Post-Masters Therapy Experience Requirements

When applying by examination, you must arrange for the Board office to receive verification that you have provided the required hours of post-Masters marriage and family counseling.

• You must have post-Masters marriage and family counseling experience of at least 3,200 hours over a period of at least two, but not more than four, years. Of the 3,200 hours, at least 1,600 hours must have been under professional direct supervision acceptable to the Board.

• The supervisor(s) must be one of these:
  • Delaware-licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, or
  • American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) “approved supervisor,” or
  • AAMFT “approved supervisor” candidate who is acceptable to the Board, or
  • licensed marriage and family therapist from another state who has held a license in good standing for at least five years in that state and who has passed the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) exam.

• If none of the above supervisors is available, a licensed clinical social worker, licensed psychologist, licensed professional counselor of mental health, or licensed physician specializing in psychiatry with training in marriage and family therapy supervision may act as a supervisor upon Board approval.

• Any hours you complete under the supervision of a person who does not fit into one of the above categories will not count toward fulfilling the required 1,600 hours of supervised experience but may count toward the 1,600 hours of unsupervised experience.

• When the hours under all approved supervisors are combined, the 1,600 hours must span a period of at least two but not more than four consecutive years.  The hours must break down as follows:
  • 500 hours of couple and family therapy
  • 500 hours of individual therapy
  • 500 hours of any combination of couple and family or individual therapy (in addition to the above)
  • 100 hours of face-to-face clinical supervision with your approved supervisor(s).

For more information about the direct supervision requirements, refer to Section 5.1.2 of the Board’s Rules and Regulations.