Alabama Administrative Code Chapter 536-X-2 — Requirements for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

536 Alabama Board of Examiners in Marriage and Family Therapy

Ala. Admin. Code r. 536-X-2-.01 Licensed Marriage And Family Therapist (LMFT)

An individual who has met Board requirements to practice marriage and family therapy.

History

• Author: The Alabama Board of Examiners in Marriage and Family Therapy
• Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §§34-17A-1 thru 34-17A-26.
• New Rule: Filed July 10, 2006; effective August 14, 2006. Amended: Filed February 8, 2012; effective March 14, 2012.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 536-X-2-.02 Requirements For Licensure: Licensed Marriage And Family Therapist (LMFT)

Application:

(1) Submission of a completed application on the forms prescribed by the Board (See 536-X-5 APPENDICES 2: FORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE RULES AND REGULATIONS); and submission of applicable fees prescribed by the Board (See 536-X-5 APPENDICES 1: FEES).

(2) Evidence that the applicant is of good moral character and has not or is not engaged in any practice or conduct that would make the applicant ineligible to receive a license pursuant to the Marriage and Family Therapy Licensure Act;

Education/Transcripts

(3) Completion of the education, internship, clinical, and supervision requirements for a licensed MFT Associate (See 536-X-2-.05): (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy Associate (LAMFTA)); Submission of transcripts REQUIRED.

National Examination:

(4) Passed the marriage and family therapy examination approved by the Board (See 536-X-4-.07 Guidelines for Examination Application Requirements);

Direct Clinical and Supervision Hours:

(5) Completion of a minimum of two (2) years post degree per week MFT work experience under the supervision of a Board Approved Supervisor as a licensed MFT Associate;

(6)(a) Completion of two-hundred (200) hours of supervision, one-hundred (100) of which must be individual. Candidates may count up to one-hundred (100) supervision hours earned during the graduate program toward this requirement, when based on a ratio of one (1) supervision hour for every five (5) client contact hours completed concurrently. The remaining one hundred (100) hours of post-degree supervision must include at least fifty (50) hours of individual supervision. Applicants from allied mental health professions or candidates not completing a graduate internship must complete concurrently the full supervision requirement post-degree while being supervised by an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, AAMFT Supervisor Candidate, ABEMFT Approved Supervisor, or ABEMFT Supervisor Candidate.

(b) All out-of-state applicants will be reviewed case-by-case to ensure that the same standards are met.

(7) Completion of a minimum of one-thousand (1000) post-degree direct client hours completed concurrently with the required ratio of one (1) supervision hour to every ten (10) client contact hours at least two hundred-fifty (250) of these direct contact hours must be with couples or families physically present in the therapy room. Additionally, group therapy may be counted but cannot be considered "relational" unless the memebrs of the group live with in the same household (including residential treatment or multi family groups.

In Addition:

(a) The board must receive a written letter by the Approved Supervisor or Program Director for the university or training center outlining the hours accumulated beyond the 500 and the ratio of supervision to clinical contact.

(8) For an MFT license to be renewed, the licensee must have completed the required Continuing Education or Experience Units during the previous twenty-four (24) months. (see 536-X-6 REQUIRED RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL AND CONTINUING EDUCATION EXPERIENCE); and submission of applicable fees for license renewal prescribed by the Board (See 536-X-5: APPENDICES 1: FEES).

History

• Author: The Alabama Board of Examiners in Marriage and Family Therapy
• Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §§34-17A-1 thru 34-17A-26.
• New Rule: Filed July 10, 2006; effective August 14, 2006. Amended: Filed February 9, 2007; effective March 16, 2007. Amended: Filed February 8, 2012; effective March 14, 2012. Amended: Filed June 19, 2019; effective August 3, 2019. Amended: Published August 31, 2023; effective October 15, 2023. Amended: Published December 31, 2024; effective February 14, 2025.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 536-X-2-.03 Endorsement Of An Individual Who Is Licensed/Registered As An MFT Under The Laws Of Another State Or Territory Of The United States Or Of A Foreign Country

(1) Submission of a completed application on the forms prescribed by the Board; (See 536-X-5 APPENDICES 2: FORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE RULES AND REGULATIONS); and submission of applicable fees prescribed by the Board (See 536-X-5 APPENDICES 1: FEES).

(2) Evidence that the applicant is of good moral character and has not and is not engaged in any practice or conduct that would make the applicant ineligible to receive a license pursuant to the Marriage and Family Therapy Licensure Act;

(3) Evidence that the applicant is licensed or registered as a marriage and family therapist in another state which has requirements for licensure/registration that are equivalent to or exceed the requirements of the Board.

(4) Certification from the applicant’s current licensure board indicating the time during which the applicant was licensed/registered; whether the file of the applicant contains any record of disciplinary actions taken or pending; and examination(s) taken and examination score(s) received.

