MA degree in Marriage Counseling for international students at PLU

Embassy Pathway Program for international students

On successful completion of the Graduate English Transition Program, you can progress to this Master's degree at Pacific Lutheran University.

MA program overview

The MA in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) trains students to provide therapy from a systemic and multiculturally informed perspective with a wide range of mental health, couple, and family problems. This program combines classroom course work with an on-campus and off-campus clinical training experience.

AAMFT Accreditation

The Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Pacific Lutheran University is accredited by American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Course work

The MFT program involves 45-47 hours of coursework which includes the systems approach to therapy, reviews of the major models of Couple & Family Therapy, psychosocial pathology, professional issues and ethics, human and family development, human sexuality, and research methodology. You learn three models of therapy in depth and then develop your own integrated approach to therapy. A thesis is optional.

Core MFT program:

Human Development
Systems Approach to Marriage and Family Therapy
Family Development
Research Methods in Marriage and Family Therapy
Comparative Marriage and Family Therapy
Human Sexuality and Sex Therapy
Psychosocial Pathology: Relationship to Marriage and Family Therapy
Professional Studies in Marriage and Family Therapy
Practicum I
Theory I
Practicum II
Theory II
Practicum III
Theory III
Practicum IV
Development of a Personal Integrated Theory

Electives:

Extended Practicum V
Graduate Seminar
Research Project
Thesis

Internship requirement

The curriculum includes a total of 500 hours of combined therapy work in the on-campus clinic and in a community agency. PLU provides assistance with finding an internship site in a managed care environment. The Couple and Family Therapy Center is a training facility for all MFT students at PLU. The Center is focused on developing the therapeutic skills of students and services clients from the surrounding community.

Next steps:

Internship opportunities in marriage and family counseling

PLU places MFT students at various internship sites based on their specific requirements. All sites give interns practical experience in the mental health field, and offer unique qualities and opportunities for growth as a therapist.

Couple and Family Therapy Center

This clinic is located in the Marriage and Family Therapy Department at PLU. You spend your first semester of internship here performing therapy with a co-therapist from your class. You will work with a wide range of clients, which include individuals, families and couples. You have the opportunity to observe your colleagues perform therapy sessions from behind a one-way mirror. You meet with a supervisor for 2 hours per week about cases and discuss any questions or concerns.

Auburn Youth Resources

Approximately 30 minutes from the PLU campus, this placement clinic is for therapists-in-training interested in working with children. All clients are 18 years or younger with parent involvement left to the therapist's discretion. Resources include two case managers, a psychiatrist, and several on-staff family therapists.

Good Samaritan Hospital Behavioral Health

This clinic is located approximately 15 minutes from the PLU campus. All therapists-in-training work with a wide variety of clients including older adults, children, families in crisis situations and the chronically mentally ill. This internship site offers a unique experience for therapists to interact with the medical community.

Greater Lakes Mental Healthcare

This clinic is approximately 15 minutes from the PLU campus and provides a large agency experience. PLU interns work in Child and Family Services where the clients are children and adolescents accompanied by other family members. Therapists-in-training attend weekly required meetings that provide feedback on difficult cases and training on a variety of mental health topics.

Navos

Approximately 50 minutes from the PLU campus, Navos is one of the largest mental health service providers, offering the full spectrum of services. Interns at Navos work mainly in the Child and Family Services Department where they have the opportunity to work with families from diverse cultures and ethnicities.