Requirements for All Applicants

The following requirements apply to all applicants for a new (initial) Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) license, regardless whether you have taken the examination. Submit the following:

• Completed, signed and notarized application including the Affidavit section affirming that the applicant meets the qualifications in 24 Del. C., Chapter 30, Subchapter IV, Sections 3052(a) (1) through (8).
• Pro-rated processing fee by check or money order made payable to the "State of Delaware."
• Official transcript showing the highest graduate degree obtained in marriage and family therapy from a graduate program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). You must also complete and submit the COAMFTE Course Comparison Form if your graduate
• program of studies is not COAMFTE-accredited, or
• degree is not in MFT but is in counseling, social work, psychology, or psychiatry from a nationally accredited college or university.
• Completed Verification of Supervision Form showing verification of marriage and family counseling experience. The required marriage and family counseling experience must be not less than 3,200 hours over a period of at least two (2) years, but not more than four (4) years. Of the 3,200 hours, at least 1,600 hours must have been under professional direct supervision acceptable to the Board. The 1,600 hours must consist of a minimum of 500 hours of couple and family therapy and 500 hours of individual therapy. In addition, you must meet with your supervisor directly for a minimum of 100 hours. The remaining 500 hours may be split between couple and family or individual therapy. The supervisor must be a
• Delaware LMFT, or
• AAMFT-approved supervisor or approved supervisor candidate acceptable to the Board, or
• licensed professional counselor of mental health, licensed clinical social worker, licensed clinical psychologist, or licensed physician specializing in psychiatry with training in MFT.

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

In addition to meeting the above requirements, you must pass the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) examination with a minimum score of 70%. See the appropriate section below.

Applicants Who Need to Take the AMFTRB Examination

If you have not taken the AMFTRB examination, the Board will review your application and supporting material after you submit all of the documentation listed above. If all requirements are met, the Board will approve you for an LMFT contingent on passing the examination.

The Board office will provide you with instructions for registering for the examination. After you take the exam, the Interstate Reporting Service, www.amftrb.org, will send your scores to the Board office. If you pass, you will receive your license. If you fail, the Board office will notify you of your score.

You have two years from the date of your application to pass the exam. If you fail to pass within two years, you must re-apply.

Applicants Who Have Already Passed the AMFTRB Examination

If you have already passed the AMFTRB examination with a minimum score of 70%, request an official score transfer to be sent directly from the Interstate Reporting Service, www.amftrb.org, to the Board office. When your application and all supporting documentation (including the score transfer) are received, the Board will review your application at its next meeting.