To become a licensed Marriage and Family Therapists requires the completion of a Masters degree as well as many tenuous hours of clinical supervision. Once the license has been obtained there are continuing education requirements in order to keep the license active. These requirements vary somewhat from state to state. Most states specify certain course content to be obtained and most states have some sort of minimum number of CEUs needed for each renewal period. In the past the daunting task for the MFT was finding the time and resources to attend workshops, seminars and conferences that usually took place outside of their local area. The good news is that now there are far more options via the internet which are not as time devouring and costly.
Publishing research papers can be one way to stay on top of the changes in addition to fulfilling the MFT CEU expectations. The amount of credit allowed for this type of activity will differ between states. At least, this option allows the MFT to use their time more wisely and efficiently. Time is a valuable commodity and it seems that more is expected in the same amount of time.
Satisfying MFT Continuing Education Requirements
Attending an in-person seminar or workshop has been the main-stay for achieving CEUs for MFTs. This, however, can be difficult for some. Fortunately, most states don’t make this a necessity for all of their continuing education requirements. All CE courses have to be completed within the time frame of the their license renewal period, which ranges from 2 to 4 years. And now there are a more choices and how to accomplish this.
As mentioned before, publishing professional papers is accepted for a limited number of MFT CEUs (up to 10 in many states). Documentation in the form of a bibliography or other verification must usually accompany this type of credit.
All licensed Marriage and Family Therapists must attend some face-to-face seminars as part of their CE fulfillment. The good news is that every state now permits licensees to use online CE providers to obtain a third to all of their CEUs. Each will vary in the total amount allowed through this venue. So, now as the thriving therapist provides tools for their clients to deal with their burdens, they too have a tool to deal with their burden of continuing education, in regards to time and finances. Now they have more resources to put back into their practice.
States will vary on the overall allowance of online programs to meet the requirements of MFT continuing education. This is why every licensed professional needs to stay on top of their own state board’s CE rules and regulations. Some states are leading the way in the promotion of online CE programs. The CA BBS permits all 36 required CEUs to be earned from an approved online CE provider. The only stipulation is that the program needs to be an interactive electronic CE program. If the program falls under more of a self-study program without the interactive electronic component, then these type of programs can only make up 18 of the 36 units required. California updated these rules in February of 2003. This is an example of the changing environment and the reliability of the online system of providers.
Aspira is a leader in online MFT CEUs, proving to be a valuable resource in obtaining continuing education for MFTs. Aspira offers many CEUs to choose from in an user-friendly website. Visit Aspira at www.aspirace.com today!