TITLE 16 OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL
LICENSING
CHAPTER 27 COUNSELORS AND THERAPISTS
PART 6 REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSURE AS A
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST (LMFT)
16.27.6.1 ISSUING AGENCY: Regulation and
Licensing Department Counseling and Therapy Practice Board
[16.27.6.1 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC
27.5.1, 6/15/2001]
16.27.6.2 SCOPE: All
individuals applying for licensure by examination as professional marriage and
family therapists.
[16.27.6.2 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC
27.5.2, 6/15/2001; A, 1/18/2023]
16.27.6.3 STATUTORY
AUTHORITY: These parts are promulgated
pursuant to the Counselor and Therapist Practice Act, Sections 61-9A-5,
61-9A-9, 61-9A-12, 61-9A-15, 61-9A-22, 61-9A-23, and 61-9A-24 NMSA 1978.
[16.27.6.3 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC 27.5.3, 6/15/2001; A, 11/30/2021]
16.27.6.4 DURATION: Permanent
[16.27.6.4 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC
27.5.4, 6/15/2001]
16.27.6.5 EFFECTIVE DATE: June 15, 2001 unless a later date is cited at the end of a section.
[16.27.6.5 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC
27.5.5, 6/15/2001]
16.27.6.6 OBJECTIVE: The objective
of Part 6 is to state the minimum requirements for licensure by examination as a
marriage and family therapist and to list the documentation required for
application.
[16.27.6.6 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC
27.5.6, 6/15/2001; A, 1/18/2023]
16.27.6.7 DEFINITIONS: [RESERVED]
16.27.6.8 SUPERVISION:
A. Supervision. No supervision is required to practice with a
LMFT independent license. The board
strongly recommends that all independently licensed counselors and therapists
have an ongoing consultation or peer review process in place.
B. Marriage
and family therapy core curriculum, means a curriculum for training marriage
and family therapists that includes 45 semester hours or 67.5 quarter hours of
graduate level coursework that embraces a family systems perspective and
consists of the following areas of graduate study:
(1) Marriage and family studies- a
minimum of nine semester hours or 12 quarter-hours of graduate coursework. Course content in this area may include the
study of the family life cycle, family development, family subsystems, family
theories, blended families, gender issues and families, cultural issues and
families, contemporary families, family and interpersonal relationships and
family crisis. All courses in this area
must come from a systems perspective where systems theory is a major focus of
the course.
(2) Marriage and family therapy - a
minimum of nine semester hours or 12 quarter hours of graduate coursework in
family therapy assessment, treatment and intervention methods. Major theoretical approaches that may be
studied include: strategic, structural, object relations family therapy,
behavioral family therapy, communication family therapy, intergenerational
family therapy and systemic sex therapy.
Courses should have a major focus on family systems theory and systemic
interventions.
(3) Human development - a minimum of nine
semester hours or 12 quarter hours of graduate coursework. Courses in human development across the life
span including special issues (e.g., culture, gender, human sexuality) would be
appropriate. Topic areas may include
human development, infant/child/adolescent development, psychopathology,
personality theory, and human sexuality.
Courses should have a systemic focus.
Testing and measurement courses are NOT acceptable in this area.
(4) Multicultural
studies - a minimum of three semester hours or four quarter hours of graduate
coursework, includes a systemic orientation relevant to diverse racial ethnic
populations.
(5) Professional
studies- a minimum of three semester hours or four quarter hours of graduate
coursework. Areas of study include legal
issues and responsibilities, professional liabilities, and ethics related to
the practice of marriage and family therapy.
Religious ethics and moral theology courses are NOT acceptable in this
area.
(6) Research
a minimum of three semester hours or four quarter hours of graduate
coursework. Courses in this area should
assist the student in understanding and performing research. Topical areas may include:
research design and methodology, quantitative methods and statistics. Personality and test and measurement courses
are NOT accepted in this area.
(7) Supervised
practicum - a minimum of six semester hours or eight quarter hours of graduate
coursework. As part of the six semester
hours or eight quarter hours of coursework, there must be a minimum of 300
hours of supervised direct client contact, for a period of at least 12
months. Practicum students may only
count hours in which they work directly with individuals, couples, and families
for the purpose of assessment, diagnosis and treatment in marriage and family
related issues.
(8) Electives
from any area listed above satisfy the 45 semester-hour or 67.5 quarter hour
requirement. Remaining course work would
be distributed as electives related to the areas listed above.