(5) Licensed MFT’s from any of the other 49 states of the United States are automatically eligible for an Alabama licensure by endorsement following the verification of moral character, evidence of licensure, certification of no disciplinary actions, and verification of three credit semester or four credit quarter course in mental health diagnosis.

(6) For an MFT license to be renewed, the licensee must have completed the required Continuing Education or Experience Units during the previous twenty-four (24) months. (see 536-X-6 REQUIRED RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL AND CONTINUING EDUCATION EXPERIENCE); and submission of applicable fees for license renewal prescribed by the Board (See 536-X-5: APPENDICES 1: FEES).

History

• Author: The Alabama Board of Examiners in Marriage and Family Therapy
• Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §§34-17A-1 thru 34-17A-26.
• New Rule: Filed July 10, 2006; effective August 14, 2006. Amended: Filed February 8, 2012; effective March 14, 2012. Amended: Published May 29, 2020; effective July 13, 2020. Amended: Published August 31, 2023; effective October 15, 2023. Amended: Published November 26, 2025; effective January 10, 2026.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 536-X-2-.04 Licensed Marriage And Family Therapy Associate (LAMFTA)

An individual who has graduated from a regionally accredited educational institute with a master's or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy (or in an allied field with graduate level course work in marriage and family therapy) that meets the Board course, clinical internship, and supervision requirements, and is practicing marriage and family therapy under a Board approved supervisory arrangement to complete the minimum two-year postgraduate supervision requirement, as approved by the Board. An individual may remain licensed as an MFT Associate for a maximum of five (5) years.

History

• Author: The Alabama Board of Examiners in Marriage and Family Therapy
• Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §§34-17A-1 thru 34-17A-26.
• New Rule: Published August 31, 2023; effective October 15, 2023.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 536-X-2-.05 Requirements For Licensure: Licensed Marriage And Family Therapy Associate (LAMFTA)

(1) Submission of a completed application on the forms prescribe by the Board (see 536-X-5 APPENDICES 2: FORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE RULES AND REGULATIONS); and submission of applicable fees for application and license prescribed by the Board (see 536-X-5 APPENCIES 1: FEES).

(2) Evidence that the applicant is of good moral character and has not and is not engaged in any practice or conduct that would make the applicant ineligible to receive a designation pursuant to the Marriage and Family Therapy Licensure Act;

(3) Graduating from a regionally accredited educational institute with a master's or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy (or in an allied field with graduate level course work in marriage and family therapy) meets the Board course requirements. (see 536-X-5: BOARD COURSE REQUIREMENTS).

(4) Completion of an internship either during the qualifying degree or as a post-degree experience consisting of the following:

(a) minimum of 12 months of the internship;

(b) minimum of 100 supervision hours based on the ratio of one (1) supervision hours for every five (5) direct client contact hours completed concurrently; fifty (50) of these hours must be individual supervision. Group supervision is encouraged. A Board Approved Supervisor must provide the supervision;

(c) minimum of five hundred (500) direct client contact hours obtained concurrently with the required supervision; two hundred fifty (250) of these direct client contact hours must be with couples or families physically present in the therapy room.

(5) MFT Associates are continuously practicing under supervision by an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, AAMFT Supervisor Candidate, ABEMFT Approved Supervisor, or ABEMFT Supervisor Candidate.

(6) It is the responsibility of the candidate and the supervisor to ensure that direct client contact hours and supervision hours are concurrent. This applies for hours toward the internship and post-degree requirements.

(7) Submission of a contract for supervision that must be approved by the Board (see 536-X-1-.01(11): Definition of Terms: Supervision).

(8) For an MFT Associate license to be renewed, the Associate must have completed the required Continuing Education Units during the previous twenty-four (24) months. (see 536-X-6 REQUIRED RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL AND CONTINUING EDUCATION EXPERIENCE); and submission of applicable fees for license renewal prescribed by the Board (see 536-X-5: APPENDICES 1: FEES).

History

• Author: The Alabama Board of Examiners in Marriage and Family Therapy
• Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §§34-17A-1 thru 34-17A-26.
• Filed: June 20, 2023;
• *Editor's note: As per certification filed March 21, 2005; effective April 25, 2005, original Rule 536-X-3-.02 (see below) and was repealed and previous Rule 536-X-3-.03 was renumbered to 536-X-3-.02. See history for original rule below:

536-X-3-.02 Requirements for Designation: Marriage and Family Therapy Associate (MFT Associate). Author: Connie J. Salts, Ph.D. Statutory Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §§34-17A-1 thru 34-17A-26. History: New Rule: Filed November 15, 200; effective December 20, 2000. Repealed: Filed March 21, 2005; effective April 25, 2005.

Chapter 536-X-2 was renumbered Chapter 536-X-3 as per certification filed July 10, 2006; effective August 14, 2006.*