North Carolina General Statutes 90-270.54. Requirements for licensure as a marriage and family therapist
(a) Each applicant shall be issued a license by the Board to engage in the practice of marriage and family therapy as a licensed marriage and family therapist if the applicant meets the qualifications set forth in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-270.52(a) and provides satisfactory evidence to the Board that the applicant:
(1) Meets educational and experience qualifications as follows:
a. Educational requirements: Possesses a minimum of a master’s degree from a recognized educational institution in the field of marriage and family therapy, or a related degree, which degree is evidenced by the applicant’s official transcripts. An applicant with a related degree may meet the educational requirements if the applicant presents satisfactory evidence of post-master’s or post-doctoral training taken in the field of marriage and family therapy from a program recognized by the Board regardless whether the training was taken at a nondegree granting institution or in a nondegree program, as long as the training, by itself or in combination with any other training, is the equivalent in content and quality, as defined in the rules of the Board, of a master’s or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy;
b. Experience requirements: Has at least 1,500 hours of supervised clinical experience in the practice of marriage and family therapy, not more than 500 hours of which were obtained while the candidate was a student in a master’s degree program and at least 1,000 of which were obtained after the applicant was granted a degree in the field of marriage and family therapy or a related degree (with ongoing supervision consistent with standards approved by the Board); and
Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 90-270.54
- Board: means the North Carolina Marriage and Family Therapy Licensure Board. See North Carolina General Statutes 90-270.47
- Clinical experience: means face-to-face therapy between a therapist and a client, whether individuals, couples, families, or groups, conducted from a larger systems perspective that relates to client treatment plans, is goal-directed, and assists the client in affecting change in cognition and behavior and effect. See North Carolina General Statutes 90-270.47
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Licensed marriage and family therapist: means a person to whom a license has been issued pursuant to this Article, if the license is in force and not suspended or revoked. See North Carolina General Statutes 90-270.47
- Practice of marriage and family therapy: means the rendering of professional marriage and family therapy services to individuals, couples, or families, singly or in groups, whether the services are offered directly to the general public or through organizations, either public or private, for a fee, monetary or otherwise. See North Carolina General Statutes 90-270.47
- Recognized educational institution: means any university, college, professional school, or other institution of higher learning that:
- Related degree: means :
(2) Passes an examination approved by the Board.
(b) Any person who is a certified marriage and family therapist on January 1, 1995, shall be deemed to be a licensed marriage and family therapist as of that date. Valid and unexpired certificates operate as licenses for the purposes of this Article until the date set for renewal of the certificate, at which time the Board shall issue the certificate holder a license in accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-270.58 (1979, c. 697, s. 1; 1981, c. 611, s. 2; 1985, c. 223, s. 1; 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 564, s. 2; 2009-393, s. 6.)