As a future licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) in South Carolina, your first order of business is choosing a program that prepares you to work with individuals, couples, and families of all types. Fortunately, South Carolina is home to exceptional in-state programs that can help you reach your goals.
But, if an online education is more your style, there are out-of-state options that enable you to complete your coursework remotely while still getting valuable face-to-face work experience prior to graduation. If you’re already a working professional or simply have too many obligations in life as it is, an online marriage and family degree is the way to go.
Below is an outline of some of the popular programs worth your consideration. In each case, you’ll find a well-designed degree with experienced faculty who will lead you toward your career goals.
Marriage and Family Therapy Programs in South Carolina
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering marriage and family therapy graduate programs in South Carolina:
- Converse University
- University of South Carolina
- Liberty University
- Touro University Worldwide
- Northwestern University
- Walden University
- National University
- Grand Canyon University
Converse University
Master of Marriage and Family Therapy
The Master of Marriage and Family Therapy from Converse University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). It is the only COAMFTE-accredited program in the state, making it a top choice for your education. You can complete this degree at Converse’s Spartanburg campus or at the University Center in Greenville.
At 63 credits, this program will take you two full calendar years (five academic semesters and two January terms) to complete. During that time, you’ll participate in on-campus coursework and training as well as off-campus clinical training at an approved internship location.
The program begins with core coursework in areas like the following:
- Systems of Family Therapy I
- Basic Techniques of Marriage and Family Therapy
- Cultural Competence and Family Therapy
- Couples Therapy
Once you’ve acquired the essential skills taught in the classes listed above, you’ll complete a pre-clinical practice course during the January term. This course is an opportunity to put your learning into action; you’ll observe clinicians in marriage and family therapy situations and have opportunities to participate in activities like couples therapy and individual sessions with family members as well.
From there, you’ll begin to work on advanced coursework. For example, you’ll take a DSM-5 in Marriage and Family Therapy class that explores the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. You’ll learn about common disorders, like depression and anxiety, and examine how to use the DSM-5 as a tool for diagnosing your clients. Furthermore, you’ll develop an understanding of why diagnosis is so critical and how to use diagnostic tools to help you develop a sound treatment strategy.
Additionally, you’ll take Advanced Applications I and Systems of Family Therapy II. Broadly speaking, these courses introduce you to strategies and techniques you can use in family therapy to help individuals and couples make positive strides toward better functioning. An example of this might be learning how to use family sculpting–a technique in which families are physically arranged according to how each person sees their relationships–to achieve any number of goals, including:
- Improving communication.
- Identifying and breaking through barriers between family members.
- Resolving conflicts between family members.
- Developing boundaries.
- Identifying each person’s role in the family system.
This degree requires you to develop competency in treating special populations, too. For example, you’ll take Child Psychopathology, Treatment of Sexual Issues, and Individual Psychopathology. These and other courses help you understand how mental disorders manifest in a variety of clients and what you can do to help treat disorders of all types.
Naturally, one of the most important aspects of this program is the series of clinical practicums. You’ll complete a practicum experience in each of the seven terms you’re enrolled. This is advantageous because you get to extend your field-based learning over a longer period of time rather than having a smattering of clinical experiences with a year-long internship at the end.
You can complete an online application for this program if you feel like it’s a good fit. The following requirements must be met to be considered for admission:
- Have a bachelor’s degree in any field from an accredited college or university.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Provide catalog descriptions of any graduate-level coursework you’ve completed.
- Provide a current resume or curriculum vitae.
- Submit three letters of recommendation from references who are familiar with your academic and professional abilities.
- Submit a 1,000-word autobiographical statement.
- Submit a 750-word essay response in which you define general systems theory and connect it to your family system or one from pop culture.
Select applicants must also participate in a faculty interview.
University of South Carolina
Ed.S. in Counselor Education – Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling Emphasis
At the University of South Carolina, you can work toward an Ed.S. in Counselor Education with a Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling emphasis. The program offers training in the systemic perspective, which not only enables you to work with individuals, couples, and families, but also helps you identify resources for your clients that facilitate healthy relationships in the family system.
