An applicant for Independent Marriage and Family Therapist must meet the educational requirements for Independent Marriage and Family Therapist, which can be found listed under Marriage and Family Therapist license requirements. An applicant must have taken and passed the national examination for marriage and family therapy, and have the required supervised experience that meets the board requirements. The supervised experience requirements are post licensure.

The experience must include one thousand hours of documented client contact in marriage and family therapy. During the thousand hours of client contact, the applicant must receive two hundred hours face-to-face supervision (100 hours must be individual supervision) by a supervisor who's training and experience meets the standards established by the board. The requirements are listed in Administrative Code section 4757-25-04.

Step 1:
Submit the license application with fee. Have an official college transcript, showing conferred degree(s), sent directly to the Counselor, Social Worker & Marriage and Family Therapist Board. Student copies are not acceptable. (If you are licensed as a MFT in Ohio you do not need to resend transcripts.)

Step 2:
Document the experience on the Verification of Supervised Experience for Independent Marriage and Family Therapy form. (A copy of the Verification of Supervised Experience form can be downloaded.)

You may use the following as approved supervisors toward your independent licensure: an IMFT or an AAMFT-approved PCC, LISW, psychiatrist, or psychologist. Should you encounter real difficulty finding a supervisor who meets these requirements, you can send a hardship request to the Board for possible approval. Please refer to Rule 4757-29-01 for all requirements regarding supervision.

Applicants that are licensed in another state and relocating to Ohio will need to have their exam scores transferred to the board. Verification that the license in another state is in good standing must be sent directly to the board from the state that issued the license. (A copy of the License Verification form can be downloaded.)

Application Procedure- Upon request the board will provide license application materials.