PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
Are you interested in a professional career as a Couple/Marriage and Family Therapist?
Couple/Marriage and Family Therapy may be the exciting career that you are looking for. Do you care about people, interested in promoting healthy relationships? This career may be for you. Being a Couple/Marriage and Family Therapist allows you the opportunity to witness personal growth, healing in relationships, and the resilience that couples and families have to make positive changes in their lives together.
To become a RMFT, you must have a minimum of a qualifying Master’s Degree and acquire the required clinical experience and supervision hours of training. Often a bachelor’s degree in various disciplines such as psychology, social work, or nursing, will be accepted as a prerequisite for entry into a Master’s program for couple/marriage and family therapy (see below).
If you decide to pursue a career in Couple/Marriage and Family Therapy after you have received a Master’s degree in a related discipline, you may attain RMFT status so long as you have obtained a qualifying degree and take any required additional courses in Couple/Marriage and Family Therapy.
Courses & degrees in Couple/Marriage and Family Therapy
ALBERTA
University of Calgary
Professional Certificate in Couple and Family Therapy, Levels 1 & 2
The Couple and Family Therapy (CFT) professional certificates (Levels 1-2) and diploma, provide professionals holding master’s degrees in various disciplines (e.g. social work, nursing, psychology, counselling, public health, pastoral/theology, education) or degrees in law or family medicine or psychiatry with advanced practice skills in working with couples and families. The professional certificates and diploma in CFT allow working professionals to access professional development in a subject area that has not been available in Alberta for many years.
The program is offered online with a social work perspective to help families facing multiple stressors (e.g. unemployment, trauma, substance abuse, children’s diagnoses/difficulties, parenting, custodial issues) and/or are underserved.
The certificates at Levels 1 and 2 will each be comprised of four courses, and are pre-requisites for the Diploma which is comprised of a 350-hour supervised practicum.
Diploma in Couple and Family Therapy
To be admitted to the Diploma in Couple and Family Therapy, the student must have completed Certificate Levels 1 and 2 within the previous 4 years.
Students will be awarded the Diploma in Couple and Family Therapy after they have completed the 350-hour, supervised practicum. The required hours will be completed in the time allotted by the semesters of enrollment (e.g., fall/winter, spring/summer).
Website: University of Calgary
Contact:
Program Coordinator Dr. Monica Sesma Vazquez at [email protected]
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Trinity Western University
Master of Christian Studies in Marriage and Family Therapy: MCS-MFT
Master of Christian Studies in Marriage and Family Therapy at Trinity Western University provides the education and personal formation needed to become a registered marriage and family therapist (RMFT). You will be trained and equipped to help individuals and groups in their personal growth and in the context of their relationships, with a strong understanding of evidence-based treatments and hundreds of clinical practice hours in preparation for a career in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Contact: Dr. Estera Boldut, Program Director, Estera. [email protected]
MANITOBA
University of Winnipeg
Master of Marriage and Family Therapy
The Master of Marriage & Family Therapy (MMFT) program at the University of Winnipeg offers a clinical Masters degree designed for those who want a quality professional training program. Our program is accredited by the Commission for Accreditation for Marriage & Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), and consists of 63 credit hours total (24 credit hours across 4 practica and 39 credit hours in coursework). Most students complete the program in 4-6 years, taking 1-2 years of theory courses before proceeding into practicum. Under extenuating circumstances, when part-time study is not possible, the program may accommodate a student’s need for full-time study (3 years). Students are required to provide 500 clinical face-to-face hours, 250 of which are with couples and families. Practicum spots are provided for students as the program has a relationship with many sites and approved supervisors across Winnipeg and the surrounding area.
Website: University of Winnipeg
Contact: [email protected]
ONTARIO
University of Guelph
Masters of Science in Couple and Family TherapyThe University of Guelph, Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, graduate program in Couple and Family Therapy is an intensive program combining academic courses and clinical training. This master's degree program is accredited by the Canadian Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. The program is designed to produce sophisticated therapists and scholars by integrating contemporary theory, research competence, and systemic approaches to therapy and in the understanding and treatment of families today.
Website: University of Guelph
Contact: [email protected]
Advanced Certificate in Couples and Family Therapy Studies
- Take one or more courses for professional development or complete the 6 courses required for the certificate.
- If you are not yet a practitioner, explore a new career field and gain practical skills.
- If you are a current practitioner, acquire specialization in Couple and Family Therapy to assist you in your current practice.
- As a seasoned professional, keep abreast of key therapy topics, methods and approaches.