[16.27.6.8 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC 27.1.7.5, 6/15/2001; A, 7/1/2004; A,
2/10/2006; A, 11/30/2021]
16.27.6.9 APPLICANTS
FOR LICENSURE BY EXAMINATION: As a
marriage and family therapist (LMFT) must possess the following qualifications
and provide the required documentation with the application:
A. Age
requirement. Be at least 21 years of
age.
B. Applicant
must sign a statement provided in the application indicating the applicant has
read the code of ethics and agrees to be bound and governed by the code of ethics.
C. Hold
a master's or doctoral degree from an accredited institution in marriage and
family therapy, meets the requirements of the core curriculum in marriage and
family therapy.
D. Experience
requirements.
(1) A
minimum of two years' postgraduate marriage and family therapy experience.
(2) Evidence of having participated in a
total of at least 1,000 hours of postgraduate marriage and family clinical
client contact.
(3) 200 hours of appropriate postgraduate
marriage and family supervision, including at least 100 hours of individual
supervision. The appropriate supervision
must be received from an individual who has education, clinical experience and
supervisory experience in the field of marriage and family therapy.
E. Application
fee of $75.00.
[16.27.6.9 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC 27.5.8, 6/15/2001; A, 7/1/2004; A,
2/10/2006; A, 11/30/2021; A, 1/18/2023]
16.27.6.10 EXAMINATION: Applicants
must demonstrate professional competency by passing the examination for marital
and family therapy (PES).
[16.27.6.10 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC
27.5.9, 6/15/2001; A, 2/10/2006]
16.27.6.11 DOCUMENTATION
REQUIRED FOR LICENSURE BY EXAMINATION:
A. A
completed application as specified in 16.27.3.8 NMAC.
B. Proof
of education and experience requirements:
(1) the
applicant is required to submit an official transcript in a sealed envelope
from each institution contributing to the applicant's master or doctoral
degree; the transcript must be submitted with the application; applicants
educated in foreign institutions who are unable to submit certified official transcripts
shall submit a statement explaining why such transcripts are not available and
shall submit certified copies of the degree certificates granted, information
on the curricula offered, and any other documentation requested by the board. Applicants who have just graduated with an
appropriate degree field, and whose degrees have not yet been conferred by
their university, may submit the following documentation in while awaiting
official transcripts to become available:
(a) A
verification letter from a university official verifying
(i) their degree program;
(ii) that
all courses have been completed and they have earned passing grades;
(iii) their
degrees will be conferred by the university; and
(b) A
receipt verifying that they have ordered their transcripts to be sent to the
board office once their degree is conferred;
(2) a
statement from each supervisor in a sealed envelope on a form provided by the
board (attachment B) verifying the applicant's supervised experience and
setting forth the nature and extent of such supervision must be submitted with
the application; the statement shall verify that the applicant's performance
was in accordance with adequate counseling and therapy standards of practice;
if a supervisor's statement is not available, the applicant may submit
documentation explaining why the supervisor's statement is not available and
sworn affidavits from other individuals verifying that supervision took place
and describing the nature and the extent of the supervision;
(3) documentation of 1,000 hours of
postgraduate direct client contact hours in marriage and family therapy and 200
hours of appropriate postgraduate supervision in marriage and family therapy;
(4) if an applicant has been previously
licensed, registered or certified in another state, territory or foreign
nation, documentation of the applicant’s licensure, registration or
certification status shall be submitted on form A of the application;
[16.27.6.11 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC 27.5.10, 6/15/2001; A, 7/1/2004; A,
2/10/2006; A, 11/30/2021; A, 1/18/2023]
16.27.6.12 [RESERVED]
[16.27.6.12 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC 27.9.8&9, 6/15/2001; A, 7/1/2004; A,
2/10/2006; A, 1/15/2007; A, 11/30/2021; Repealed, 1/18/2023]
HISTORY OF 16.27.6 NMAC:
Pre-NMAC History: The material
in this part was derived from that previously filed with the State Records
Center and Archives under:
Rule 2, Definitions, 3/24/1994
Rule2, Definitions, 3/20/1995
Rule 5, Requirements for
Licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist, 3/24/1994
Rule 5, Requirements for
Licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist, 3/20/1995
Rule 9, Licensure Without
Examination, 3/24/1994
Rule 9, Licensure by
Credentials, 3/20/1995
Rule 10, Licensure by
Credentials, 3/24/1994
HISTORY OF REPEALED MATERIAL:
16 NMAC 27.5, Requirements
for Licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist - Repealed 6/15/2001
16 NMAC 27.9, Licensure by
Credentials - Repealed 6/15/2001