You must complete 66 credits to earn this degree. These credits are divided into several types:
- Core Coursework
- Human Growth and Development
- Research
- Specialization Courses
- Clinical Preparation
- Clinical Courses
More specifically, the core coursework focuses on assisting you with skills development. For example, you’ll learn about basic counseling theories and how they inform your approach to working with couples and families to resolve persistent issues. As another example, you’ll learn how to implement counseling techniques in therapeutic settings that help families improve communication, rebuild trust, and work towards positive development.
Furthermore, your core classes offer insights into other aspects of this career, such as multicultural counseling, assessment strategies, and enhancing the skills needed to lead group therapy sessions. Coursework focusing on legal issues and professionalism is also required.
The Human Growth and Development course focuses on the varying stages of the human experience. Having an understanding of how people change over the course of their lives is essential to also understanding the various challenges we face as we age. With this knowledge, you’ll be better equipped to assist clients–be they children, adults, or older adults–navigate the challenges that brought them to therapy in the first place.
This degree also requires you to complete a three-credit research course. Essentially, you’ll examine current professional literature in an effort to formulate an understanding of best practices in family therapy. More specifically, you’ll identify the types of clinical interventions you feel most comfortable using and conduct research on those strategies so you’re a more well-informed clinician.
You’ll take six credits of specialization classes as well. These classes focus on the models and theories pertaining to treating couples and families. You’ll learn how to provide resources to your clients to help them achieve their goals, work with clients of all ages and mental health needs, and how to model healthy ways of communicating and supporting a loved one.
The final two components required for this degree are the 12-credit clinical preparation sequence and a 9-credit sequence of clinical courses. Think of the clinical preparation courses as a pre-practicum–your primary role will be as an observer in a clinical setting, though you’ll also get your first taste of clinical practice as well. Completing this training helps boost your confidence as a therapist and prepares you for the practicum and internship.
As a practicing clinician in the practicum and internship, you’ll be responsible for developing advanced competencies in marriage and family therapy. You’ll build on your pre-practicum experiences by working on your own with individuals, couples, and families in a therapeutic situation. You’ll also be responsible for daily tasks associated with this job, such as billing insurance and writing case notes.
The admissions requirements are as follows:
- Have an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Submit a current resume.
- Submit a personal statement in which you discuss your academic and professional goals.
- Provide two letters of recommendation.
Liberty University
Master of Arts in Family and Marriage Therapy
Liberty University offers an online Master of Arts in Family and Marriage Therapy degree. This program requires you to attend two intensive experiences on campus in Lynchburg, Virginia. While traveling to campus for these intensives requires a good deal of time and effort, it is worth it given the skills and techniques you’ll perfect during your time with your classmates and professors.
This is a 60-credit program that typically takes about two years to complete. However, in addition to offering the flexibility of online classes, Liberty University also gives you up to seven years to complete the necessary requirements to graduate. Regardless of how long it takes you, you’ll need to complete a wide range of courses to earn your degree. Your coursework is divided into the following categories:
- Early Core Courses
- Advanced Core Courses
- Elective Course
- Specialization Courses
The early core coursework focuses on essential topics and skills that are necessary for you to develop as a marriage and family therapist. For example, you’ll take Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling so you’re familiar with issues that may arise as you work in pre-practice and as a licensed therapist. As another example, you’ll take Human Growth and Development as a means of analyzing the cognitive, physical, social, and personality changes your clients experience as they age.
Another early core course that’s vitally important is Counseling Techniques and the Helping Relationship. This course goes beyond theory and technique and helps you develop an appreciation for the importance of your relationship with your clients. Your professionalism in that relationship is critical; your ability to guide, mentor, and support your clients is one of the most important factors of being an effective marriage and family therapist.
The sequence of advanced core classes builds on the foundational skills you learn in the early core courses. On the one hand, you’ll learn additional techniques for working effectively with your clients. On the other hand, you’ll explore topics outside the therapeutic relationship, such as assessment and research. More specifically, you’ll take the following classes:
- Group Counseling
- Research and Program Evaluation
- Assessment Techniques in Counseling
- Career Development and Counseling
- Psychopathology
- Theories of Family Systems
This program also requires you to take one elective class. You are allowed to choose from two options: Human Sexuality or Substance Abuse Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention. These courses obviously focus on very different topics, yet both are extremely important for family and couples counseling. The course you choose depends on your personal interests as a therapist and your future career goals.
