Is Marriage and Family Therapy Dying?

[R. Matey]

I'm curious how COMAFTE is fairing that now CACREP appears to be offering marriage and family degrees in what looks like a continued attempt to consolidate their reign over master's level training. Does any on in the know care to comment?

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[Lukewarm Counselor]

I'm curious how COMAFTE is fairing that now CACREP appears to be offering marriage and family degrees in what looks like a continued attempt to consolidate their reign over master's level training. Does any on in the know care to comment?

While I am certainly not in the inner loop on this subject (far from it!), I can offer some general lay speculation. I do feel it is a worthwhile conversation. At least in my region, COMAFTE appears to be less relevant every day. While our licensing board here still lists COMAFTE in their language, not a single institution in the entire state actually holds this accreditation. We do have multiple programs locally that prepare students for MFT licensure (they actually claim dual LPC/MFT license eligibility), but these programs are all CACREP. Based on their curriculum, it appears they could become COMAFTE if they wished. But again, for whatever reason, they elect to seek only the CACREP label.

I do know of a popular for-profit online school that offers a program that is accredited by both COMAFTE and CACREP. But this is likely just a marketing gimmick. I see no meaningful advantages of having both. It is my understanding that most states (and third-party payers) visualize the LPC and MFT essentially as the same credential. By this I mean they are both grouped together as mid-level "counselors." (Separate from LCSWs and Psychologists)

Again, this is purely speculation. But CACREP is gobbling up the last remaining ghosts on the mid-level side. Though I doubt COMAFTE is going away anytime real soon, I do assume they will eventually follow CORE and merge with CACREP. I just do not see any other potential pathways at this time.

Interesting side note: For whatever reason, at least in my state, the MFT license only requires an alarmingly low (400?) minimum hours of practicum/internship component. I have no clue what COMAFTE holds to as a minimum. But the CACREP programs here that lead to MFT licensure could, perhaps be considered superior at least in the clinical training phase.

 

[R. Matey]

Yeah, this maps on to what my counselor educator friends have been telling me: namely that with CACREP guidelines for MFT programs basically gives program the option of having one accrediting body per subspecialty thus making a separate COAMFTE credential essentially unnecessary, but I wasn't sure how wide spread that is. State boards don't seem to care either way b/c they are viewed essentially as LPCs from what I've seen. In my state, the same board regulates both, but in contrast to yours, the MFT credential is a bit harder to obtain because of specific coursework and hours requirements.

 

[foreverbull]

Considering the emphasis put on dissolution of the nuclear family over the last 30 years, probably so

How so?

 

[WisNeuro]

How so?

Are you sure you want to feed the Incel/MAGA trolls?

 

[foreverbull]

Are you sure you want to feed the Incel/MAGA trolls?

Sometimes the temptation to engage becomes strong....

 

[R. Matey]

Yeah, I stopped reading at Pepe the Frog