Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (marriage and family therapist) · Arizona · regulated by Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners (AzBBHE) · high confidence
| Pre-license credential | Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (LAMFT) |
|---|---|
| Supervised experience | one thousand six hundred hours of post-master's degree experience in at least twenty-four months ... must consist of direct client contact |
| Direct client contact | 1,600 direct client contact; ≥1,000 with couples or families; ≤400 psychoeducation and ≤400 crisis response (each ≥60% couples/families) |
| Supervision | at least 100 hours clinical supervision; ≥50 by LMFT or AAMFT Approved Supervisor; ≥25 individual |
| Minimum time | 24 months |
| Exams | AMFTRB MFT National Examination; deemed met if holding an active LAMFT |
Supervision
- How much: at least 100 hours clinical supervision; ≥50 by LMFT or AAMFT Approved Supervisor; ≥25 individual
- How often: At least 1 hour of clinical supervision in any month with direct client contact; sessions ≥30 minutes
- Group supervision: Up to 75 hrs in groups of 2; up to 50 hrs in groups of 3-6; ≥25 individual
- Who may supervise: ≥50 hrs by AZ LMFT or independent licensee with AAMFT Approved Supervisor; rest by LPC, LCSW, LMFT or psychologist; all meeting R4-6-214 training + AZ tutorial
When hours count and what to keep
- Before your degree: Not counted: after degree and state license; one year in an approved MFT doctoral internship may count toward the 1,000 couple/family hours (A.R.S. 32-3311(C))
- Paperwork: Online 'Verification of Supervised Work Experience' and 'Verification of Clinical Supervision' (submitted by employer/supervisor), incl. board-approved supervisor attestation
Can you be supervised remotely in Arizona?
Yes. Required supervision can be done entirely by live video, with no in-person minimum.
- Video supervision: Since Nov. 2, 2025, "clinical supervision" may be face to face, by video, by teleconference or by telephone. The old rule (2 face-to-face hours every 6 months, 90-hour video/phone cap) is gone. Only phone is capped, at 15 hours. At least 10 hours must involve the supervisor observing the supervisee with a client, which may be live, by video, by teleconference or by recording.
- Phone only: limited: no more than 15 of the 100 clinical supervision hours by telephone
- In-person minimum: None for agency-based work. In a board-approved supervised private practice, the associate and supervisor must meet individually at the practice location at least once every 60 days.
- Supervisor licensed in Arizona? required
- Supervisor credential: At least 50 hours must come from an Arizona Board-licensed MFT, or an independently licensed professional with the AAMFT Approved Supervisor designation. The rest may come from Board-licensed LPC, LCSW or LMFT or an Arizona psychologist. All need R4-6-214 education.
- Supervisee cap: Up to 6 clinical supervisors per applicant. Groups of 3-6 supervisees may supply up to 50 hours. A supervised-private-practice supervisor may oversee no more than 5 supervised private practices.
- Board approval first: None for agency-based supervision (no plan filing). A supervised private practice needs Board approval before any services, with 6-monthly supervisor reports.
- If you live outside Arizona: No location rule for agency-based work. Anyone treating a client located in Arizona by telehealth must be licensed by the Board. In a supervised private practice, the practice, the associate and the supervisor must all be physically in Arizona.
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.
Recent and pending changes
Rules amended effective Nov 2, 2025 (31 A.A.R. 3032): 3,200-hour total dropped from R4-6-603, crisis-response cap added, video cap removed. New supervisor-training standards Jan 1, 2027.
Where the rules are unclear
Arizona’s own documents disagree or are silent on these points. Ask the board if they affect you:
- Can an AAMFT Approved Supervisor licensed only in another state supervise the 50 required MFT hours? R4-6-604(B)(2)(b) omits a Board license, but R4-6-212(A) requires one.
In the board’s own words
“Completed one thousand six hundred hours of post-master's degree experience in at least twenty-four months in the practice of marriage and family therapy” — A.R.S. § 32-3311(A)(2)✓ matched in the source
“At least 1000 of the 1600 hours of direct client contact are with couples or families” — Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-603(A)(1)(a)✓ matched in the source
“For any month in which an applicant provides direct client contact, the applicant shall obtain at least one hour of clinical supervision.” — Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-603(B)✓ matched in the source
“Current Board RULES (effective November 2, 2025)” — AzBBHE Rules and Laws page✓ matched in the source
“Employers and Supervisors can now utilize the forms above to submit the required verification forms for their supervisees.” — AzBBHE Marriage and Family Therapy page✓ matched in the source
“The Board approves the marriage and family therapy licensure examination offered by the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards.” — Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-602(A)✓ matched in the source
““Clinical supervision” means direction or oversight provided either face to face or by virtual video or teleconference or telephone” — 4 A.A.C. 6 (Supp. 25-3, rules eff. Nov. 2, 2025), R4-6-101, R4-6-211, R4-6-212, R4-6-212.01, R4-6-214, R4-6-217, R4-6-1106✓ matched in the source
“No more than 15 hours of clinical supervision were provided by telephone;” — 4 A.A.C. 6 (Supp. 25-3, rules eff. Nov. 2, 2025), R4-6-101, R4-6-211, R4-6-212, R4-6-212.01, R4-6-214, R4-6-217, R4-6-1106✓ matched in the source
“Holds an active and unrestricted license issued by the Board, and” — 4 A.A.C. 6 (Supp. 25-3, rules eff. Nov. 2, 2025), R4-6-101, R4-6-211, R4-6-212, R4-6-212.01, R4-6-214, R4-6-217, R4-6-1106✓ matched in the source
“Completes the three clock hour Clinical Supervision Tutorial on Arizona Statutes/Regulations.” — 4 A.A.C. 6 (Supp. 25-3, rules eff. Nov. 2, 2025), R4-6-101, R4-6-211, R4-6-212, R4-6-212.01, R4-6-214, R4-6-217, R4-6-1106✓ matched in the source
“Was employed by the behavioral health entity at which the applicant obtained hours of clinical supervision.” — 4 A.A.C. 6 (Supp. 25-3, rules eff. Nov. 2, 2025), R4-6-101, R4-6-211, R4-6-212, R4-6-212.01, R4-6-214, R4-6-217, R4-6-1106✓ matched in the source
“The supervisor and behavioral health entity have a written contract providing the supervisor the same access to the supervisee’s clinical records” — 4 A.A.C. 6 (Supp. 25-3, rules eff. Nov. 2, 2025), R4-6-101, R4-6-211, R4-6-212, R4-6-212.01, R4-6-214, R4-6-217, R4-6-1106✓ matched in the source
8 more quotes are in the state explorer.
Other licenses in Arizona
- LPC (professional counselor)
- LCSW (clinical social worker)
- Psychologist
- All Arizona licenses · every state
Sources
- A.R.S. § 32-3311(A)(2)-(4), (C)
- Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-603 (Supp. 25-3, eff. Nov 2, 2025)
- AzBBHE Rules and Laws page ('Current Board RULES (effective November 2, 2025)')
- Arizona Administrative Register Vol. 32 (2026), Issue 39 Rulemaking Activity Cumulative Index (through Issue 38): no 4 A.A.C. 6 entries
- azleg.gov ARS Title 32 (notice: updated through 57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session, 2026)
- AzBBHE Marriage and Family Therapy page
- AzBBHE 'Supervised work experience and clinical supervision requirements - mft' (board guidance; quotes pre-2025 rule text but notes SB 1089)
- AzBBHE MFT Licensure Exam Information
Checked against Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners (AzBBHE)’s rules, statutes and publications on September 25, 2026. The board decides; if your situation is unusual, confirm with them.