- Network with other professionals in your field.
- Work towards the course content requirements for CACFT/ACTCF Registered Marriage and Family Therapist membership.
Website: Advanced Certificate in Couples and Family Therapy Studies
Upcoming Courses: Schedule
Contact: c[email protected]
Saint Paul University
Master in Counselling and Spirituality in Couple and Family Therapy
The two year Masters in Counselling and Spirituality in Couple and Family Therapy Program at Saint Paul University in Ottawa allows a student to enter into the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) and gives them the foundational work to become a RMFT member of the Canadian Association for Couple and Family Therapy (CACFT/ACTCF).
1) The requirements for admission to the Saint Paul University Master in Arts in Counselling and Spirituality: Individual and Couple and Family Program:
- an honours bachelor's degree or its equivalent;
- 12 credits of theology or spirituality at university level;
- 48 credits in psychology, sociology, social work, health sciences, theology, or in related fields such as, but not exclusively, animation, social communications, mission sciences or conflict studies
Graduate Diploma in Couple and Family Counselling
The requirements for admission to the Saint Paul University Post-Graduate Diploma in Couple and Family Counselling:
- Hold a bachelor’s degree with honours or with a major in a related discipline such as counselling, spirituality, practical theology, health care, psychology, social work, pastoral studies or a discipline judged equivalent to these;
- Completion of 24 credits in total in psychology and sociology;
- Completion of 6 credits in theology or religious studies or a discipline deemed equivalent*;
- Completion of a counselling training with clinical experience (a minimum of 120 hours of supervised direct, face-to-face, contact with clients);
- An average of at least 70% (B)
Website: Saint Paul University
Tyndale University College and Seminary
Masters of Divinity in Counselling
The Masters of Divinity in Counselling program is designed to prepare graduates for employment in clinical counselling or church ministry settings. Students with a clinical focus are geared towards psychotherapy and the educational preparation for registration with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) and certification with professional counselling associations such as the Canadian Association of Couple and Family Therapy (CACFT/ACTCF). Graduates with a Pastoral Care and Counselling Focus are trained in issues such as: family conflicts, crisis intervention, and life transitions. Tyndale students gain counselling experience through solid counselling internships.
Website: Tyndale University College and Seminary
Contact: [email protected]
Québec
McGill University
Masters in Science in Couple and Family Therapy
The McGill School of Social Work proudly offers the Master of Science (Applied) in Couple and Family Therapy, an advanced clinical degree in couple and family therapy. This unique program prepares graduates for a career as a Couple and Family Therapist and qualifies for professional permits with the OTSTCFQ (t.c.f.) and OPQ (psychotherapist).
The educational objectives of the Master of Science (Applied) in Couple and Family Therapy are to train highly competent graduates with expertise in couple and family psychotherapy by integrating contemporary theory, research competence and varied approaches to therapy in the understanding and treatment of couples and families today. The program provides graduates with the skills and clinical competencies that will allow them to work with diverse couples and families, leading to employment opportunities in settings such as CSSSs, hospitals, Youth Protection, community organization, and private practice.
Website: McGill Couple and Family Therapy Program
Contact: [email protected]
l’Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Maîtrise en thérapie conjugale et familiale
Concernant le développement d’un programme de maîtrise universitaire francophone en thérapie conjugale et familiale au Québec, le Département de psychologie de l’Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) y travaille depuis 2020. Bien que la pandémie ait retardé ce projet, l’OTSTCFQ poursuit sa collaboration avec l’UQTR pour le développement du programme. Si la tendance se maintient, une première cohorte d’étudiant-e-s pourrait voir le jour à l’automne 2024.
SASKATCHEWAN
Briercrest College and Seminary
Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy
The Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT) degree provides a professional course of study that equips students for a vocation in the mental health sector and in specialized counselling ministries in church and parachurch organizations. The program is designed to help students meet the academic course requirements for pursuing RMFT membership within the Canadian Association for Couple and Family Therapy (CACFT). Graduates of the MA Marriage and Family Therapy program are eligible to obtain membership with the Professional Association of Christian Counsellors and Psychotherapists (PACCP) and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). It should be noted that recognition in each of these associations is independent of Briercrest’s program and that it is the student’s responsibility to pursue such recognition after graduation. The Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy degree takes a minimum of two and one-half to three years of full-time studies to complete.
Website: Briercrest Master of Arts Marriage and Family Therapy
Contact: Margaret Clarke for details
Address: P.O. Box 1064 Tottenham, ON. L0G 1W0 |