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State Licensure and Credentialing

California Marriage and Family Therapist License (MFT)

Individuals who wish to become licensed and/or operate a private practice in California must specialize in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling to complete all of the academic requirements and a portion of the clinical requirements for a California Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) license. Obtaining the MFT license requires a large amount of time and personal commitment, and includes the equivalent of a one-year full-time internship and passing a written and an oral BBS examination after completing the master’s degree. The Department recommends that students contact the BBS and obtain a copy of the current MFT requirements. In most cases, applicants seeking the MFT license are facing a 4 to 6 year, full-time journey to licensure. To obtain additional information regarding intern registration or licensing requirements, please visit the BBS websites below:

BBS Website: www.bbs.ca.gov
MFT Licensure Website: www.bbs.ca.gov/Lic-req.htm

California Pupil Personnel Services Credential, School Counseling (PPS-SC)

California schools, kindergarten through high school, require their school counselors to have the PPS-SC. The California Commission on Teacher Creddentialing (CCTC) administers all PPS credentials. For more inforation please visit CCTC's website at: www.ctc.ca.gov

Professional Licensure in Other States

California does not currently offer a general practitioner's license for professional counselors. For individuals who are interested in practicing outside the state, licensure as an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor), or its equivalent, is currently available in 47 states. Having a particular specialization is not necessary for this general counseling license; only the Master’s Degree in Counseling is required.

Individuals earning a Master’s Degree in Counseling from CSUS (regardless of specialization) who plan to move to one of the above-mentioned states may meet most or all of the qualifications to become licensed in that state after accomplishing the following: (1) completing a post-graduate internship under the supervision of a licensed counselor, and (2) passing the State counseling licensure examination. In addition to serving as evidence of training and competence, a counseling license legally entitles individuals to operate a private practice if they wish. For more information on professional counseling licensure in other states, one should contact the designated licensing board for the applicable state.