Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (marriage and family therapist) · Alabama · regulated by Alabama Board of Examiners in Marriage and Family Therapy (ABEMFT) · high confidence
| Pre-license credential | Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy Associate (LAMFTA / MFT Associate) |
|---|---|
| Supervised experience | minimum of one-thousand (1000) post-degree direct client hours, over a minimum of two (2) years post degree |
| Direct client contact | 1,000 post-degree direct client hours; ≥250 with couples/families physically present |
| Supervision | 200 hours total, 100 individual; up to 100 from graduate program (1:5 ratio); ≥100 post-degree incl. ≥50 individual |
| Minimum time | 2 years post-degree |
| Time limit | MFT Associate license for a maximum of 5 years |
| Exams | AMFTRB National Examination in Marital and Family Therapy |
Supervision
- How much: 200 hours total, 100 individual; up to 100 from graduate program (1:5 ratio); ≥100 post-degree incl. ≥50 individual
- How often: 1 supervision hour per 10 client contact hours, concurrent; typically ~1 hour weekly for 2 years
- Group supervision: Group = no more than 6 supervisees; individual = 1 supervisor with up to 2 supervisees
- Who may supervise: AAMFT Approved Supervisor/Candidate or ABEMFT Approved Supervisor/Candidate; case-by-case approval if hardship
When hours count and what to keep
- Before your degree: Up to 100 of 200 supervision hours from graduate program; the 500-hour internship may be pre- or post-degree
- Paperwork: Contract for supervision (board-approved); MFT 10 Record of Supervision Form for internship and 2-year post-degree supervision; supervisor letter on hours beyond 500
Can you be supervised remotely in Alabama?
Yes by video, but the supervisor needs a state-specific supervisor credential and the board must approve the arrangement first. What shapes this: state-only supervisor credential, prior board approval.
- Video supervision: Face-to-face supervision hours may be delivered electronically when the supervisor is an AAMFT Approved Supervisor or Candidate, or an ABEMFT Approved Supervisor or Candidate. The link must be both visual and oral at the same time. No in-person share is set.
- Phone only: not allowed
- Supervisor licensed in Alabama? other: an ABEMFT Approved Supervisor must be an LMFT. AAMFT Approved Supervisors and Candidates meet the Alabama requirements without a stated Alabama-license condition.
- Supervisor credential: ABEMFT LMFT Approved Supervisor or Supervisor Candidate, or the AAMFT equivalent (which counts as meeting it). Case-by-case board approval is possible only on travel or financial hardship.
- Supervisee cap: Group supervision: no more than 6 supervisees. No per-supervisor total cap found.
- Board approval first: A board-approved contract for supervision must be submitted with the LMFT Associate application. A supervisee may not have more than 2 supervisors without Board approval.
The client’s location decides which state’s rules apply. This is not legal advice; confirm with the board before building a program. Compare every state on the remote-supervision map.
Where the rules are unclear
Alabama’s own documents disagree or are silent on these points. Ask the board if they affect you:
- Must an AAMFT Approved Supervisor who is not licensed in Alabama hold an Alabama LMFT to supervise an Alabama LMFT Associate? 536-X-4-.04(1) says "Is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist"; -.04(8) deems AAMFT supervisors to meet the requirements.
In the board’s own words
“Completion of a minimum of one-thousand (1000) post-degree direct client hours completed concurrently with the required ratio of one (1) supervision hour to every ten (10)” — Ala. Admin. Code r. 536-X-2-.02(7)✓ matched in the source
“Completion of two-hundred (200) hours of supervision, one-hundred (100) of which must be individual.” — Ala. Admin. Code r. 536-X-2-.02(6)(a)✓ checked by hand
“Completion of a minimum of two (2) years post degree per week MFT work experience under the supervision of a Board Approved Supervisor” — Ala. Admin. Code r. 536-X-2-.02(5)✓ matched in the source
“An individual may remain licensed as an MFT Associate for a maximum of five (5) years.” — Ala. Admin. Code r. 536-X-2-.04✓ matched in the source
“The face-to-face supervision hours may be conducted via electronic communications by an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, AAMFT Supervisor Candidate, ABEMFT Approved Supervisor, or ABEMFT Supervisor Candidate.” — Ala. Admin. Code r. 536-X-1-.01(7), (12) (definitions; Supp. 6/30/21)✓ matched in the source
“Acceptable electronic communication is defined as communication that is simultaneously interactive both visually and orally.” — Ala. Admin. Code r. 536-X-1-.01(7), (12) (definitions; Supp. 6/30/21)✓ matched in the source
“Group Supervision may consist of no more than six (6) supervisees, regardless of the number of supervisors.” — Ala. Admin. Code r. 536-X-1-.01(7), (12) (definitions; Supp. 6/30/21)✓ matched in the source
“A contract for supervision is required for all MFT candidates who are under supervision for MFT licensure” — Ala. Admin. Code r. 536-X-1-.01(7), (12) (definitions; Supp. 6/30/21)✓ matched in the source
“Without approval of the Board, a supervisee may not have more than two (2) supervisors.” — Ala. Admin. Code r. 536-X-1-.01(7), (12) (definitions; Supp. 6/30/21)✓ matched in the source
“Submission of a contract for supervision that must be approved by the Board” — Ala. Admin. Code ch. 536-X-4, r. 536-X-4-.02, -.04, -.06 (rev. 3/17/25)✓ matched in the source
“AAMFT Approved Supervisors and AAMFT Approved Supervisor Candidates meet the requirements for Alabama MFT Approved Supervisors.” — Ala. Admin. Code ch. 536-X-4, r. 536-X-4-.02, -.04, -.06 (rev. 3/17/25)✓ matched in the source
“Requirements For Designation: LMFT Approved Supervisor. (1) Is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT);” — Ala. Admin. Code ch. 536-X-4, r. 536-X-4-.02, -.04, -.06 (rev. 3/17/25)✓ matched in the source
1 more quotes are in the state explorer.
Other licenses in Alabama
- LPC (professional counselor)
- LICSW (clinical social worker)
- Psychologist
- All Alabama licenses · every state
Sources
- Ala. Admin. Code r. 536-X-2-.02(3)-(7) (Requirements for LMFT)
- Ala. Admin. Code r. 536-X-3-.01(2) (MFT Associate designation)
- Ala. Admin. Code r. 536-X-1-.01(7), (8), (12) (definitions)
- Ala. Admin. Code r. 536-X-4-.04 and -.06 (Approved Supervisor; case-by-case)
- ABEMFT LMFT Application packet (form list)
- ABEMFT Permission to Sit for Exam packet
Checked against Alabama Board of Examiners in Marriage and Family Therapy (ABEMFT)’s rules, statutes and publications on September 25, 2026. The board decides; if your situation is unusual, confirm with them.