Students must complete 500 supervised clinical hours of direct client contact with individuals, couples, families, and therapy groups at approved practicum sites prior to graduation. Two hundred and fifty of those hours must be therapy with couples or families.
Students begin gaining clinical experience in their first semester in the MFT department’s Couple and Family Therapy Center, by observing and discussing ongoing therapy cases in small teams conducted by more experienced therapists. In addition, they partner with existing therapists to do time-limited couple enrichment sessions. They begin carrying a client caseload in their second semester, and continue seeing clients in the Center through the summer and fall of their second year.
The department develops and maintains partnerships in the community to provide clinical experience opportunities in hospitals, behavioral health clinics, health centers, private practices, and community non-profits. Internships start in the second year and students gain pre-employment experience alongside licensed mental health professionals.