Licensed Marital and Family Therapist (marriage and family therapist) · Missouri · regulated by Missouri State Committee of Marital and Family Therapists (Division of Professional Registration) · high confidence
| Pre-license credential | PLMFT (Provisional Licensed Marital and Family Therapist) or S-MFT (Supervised Marital and Family Therapist) |
|---|---|
| Supervised experience | A minimum fifteen hundred (1,500) hours of supervised experience in marital and family therapy direct client contact, in 24 to 60 calendar months (master's); 750 hours in 12-24 months (doctoral/specialist) |
| Direct client contact | 1,500 hours direct client contact (in person or HIPAA-compliant synchronous telehealth) |
| Supervision | minimum 104 hours; at least 75% individual |
| Minimum time | 24 calendar months (master's); 12 months (doctoral/specialist) |
| Time limit | 60 calendar months (master's); 24 months (doctoral/specialist). PLMFT valid at least 3 years, extendable for good cause |
| Exams | AMFTRB Examination in Marital and Family Therapy |
Supervision
- How much: minimum 104 hours; at least 75% individual
- How often: 'a maximum of two (2) hours every two (2) weeks or one (1) hour every week' of face-to-face and/or telehealth supervision; ≥15 hours experience per calendar month
- Group supervision: no more than 25% group; group = 3 to 6 supervisees with the registered supervisor
- Who may supervise: Missouri LMFT, LPC, psychologist, LCSW, or psychiatrist licensed ≥2 yrs with 5 yrs MFT clinical experience, plus AAMFT Approved Supervisor or 200 hrs supervising (100 systemic) + training + 20 hrs supervision-of-supervision; max 10 supervisees
When hours count and what to keep
- Before your degree: not counted; begins after educational requirements are complete
- Paperwork: Registration of supervision / change of supervision application (committee form); documentation of post-degree supervised experience with licensure application
Can you be supervised remotely in Missouri?
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: Supervision may be 'face-to-face and/or telehealth' with the registered supervisor. Telehealth means visually and verbally interactive, synchronous, on a HIPAA-compliant platform. At least 104 hours in total, at least 75% individual, with groups of 3-6. A supervision hour is at least 50 continuous minutes.
- Phone only: not allowed (telehealth defined as visually and verbally interactive)
- In-person minimum: none stated; supervision may be entirely telehealth
- Supervisor licensed in Missouri? required
- Supervisor credential: For supervision in Missouri: Missouri LMFT, LPC, psychologist, LCSW or psychiatrist license (at least 2 years licensed in any state), 5 years of MFT clinical experience, and either AAMFT Approved Supervisor status or 200 supervision hours (100 systemic) + MFT supervision coursework + 20 hours of supervision-of-supervision
- Supervisee cap: no more than 10 supervisees combined (S-MFTs, PLMFTs and other-discipline licensure candidates) at the same time
- Board approval first: required: registration of supervision must be filed and the committee sets the effective date. It includes a written affiliation agreement when applicable. Changes must be filed within 15 days.
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
20 CSR 2233-2.020, 2.021, 2.040 amended (filed Jan 7, 2026), effective July 30, 2026; the text above is that current version.
Where the rules are unclear
Missouri’s own documents disagree or are silent on these points. Ask the board if they affect you:
- 20 CSR 2233-2.020(8)(B) says 'a maximum of two (2) hours every two (2) weeks or one (1) hour every week' of supervision. The FAQ reads it as a required cadence ('one hour per week or 2hrs every 2 weeks'). Is this a minimum or a maximum?
In the board’s own words
“A minimum fifteen hundred (1,500) hours of supervised experience in marital and family therapy direct client contact.” — 20 CSR 2233-2.020(8)(A)✓ matched in the source
“in no less than twenty-four (24) calendar months and no more than sixty (60) calendar months” — 20 CSR 2233-2.020(8)✓ matched in the source
“must complete a minimum of one hundred four (104) hours of supervision, at least seventy-five percent (75%) of which must be individual” — 20 CSR 2233-2.020(8)(B)1.✓ matched in the source
“A maximum of two (2) hours every two (2) weeks or one (1) hour every week of face-to-face and/or telehealth supervision” — 20 CSR 2233-2.020(8)(B)✓ matched in the source
“one (1) hour every week of face-to-face and/or telehealth supervision with their registered supervisor” — 20 CSR 2233-2.020(8)(B)✓ matched in the source
“must complete a minimum of one hundred four (104) hours of supervision, at least seventy-five percent (75%) of which must be individual supervision” — 20 CSR 2233-2.020(8)(B)1✓ matched in the source
“Telehealth is defined as visually and verbally interactive and synchronized on a HIPAA compliant platform” — 20 CSR 2233-2.020(8)(A)1✓ matched in the source
“Supervision needs to be tracked according to actual face to face or telehealth hours with with the supervisee” — MFT Committee FAQ p.1✓ checked by hand
“direct client contact is face-to-face interaction between the client and PLMFT or S-MFT, whether in person or via telehealth” — 20 CSR 2233-2.020(8)(A)1✓ matched in the source
“A supervisor shall be licensed as a marital and family therapist, professional counselor, psychologist, clinical social worker, or psychiatrist in Missouri” — 20 CSR 2233-2.020(7)✓ matched in the source
“Designation as an approved supervisor by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy” — 20 CSR 2233-2.021(1)(C)2✓ matched in the source
“Five (5) years clinical experience in providing marital and family therapy” — 20 CSR 2233-2.021(1)(B)✓ matched in the source
5 more quotes are in the state explorer.
Other licenses in Missouri
- LPC (professional counselor)
- LCSW (clinical social worker)
- Psychologist
- All Missouri licenses · every state
Sources
- 20 CSR 2233-2.020(1)-(12) (Code of State Regulations, 6/30/26, p.4-6)
- RSMo 337.715.1(2)-(4)
- State Committee of Marital & Family Therapists FAQ p.1
- State Committee of Marital & Family Therapists Telehealth letter, Sept. 23, 2024
Checked against Missouri State Committee of Marital and Family Therapists (Division of Professional Registration)’s rules, statutes and publications on September 25, 2026. The board decides; if your situation is unusual, confirm with them.