Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling

Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) are mental health professionals and relationship specialists trained to assess, diagnose, and treat individuals, couples, families, and groups to achieve more adequate, satisfying, and productive intimate relationship, family, and social adjustment (California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists: Who are LMFTs; Board of Behavioral Sciences Statutes & Regulations Section 4980.02).

As a discipline within the counseling profession, marriage and family therapy emphasizes that an individual’s personal development, mental health functioning, and counseling concerns are embedded within familial-relational-societal systems. MFTs are trained to utilize a developmentally informed systemic-familial-relational orientation. In addition to counseling families and couples, MFTs specialize in providing assessment, diagnosis, and intervention to individuals across the lifespan from a systemic-familial-relational perspective. MFTs examine behavior in its social and relational context, and integrate an understanding of normative adjustment processes of the various stages of family life. MFTs trained at SF State embody the multicultural and social justice orientation of the Department of Counseling in their approach to psychotherapy.

The MFCC Specialization in the Department of Counseling is one of the counseling specialty areas accredited by the national Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP). Our program emphasizes a culturally-informed and inclusive approach to the understanding of family dynamics and constellations. In addition to being trained as counseling generalists, students in the MFCC specialization receive training in:

  • multicultural and social justice informed perspectives to working with couples and family systems;
  • child, adolescent, and school-based therapy,
  • advanced theory and skills in the systemic-familial approach to counseling clients from various developmental stages and human sexuality.

Students who complete this specialization will have satisfied the educational requirements and be eligible to register as an Associate MFT to complete post-degree hours and sit for licensure examinations necessary to be licensed as an Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) by the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) in the State of California. Graduates from this specialization are typically employed in community mental health, hospitals, private practice, crisis and trauma centers, and educational settings.

The counseling profession embraces a diversity of disciplines. Yet, professional counseling associations, national accreditation bodies, and state licensing boards have not provided, nor have they agreed on, any clear and consistent definitions that demarcate and differentiate the roles and functions of these specialty areas. Those who wish to pursue the MFCC specialization should determine if the cultural-systemic-familial-relational treatment philosophy is best compatible with your professional identity and orientation when providing assessment, diagnosis, and intervention to individuals, children, families, couples, and relationship partners. For more information about MFTs in California, visit CAMFT’s Informational Page

A note about terminology: the Department is aware that the term MFCC (Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling) has been replaced by MFT (Marriage and Family Therapy). However, since MFCC appears in the degree title, which can only be changed by the University’s Chancellor's Office, we will use the term MFCC when referring specifically to the degree. We will use the term MFT when referring to the program as the field.

Tiffany_O'Shaughnessy

Tiffany O'Shaughnessy
Associate Professor
MFT Counseling Coordinator

  • Division of Graduate Studies Application (Cal State Apply)

    • Resume
    • Unofficial Transcript(s)
    • Personal Statement and Affidavit of Authorship
    • Summary of Experience Form 
    • Letters of recommendation
  • Writing assessment
    After admissions decisions are made, Coordinators will determine the incoming student's readiness for graduate level writing. This assessment will use the Personal Statement. It is essential that the applicant is the sole author of their personal statement (a verification of authorship is required in the application). Once admitted, students who have demonstrated a need to strengthen their writing skills will be required to take a writing course (HSS 700) in their first semester of the program. Students can also self-select to take the writing course for greater success in graduate level writing.
  • In-person interview (depending on Specialization)

Licensure to practice as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California is administered and regulated by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS). The MFCC specialization meets all the educational requirements for LMFT as delineated by BBS. For details of educational and degree requirements, supervised traineeship hours, pertinent licensing examinations, and the process of applying for licensure, consult the following resources:

California Board of Behavioral Sciences: California Board of Behavioral Sciences

California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists: California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists

Curriculum

Required Counseling Courses
Course  Title  Units
COUN 700 Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy 3
COUN 702 Developmental Foundations for Counselors 3
COUN 703 Psychological Foundations for Counselors 3
COUN 705 Counseling Practicum 3
COUN 706 Counseling Skills and Process 3
COUN 715 Assessment in Counseling 3
COUN 720 Career Counseling 3
COUN 736 Advanced Counseling Process 3
COUN 738 Addictions 3
COUN 794 Seminar in Research 3
COUN 811 Group Counseling Process 3
COUN 827 The Consultation Process 1
COUN 833 Social and Cultural Foundations in Counseling 3
COUN 857 Law and Ethics for Counselors 3
COUN 858 Couple and Family Counseling I 3
COUN 859 Counseling Aspects of Sexuality 2
COUN 860 Couple and Family Counseling II 3
COUN 861 Seminar on Child Treatment 3
COUN 890 Integrative Counseling and Internship 3
COUN 891 Case Studies and Internship Seminar 3
COUN 892 Culminating Experience for Counselors 3
Total   60

1st Semester - Fall

Course  Title  Units
Coun 702 DevelopmentalFoundations 3
Coun 705 Counseling Practicum 3
Coun 706 Counseling Skills and Process 3
Coun 833 Sacial & Cultural Foundations 3
Coun 857 Law & Ethics in Counseling 3

2nd Semester - Spring

Course  Title  Units
Coun 700 Theories of Counseling 3
Coun 703 Psychological Foundations 3
Coun 736 Advanced Counseling Process & Internship 3
Coun 738 Addictions Counseling 3
Coun 861 Child Treatment 3

3rd Semester - Fall

Course  Title  Units
Coun 720 Career Counseling 3
Coun 794 Seminar in Research 3
Coun 811 Group Counseling Process 3
Coun 858 Group & Family I 3
Coun 890 Integrative Counseling / Internship 3

4th Semester - Spring

Course  Title  Units
Coun 715 Assessment in Counseling 3
Coun 827 Consultation 1
Coun 859 Counseling Aspects of Sexuality 2
Coun 860 Couple & Family II 3
Coun 891 Case Studies/Internship 3
Coun 892 Culminating Experience 3

1st Semester - Fall

Course  Title  Units
Coun 702 DevelopmentalFoundations 3
Coun 833 Sacial & Cultural Foundations 3
Coun 857 Law & Ethics in Counseling 3

2nd Semester - Spring

Course  Title  Units
Coun 700 Theories of Counseling 3
Coun 703 Psychological Foundations 3
Coun 715 Assessment in Counseling 3
Coun 738 Addictions Counseling 3

3rd Semester - Fall

Course  Title  Units
Coun 705 Counseling Practicum 3
Coun 706 Counseling Skills and Process 3
Coun 720 Career Counseling 3
Coun 794 Seminar in Research 3

4th Semester - Spring

Course  Title  Units
Coun 736 Advanced Counseling Process & Internship 3
Coun 827 Consultation 1
Coun 859 Counseling Aspects of Sexuality 2
Coun 861 Child Treatment 3

5th Semester - Fall

Course  Title  Units
Coun 811 Group Counseling Process 3
Coun 858 Group & Family I 3
Coun 890 Integrative Counseling / Internship 3

6th Semester - Spring

Course  Title  Units
Coun 860 Couple & Family II 3
Coun 891 Case Studies/Internship 3
Coun 892 Culminating Experience 3