The specialization coursework is where you’ll focus on marriage and family therapy theory and techniques. First, you’ll take an Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment Planning in Marriage and Family Counseling that examines the major treatment approaches used in this field. You’ll work on the development of your counseling skills while also getting experience in assessing clients and preparing diagnoses. A critical component of this class is role-playing clinical situations with your classmates and professors.
You’ll also take a course entitled Counseling Children, Adolescents, and Their Families. This class explores everything from common mental disorders of childhood to issues related to the transition from childhood to adolescence. You’ll analyze issues related to parenting, spirituality, and social pressures, too.
Additional specialization courses include the following:
- Advanced Couples and Marital Counseling
- CPCE Comprehensive Exam
- Integration Comprehensive Exam
- 100-Hour Practicum
Beyond these classes and activities, you must also complete a two-part counseling internship. You must acquire at least 600 hours of counseling and related services over the course of the internship. Of those hours, at least 240 must be direct client contact time.
You can apply to Liberty University online. The requirements for doing so are as follows:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
- Have a 2.7 GPA or higher for all undergraduate work.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Provide the contact information for two recommenders.
- Submit a statement of purpose.
Touro University Worldwide
Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy
Another online option available to you as a South Carolina resident is the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from Touro University Worldwide. This COAMFTE-accredited program offers 100 percent online coursework with no campus visits required. What’s more, each class is just eight weeks long, so you can complete courses more quickly while also taking fewer classes at any given time.
The Marriage and Family Clinical Track, specifically, is what best prepares you for a future career as a therapist in this field. This track requires you to complete 72 credits, which typically takes about three years of full-time studies. Like the other programs on this list, Touro’s program requires you to take a variety of classes and complete numerous field experiences.
Your studies begin with a course on Contemporary Issues in Marriage and Family Therapy. This course focuses on the systems approach to therapy and is taught using a therapeutic perspective. In other words, the material you cover in class is directly tied to the practice of therapy. So, as you progress through the course, you’ll benefit from case studies, role-playing, vignettes, and other instructional tools that bring your learning to life.
Another early course you’re required to take is Foundations of Psychopathology. This class is important because it gives context to common psychological problems that affect systems-based relationships. For example, you’ll explore childhood disorders like ADHD as well as common psychological illnesses like personality disorders and mood disorders.
Other coursework you’ll take in the initial semesters includes the following:
- Couples Counseling
- Child-Focused Family Therapy
- Development Within the Family Life Cycle
- Psychopharmacology
- Society, Culture, and Gender: A Multicultural Approach
This program has a research component, too. The Research Methodology class explores key research approaches and statistics to provide you with a general overview of how research is conducted in the social sciences. You’ll learn how to design and conduct research as well as evaluate the research process for effectiveness. Furthermore, you’ll learn the value of being a good consumer of research as a method of informing your practice.
Many of the courses you’re required to take focus on specific age-related or systems-related issues. For example, you’ll take Substance Abuse and Recovery to learn how to assess, diagnose, and treat clients with substance use disorders. Furthermore, you’ll learn how to provide assistance to spouses, children, and other family members of someone who uses drugs.
As another example, you’ll take Aging, Illness, and Long-Term Care Solutions, which equips you to assist families in coping with the end-of-life issues of their older loved ones. You’ll participate in strategic training on age-related issues and explore both chronic and acute health concerns that can disrupt the family dynamic.
Additional coursework needed to complete this program includes the following:
- Treatment of Trauma in Families
- Ethics and Law for Marriage and Family Therapy
- Adolescent-Focused Family Therapy
- Studies in Communication
- Human Sexuality
The program’s final component is the clinical practicum, which encompasses six courses. You’re required to accrue at least 300 hours of client contact hours over the course of the practicum and will do so under direct supervision from an experienced marriage and family therapist. Since this is an online program, Touro University will work with you to identify a suitable practicum location near your hometown.
To apply, create a Touro University account and fill out the graduate application for admission. You must meet these requirements to apply:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
- Have a 2.5 cumulative undergraduate GPA or higher.
- Provide official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
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