifically COAMFTE-accredited.
No GRE Required MFT Programs in Virginia
The GRE is a standardized test that is used for admissions purposes and is still required by a number of universities in Virginia. Luckily, the test has started to become obsolete and many programs have ended their requirement of completion of it for admission. The following is a list of Virginia MFT programs that no longer require the GRE.| Name | City | State | Degree Level | Accreditation | GRE Required? | Full Program Name | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty University, Counselor Education & Family Studies | Lynchburg | VA | M.A. | CACREP | No | M.A. in Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling | Learn More |
| College of William and Mary | Williamsburg | VA | M.Ed. | CACREP | No | M.Ed. in Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling | Learn More |
| Regent University | Virginia Beach | VA | M.A. | CACREP | No | M.A. in Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling | Learn More |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University - Blacksburg (PhD) | Blacksburg | VA | Doctoral | COAMFTE | No | Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy Concentration | Learn More |
| Virginia Tech | Blacksburg | VA | Masters | COAMFTE | No | Virginia Techs marriage and family therapy doctoral program | Learn More |
Liberty University offers a Master of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Counseling that is CACREP accredited and meets re requirements for licensure as an LMFT in Virginia. The program consists of 60 credit hours and takes a faith-based approach to the curriculum provided. The program spans over 16 weeks with a clinical practicum training requirement of a minimum of 700 hours. Courses are offered in person and students are required to attend the program full-time. Students are provided with a variety of practicum training sites, with specific faith-based sites available based on student interests. Completion of the national licensing examination is a requirement of graduation, and the program offers preparation resources for students to successfully complete this milestone.
What will you learn in a Virginia MFT program?
Most marriage and family therapy programs in Virginia take about two years to complete if you choose to enter on a full-time basis. In Virginia, to qualify for MFT licensure, you must complete at least six semester hours in courses featuring marriage and family counseling or marriage and family therapy content on top of other general requirements.
The standard curriculum for most MFT programs in Virginia will include courses related to counseling techniques, counseling theory, ethics in counseling, addiction, psychological measurements, life-span development, multicultural counseling, and relational dynamics, to name a few. All of these programs require students to complete at least 600 practicum/internship hours, 240 of which should be spent with direct client interaction.
Many accredited programs will also require two in-person or online residencies during the course of the program. These residencies are your first chance to practice your techniques in a safe environment. Generally, students in the program gather with staff and guest speakers to learn and practice together. These generally happen two times throughout the program and last a few days each.
How To Become an LMFT in Virginia
Virginia is among the states that have the most https://amftrb.org/. The bad news is, it means more work to do, but the good news is that if you can satisfy the requirements here, you are probably qualified anywhere in the U.S.
It starts with your education. In order to become an LMFT in Virginia, you must complete a CACREP or COAMFTE-accredited graduate program. As mentioned before, MFT program students in Virginia have to complete 600 practicum hours with 240 hours in direct contact with clients. For MFT students specifically, half of those 240 hours must be with couples and families.
It is also important to remember that practicum hours will only count toward your required hours after you have completed 30 credit hours of coursework. That’s about half of the standard MFT program coursework.
After completing your graduate or doctoral program, you’ll need to complete a supervised residency that will need approval from the Virginia Board of Counseling before you start the residency. Your supervisor also needs approval from the Board. The residency requirements include completing 3,400 hours of supervised residency as a marriage and family therapist. 200 of those hours must be done with the in-person supervisor.
Finally, once these long hours are completed, you can apply to take the National MFT Exam, which is administered by the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Board (AMFTRB). Once you have passed the test, it may take a few weeks for the Board to get your scores. After they do, they’ll review your file again and email you about your status. If they approve your application and scores, that’s it! You’re a licensed marriage and family counselor.
What does an LMFT in Virginia do?
A licensed marriage and family therapist in Virginia does what you might expect. They offer counseling services to couples and families. These counselors are heavily focused on relationships and dynamics between people, particularly as they function within units. An LMFT has all the training of a mental health therapist but with a marriage and family focus. Your role is to help the client learn coping skills for life’s ups and downs, give them support as they navigate changes and big decisions like divorce or job change or loss, be an open and willing ear for their emotions and fears, and so many other things. An LMFT may also refer clients to other specialists or services, like psychiatrists, social workers, group therapies, in-patient treatment centers, addiction clinics, etc. An LMFT in Virginia is a connector and a supporter of families and the communities they live in.
Virginia LMFT Career and Salary Opportunities
It’s a good time to get into the mental health therapy field. The marriage and family therapy field is expected to grow 16 percent from now to 2030 nationwide, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is much faster than other industries.
The growth is likely due, in part, to the rise of integrated care across the country, which is basically treatment of multiple problems for clients with a team of specialists. Rather than operating independently, specialists connect and work together to help clients, whether through partnerships or organizational employment in one place. There has also been a steady increase in awareness toward mental health in the country, hastened by mental health needs brought on by the Covid19 pandemic, and with the rise in popularity in telehealth, the sky’s the limit. Clinical mental health counselors and MFTs can integrate into hospitals, schools, traditional clinics, and many other settings.
As far as yearly salaries go, the national average for licensed marriage and family counselors was $59,660 as of May 2021. The Virginia average yearly salary for that same year was just a bit lower at $53,550. Virginia has less marriage and family therapists employed than some states in the country, which could be a good thing if you are hoping to practice in a state with less competition. It means Virginia will likely be a place pulling in more MFT counselors in the future.
All Marriage and Family Therapy Programs in Virginia
Virginia has a collection of MFT programs that are available both only and campus-based, and some that are CACREP accredited. The following list includes all MFT programs that are available in the state.| Name | City | State | Degree Level | Accreditation | GRE Required? | Full Program Name | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regent University | Virginia Beach | VA | Masters | CACREP | N/A | M.A. in Marriage, Couple & Family Counseling | Learn More |
| Family Therapy Center of Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, | VA | Masters | COAMFTE | N/A | marriage and family therapy doctoral program | Learn More |
| Liberty University, Counselor Education & Family Studies | Lynchburg | VA | M.A. | CACREP | No | M.A. in Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling | Learn More |
| College of William and Mary | Williamsburg | VA | M.Ed. | CACREP | No | M.Ed. in Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling | Learn More |
| Regent University | Virginia Beach | VA | M.A. | CACREP | No | M.A. in Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling | Learn More |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University - Blacksburg (PhD) | Blacksburg | VA | Doctoral | COAMFTE | No | Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy Concentration | Learn More |
| Virginia Tech | Blacksburg | VA | Masters | COAMFTE | No | Virginia Techs marriage and family therapy doctoral program | Learn More |
| lu online liberty university address | Lynchburg | VA | Masters | SACSCOC | Yes | MA in Family and Marriage Therapy Online MFT Degree | Learn More |
Virginia MFT Resources
While there is a lot of information to sort through, qualifications to collect, and requirements to meet, it’s the first step to a career that has a promising future and is filled with supportive people. Here are a few links to relevant resources mentioned throughout this article.
