Independent Marriage and Family Therapist (marriage and family therapist) · Ohio · regulated by Ohio CSWMFT Board, Marriage and Family Therapist Professional Standards Committee · high confidence
| Pre-license credential | MFT (Marriage and Family Therapist) license |
|---|---|
| Supervised experience | two calendar years of supervised training including a minimum of 1,000 hours of documented face-to-face client contact |
| Direct client contact | 1,000 face-to-face client contact hours; ≥500 with couples and/or families present |
| Supervision | 200 hours face-to-face supervision; ≥100 individual |
| Minimum time | two calendar years (24 full months) |
| Exams | AMFTRB national MFT exam (taken for the MFT license) |
Supervision
- How much: 200 hours face-to-face supervision; ≥100 individual
- How often: average of one hour of contact per twenty hours of work
- Group supervision: individual = supervisor + ≤2 supervisees; group = ≤8 supervisees; ≤100 of 200 hours group
- Who may supervise: Ohio IMFT with training supervision designation, or AAMFT Approved Supervisor/Candidate also Ohio-licensed independent; ≤50 hrs from LISW-S or LPCC-S
When hours count and what to keep
- Before your degree: not counted: supervised training follows the education requirement; 300-hour practicum is a separate MFT-license requirement
- Paperwork: Supervisee logs signed quarterly; last supervisor submits hours via Board online evaluation form
Can you be supervised remotely in Ohio?
Mostly, with some limits. What shapes this: state-only supervisor credential.
- Video supervision: Rule: initial face-to-face meeting (video OK), then in person, videoconference, or phone. Board FAQ: training supervision can be online but only by face-to-face video chat, no phone or text.
- Phone only: conflict: rule allows phone after initial meeting; Board FAQ says no phone
- In-person minimum: None set by the state
- Supervisor licensed in Ohio? required for training supervision in Ohio: IMFT with Ohio training supervision designation (designation requires Ohio IMFT license); out-of-state experience accepted if supervisor equivalent, by written request to the MFT committee
- Supervisor credential: Ohio training supervision designation (IMFT-S), e.g. via AAMFT Approved Supervisor status + Ohio IMFT license
- Supervisee cap: no overall cap found; individual ≤2 per meeting, group ≤8
- Board approval first: none found for in-state training supervision; out-of-state experience requires written request to the MFT professional standards committee
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
Ohio’s own documents disagree or are silent on these points. Ask the board if they affect you:
- Phone supervision: OAC 4757-29-01 allows it after the initial meeting; IMFT FAQ says no phone. Which controls?
- Work supervision: FAQ says on-site at agency; rule permits solo private practice with a work supervisor.
In the board’s own words
“two hundred hours of face-to-face supervision while completing a minimum of one thousand hours of documented face-to-face client contact” — Ohio Adm. Code 4757-25-04(A)(2)✓ matched in the source
“Complete at least two calendar years of supervised training while engaged in the practice of marriage and family therapy.” — Ohio Adm. Code 4757-25-04(A)(1)✓ matched in the source
“an average of one hour of contact between the supervisor and supervisee for every twenty hours of work” — Ohio Adm. Code 4757-29-01(A)(2)✓ matched in the source
“online supervision can be completed through face-to-face video chat (no phone or text-based chat)” — CSWMFT IMFT FAQs✓ matched in the source
“initial face to face meeting, which may be conducted via videoconferencing, after which communication may be in person, via videoconferencing, or by phone.” — OAC 4757-29-01 (MFT supervision)✓ matched in the source
“online supervision can be completed through face-to-face video chat (no phone or text-based chat).” — CSWMFT Board IMFT FAQs✓ matched in the source
“only independent marriage and family therapists who have obtained a training supervision designation may provide training supervision.” — OAC 4757-29-01 (MFT supervision)✓ matched in the source
“An applicant who is an AAMFT approved supervisor who holds an Ohio independent marriage and family therapist license in good standing” — OAC 4757-29-01 (MFT supervision)✓ matched in the source
“Many MFTs contract with an IMFT-S or AAMFT-approved supervisor outside their agency to provide this kind of supervision” — CSWMFT Board IMFT FAQs✓ matched in the source
“this is different from work supervision, which must be provided by an on-site at your agency.” — CSWMFT Board IMFT FAQs✓ matched in the source
“A marriage and family therapist may be in solo private practice.” — OAC 4757-29-01 (MFT supervision)✓ matched in the source
“Applicants shall request such consideration in writing from the marriage and family therapist professional standards committee.” — OAC 4757-29-01 (MFT supervision)✓ matched in the source
Other licenses in Ohio
- LPCC (professional counselor)
- LISW (clinical social worker)
- Psychologist
- All Ohio licenses · every state
Sources
- Ohio Rev. Code 4757.30(A), (C)
- Ohio Adm. Code 4757-25-04 (IMFT requirements)
- Ohio Adm. Code 4757-29-01(A)(2), (C) (MFT supervision)
- CSWMFT Board, IMFT FAQs
- CSWMFT Board, MFT Licensure Exam Info
Checked against Ohio CSWMFT Board, Marriage and Family Therapist Professional Standards Committee’s rules, statutes and publications on September 25, 2026. The board decides; if your situation is unusual, confirm with them.