Your Guide to Becoming a Marriage and Family Therapist in New York

This guide was last updated on January 11, 2022.

Obtaining licensure as a marriage and family therapist in New York State requires the completion of a master’s or doctoral program in marriage and family therapy, passing the MFT National Examination and the completion of supervised clinical client contact experience under limited permit.

The license to practice marriage and family therapy is granted by the New York State Office of the Professions, under the New York State Education Department (NYSED).

In this guide, you’ll find easy-to-follow steps to obtain your marriage and family therapist license in New York State. Please keep in mind, however, that licensure requirements can change over time. We make every effort to keep our guides updated, but always consult the marriage and family therapy license requirements online for the most up-to-date and accurate information.

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Complete a Master’s or Doctorate

To be eligible for licensure as a marriage and family therapist in New York State, you must have a master’s degree or higher in marriage and family therapy from a program that the New York State Department of Education recognizes as licensure-qualifying.

For a program to be licensure-qualifying, it must:

• Require at least 45 semester hours of study or its equivalent
• Include coursework in:
  • Human development (at least three semester hours)
  • Marriage and family therapy clinical education (at least 12 semester hours)
  • Marriage and family therapy theoretical education (at least six semester hours)
  • Research (at least three semester hours)
  • Group dynamics
  • Lifestyle and career development
  • Assessment and appraisal of individuals,
    couples, families, and groups
  • Research and program evaluation
  • Professional ethics (at least three semester hours)
  • Family law
• Include a supervised practicum in marriage and family therapy with at least 300 hours of client contact experience.

Once your education requirements have been met, complete Section I of Form 2: Certification of Professional Education and have your university registrar complete Section II. Your registrar will then need to submit the completed Form 2 and official transcripts.

Submit Your Application for Licensure

Complete Form 1: Application for Licensure and First Registration to begin the licensure process in New York State. You need to include all supporting documentation and pay the combined application and registration fee of $371. This application can be submitted at any time.

If You Have a License From Another State or Country

If you are licensed in another jurisdiction, you can apply for licensure by endorsement by completing:

• Form 1 (Application for Licensure) and submitting payment of $371
• Form 2 (Certification of Professional Education)
• Form 3 (Verification of Other Professional Licensure/Certification)
• Form 4E (Endorsement Applicant Experience Record) to provide proof that you have completed five years of licensed practice within the previous 10 years
• A separate Form 4F (Certification of Licensed Experience) for each licensed colleague listed in Form 4E
• You must also request that the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) send your exam scores to NYSED.

Complete Supervised Experience Requirements

New York State requires 1,500 hours, or approximately 10 months of full-time supervised experience, to be license-eligible. (The licensing board defines one year as 1,750 hours.)

All experiences must be completed under the supervision of a New York State licensed marriage and family therapist or under a doctor, nurse (RPN/NP), psychologist, social worker or physician assistant competent in marriage and family therapy. Supervision may also be provided by those with equivalent qualifications, as determined by the state.

Document Your Experiences

Your experience supervisor is responsible for maintaining records of your supervised experience as well as submitting verification of your experience on Form 4B. After you complete Part I, send the form to your supervisor. He or she must complete Section II and return all documentation directly to the Office of the Professions.

You should save copies of these completed documents for your records, along with detailed documentation of your experiences.

Pass the MFT National Examination

New York State requires applicants to take the MFT National Examination and earn a passing score. The exam must be the one developed by the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) and administered by Professional Testing Corporation (PTC). The California examination is not accepted for licensure in New York State.

To be eligible to sit for the examination, you must:

• Submit Form 1: Apply for licensure by submitting this form and including the required documentation and $371 fee.
• Submit Form 2: have your degree verified and approved by NYSED.
• Receive NYSED approval of your education and all application materials.

Once you have sent the forms above and obtained the department’s approval, the state will inform PTC. PTC will then email you with details about how to register for the exam. The total cost to sit for the MFT National Exam is $365.

What’s Next?

Once the documentation and requirements listed below have been reviewed and approved by NYSED, your license number will be issued, and you will be permitted to practice independently.

Document requirements differ, as followed, based on whether you are: A) a graduate of a New York State licensure-qualifying marriage and family therapy program; B) a graduate of a program determined to be the “substantial equivalent” of a New York State program; or C) are licensed as a marriage and family therapist in another jurisdiction and have practiced for at least five years during the 10-year period preceding your application.

If you are a graduate of a program determined to
be the “substantial equivalent” of a New York State program, you must submit the following forms to apply for licensure:

• Form 1
• Form 2
• Form 3  (only if currently or previously licensed in another jurisdiction)
• Form 4
• Form 4B

If you are a graduate of a program determined to be the “substantial equivalent” of a New York State program, you must submit the following forms to apply for licensure:

• Form 1
• Form 2 (with official transcript)
  
• Form 2-INT
• Form 3 (only if currently or previously licensed in another jurisdiction)
  
• Form 4
• Form 4B

If you are licensed in another jurisdiction and have practiced for at least five of the previous 10 years, you must submit the following forms to apply for licensure:

• Form 1
• Form 2
  
• Form 3
• Form 4E 
• Form 4F

You will receive written confirmation from NYSED. You can also find out if your license has been issued by checking here. 

While we make every effort to keep our guides updated, this post is an informational resource only. Always consult the New York State Office of the Professions website for the most up-to-date and accurate information as licensure requirements can change over time.