Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (marriage and family therapist) · Michigan · regulated by Michigan Board of Marriage and Family Therapy (LARA, Bureau of Professional Licensing) · medium confidence
| Pre-license credential | Limited Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (educational limited license) |
|---|---|
| Supervised experience | a minimum of 1,000 direct client contact hours in supervised marriage and family therapy experience (post-degree), plus a 300-hour practicum |
| Direct client contact | 1,000 direct client contact hours; at least 1/2 with families, couples, or subsystems physically present in the therapy room |
| Supervision | not less than 200 hours; not less than 100 individual (no more than 1 other supervisee present) |
| Time limit | Limited license renewed annually, not more than 5 times (rule); statute: not renewed for more than 6 years |
| Exams | AMFTRB Marital and Family Therapy National Examination |
Supervision
- How much: not less than 200 hours; not less than 100 individual (no more than 1 other supervisee present)
- How often: at least 1 hour of supervision for each 5 hours of experience
- Group supervision: remaining supervision may be group, no more than 6 supervisees with 1 supervisor
- Who may supervise: Supervising licensed (fully licensed) marriage and family therapist
When hours count and what to keep
- Before your degree: 1,000 hours must follow the degree (or be part of a doctoral MFT program); separate 300-hour practicum is pre-degree
- Paperwork: Supervisor's Verification of 1,000 Direct Client Contact Hours form (one per supervisor); 300 Hour Supervision Evaluation form; Certification of MFT Education
Can you be supervised remotely in Michigan?
Mostly, with some limits. What shapes this: video status not stated.
- Video supervision: Statute requires supervision 'in face-to-face contact' with the supervisee; 'face-to-face' is undefined and neither the rules, LARA guides nor the 1,000-hour form say whether video counts
- Supervisor licensed in Michigan? other: statute requires a 'fully licensed marriage and family therapist' (licensed under the Public Health Code, i.e. Michigan); form accepts other-jurisdiction credentials for out-of-state experience
- Supervisor credential: None set by the state: no Michigan supervisor training or registration for the post-degree 1,000 hours
- Supervisee cap: Group supervision ≤6 supervisees per supervisor; individual supervision ≤2 supervisees (no more than 1 other present)
- Board approval first: Educational limited license 'should be held' for Michigan hours (statute: board 'may grant'); no supervision-plan approval found
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
MFT General Rules last amended eff. Nov 16, 2023 (2023 MR 22).
Where the rules are unclear
Michigan’s own documents disagree or are silent on these points. Ask the board if they affect you:
- Is the educational limited license mandatory for post-degree hours accrued in Michigan? MCL 333.16903(3) says the board 'may grant' it; the LARA licensing guide (rev. 1/26/2026) says it 'should be held'.
- LARA 1,000-hour supervision form (11-6-25) says 'at least one fifth of these hours' were supervision with no more than one other supervisee present (reads as ~200 individual); MCL 333.16909(1)(c)(iii) requires not less than 100 individual hours. Which applies?
- Does supervision via 2-way real-time video satisfy 'face-to-face contact' in MCL 333.16909(1)(c)(iii)? (Counseling and psychology rules expressly allow it; MFT is silent.)
- Do telehealth sessions with couples/families count toward the half of the 1,000 hours that must have clients 'physically present in the therapy room'?
In the board’s own words
“a minimum of 1,000 direct client contact hours in supervised marriage and family therapy experience” — MCL 333.16909(1)(c)✓ matched in the source
“at least 1 hour of supervision for each 5 hours of experience, for a total of not less than 200 hours” — MCL 333.16909(1)(c)(iii)✓ matched in the source
“Not less than 100 hours of supervision under this subparagraph shall be individual supervision with no more than 1 other supervisee present.” — MCL 333.16909(1)(c)(iii)✓ matched in the source
“A limited license is renewed annually and may not be renewed more than 5 times.” — Mich Admin Code R 338.7203(2)✓ matched in the source
“If the hours are completed in Michigan, an educational limited license should be held while accruing the experience.” — LARA MFT Licensing Guide (rev. 1/26/2026), p.4✓ matched in the source
“The board may grant a limited license to an individual who has met the requirements of section 16909(a) and (b)” — MCL 333.16903(3)✓ matched in the source
“At least one fifth of these hours were under supervision in which no more than one other supervisee was present.” — LARA Supervisor's Verification of 1,000 Direct Client Contact Hours form (11-6-25)✓ matched in the source
“The supervision shall be given in face-to-face contact with the individual obtaining marriage and family therapy experience.” — MCL 333.16909(1)(c)(iii)✓ matched in the source
“The remaining supervision under this subparagraph may be group supervision involving no more than 6 supervisees with 1 supervisor.” — MCL 333.16909(1)(c)(iii)✓ matched in the source
“shall be individual supervision with no more than 1 other supervisee present” — MCL 333.16909(1)(c)(iii)✓ matched in the source
“Practice only under the supervision of a fully licensed marriage and family therapist.” — MCL 333.16903(3)(c)✓ matched in the source
“Confine his or her practice to an organized health care setting or other arrangement approved by the board.” — MCL 333.16903(3)(d)✓ matched in the source
4 more quotes are in the state explorer.
Other licenses in Michigan
- LPC (professional counselor)
- LMSW-Clinical (clinical social worker)
- Psychologist
- All Michigan licenses · every state
Sources
- MCL 333.16909(1)(c) and (2)
- MCL 333.16903(3)
- Mich Admin Code R 338.7203(2), R 338.7205(d)-(e), R 338.7209 (PDF p.2-4)
- LARA MFT Licensing Guide (rev. 1/26/2026), p.2-3, 5
- LARA Supervisor's Verification of 1,000 Direct Client Contact Hours form (11-6-25)
- LARA MFT Educational Limited Licensing Guide (rev. 1/26/2026)
- MCL 333.16903(3)-(4) (Part 169 read in full: 16901-16915)
- MCL 333.16109(2) (Public Health Code definition of 'supervision', applies to all Article 15 professions)
Checked against Michigan Board of Marriage and Family Therapy (LARA, Bureau of Professional Licensing)’s rules, statutes and publications on September 25, 2026. The board decides; if your situation is unusual, confirm with them.