Frequently Asked Questions for LMFT & LCMFT

A. The BSRB does not review or approve coursework before an application has been submitted. Please review the educational requirements in K.A.R. 102-5-3 and/or visit with your academic dean.

A. There is not a separate application for a temporary license. Once the licensure application has been submitted and reviewed by the board you will be notified of your eligibility for a temporary license.

A. No. Continuing education is not required during the time you are temporarily licensed.

A. No, only if the program is not accredited by COAMFTE.

A. The National Marriage and Family Therapy Examination is the exam which Kansas requires for licensure. The exam is given by Professional Testing Corporation (PTC) and administered, via computer. The pass rate for the Marriage and Family Therapist license is 12 points below the criterion-referenced pass point statistically established by the examination service for each exam administered. The pass point changes with each exam.

A. You must submit a licensure application to the Board office.  Once the Board approves your application, you will be instructed on how to register for the exam.  The exam is administered by Professional Testing Corporation (PTC) not the BSRB.

A. Indefinitely.

A. The basic requirements are:

1. A master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from a program accredited by COAMFTE.
2. A master’s degree in marriage and family therapy and your coursework and program meet the requirements listed in K.A.R. 102-5-3
3. A master’s degree in a related field and your coursework and program meet the requirements listed in K.A.R. 102-5-3

A. No. Kansas does not have reciprocity with any one state. Kansas does have licensure through reciprocity, which can be met by one of the following:

1. The state in which you are currently licensed has substantially equivalent requirements to those for licensure in Kansas, or
2. You are currently licensed and in good standing and meet the following requirements:
a. Continuous licensure and practice as a marriage and family therapist for the last 4 years with the minimum required work experience hours as listed in K.A.R. 102-5-4b(b)(3)(A),
b. a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy.

A. At this time, continuing education programs, for marriage and family therapists, are not pre-approved by the BSRB. K.A.R. 102-5-10 states continuing education shall be oriented to the enhancement of marriage and family therapy practice, values, skills and knowledge.

A. Extensions are not granted for the renewal of a license. If you are unable to renew your license by the expiration date, you will be required to reinstate.

A. Once you are licensed as a marriage and family therapist you may submit a clinical supervision training plan. The training plan must be pre-approved by the BSRB. Link to MFT training plan.

A. Yes. If you are licensed and practicing in Kansas, a training plan must be submitted to, and approved by, the BSRB, before a person can count any accrued hours. The BSRB will not backdate any training plans. You will not be allowed to count any hours you accrue if you do not have an approved training plan on file with the BSRB.

A. You must submit all changes in your training plan to the BSRB office within 45 days of the change. If you fail to do this you will loose the hours accrued after the change. Please see K.A.R 102-5-7a(h).

ALL changes to the training plan need to be submitted in WRITING to the BSRB office for approval.

A. Yes. Please see the MFT forms section of our website.

A. No. The BSRB cannot approve a training plan for someone who is not licensed and practicing in Kansas.

A. The supervision and the experience hours accrued in another state will be reviewed and compared with the requirements for clinical licensure in Kansas. The hours, supervision and supervisor will need to meet our requirements in order to be accepted. Please see K.A.R. 102-5-7a and K.A.R. 102-5-7-b.

A. No.

A. The clinical supervisor shall meet one of the following:

1. The clinical supervisor shall be a clinical marriage and family therapist (LCMFT) who is licensed in Kansas and who has engaged in the independent practice of clinical marriage and family therapy, including the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders for at least 2 years beyond their licensure date.
2. If an LCMFT is not available, the clinical supervisor may be a Licensed Psychologist (LP), Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker (LSCSW), Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), or a Licensed Clinical Psychotherapist (LCP). The qualifying individual shall have no less than two years of clinical practice beyond the qualifying licensure date.

A. The clinical supervisor shall meet one of the following:

1. The clinical supervisor shall be a clinical marriage and family therapist who is registered or licensed in another jurisdiction and who has practiced as a clinical marriage and family therapist for 2 years beyond their licensure date.
2. If a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist is not available, the clinical supervisor may be a person who is qualified by educational coursework and degree for licensure as a clinical marriage and family therapist in Kansas and who has at least five years of postgraduate professional experience in clinical marriage and family therapy.
3. If a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist is not available, the clinical supervisor may be a person who is licensed at the graduate level to practice in one of the behavioral sciences, and whose authorized scope of practice permits the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. The qualifying individual shall not have had less than two years professional experience in the independent practice of clinical marriage and family therapy beyond the date of their licensure.

A. The total amount to be completed over a minimum of 24 months is 3,000 hours of experience, including 1500 hours of direct client contact providing psychotherapy and assessments and 100 hours of supervision. The supervision shall be provided throughout the entirety of the postgraduate supervised professional experience with at least one hour of clinical supervision each week that the supervisee accrues at least 15 hours of direct client contact. Of the 100 required supervision hours, at least 50 hours must be individual, face-to-face supervision. The remaining 50 hours may be done in either group or individual supervision. There can be no more than 6 supervisees in the group. There must be at least two separate supervision sessions per month, at least one of which shall be individual supervision. You may begin once your training plan has been approved by the BSRB. Please see K.A.R 102-5-7a

A. No. There is no mandatory number of hours that must be met weekly or monthly during supervision, except the two supervision sessions per month.

A. No. The 3,000 hours of post-graduate experience must be obtained in no less than 24 months from the date supervision begins.

A. Yes. There is no maximum time limit for accruing post-graduate experience.

A. Yes. All requirements, except taking and passing the examination, must be completed prior to submitting an application.

A. The National Marriage and Family Therapy Examination is the exam which Kansas requires for licensure. The exam is given by Professional Examination Services (PES) and administered, via computer, at Thomson Prometric Testing Centers. The exam is offered 3 times a year in 3 week testing windows. The pass rate for the clinical marriage and family therapist license is the criterion-referenced pass point statistically established by the examination service for each exam administered. The pass point changes with each exam.

A.  You must submit a licensure application to the Board office.  Once the Board approves your application, you will be instructed on how to register for the exam. 

A. No. Kansas does not have reciprocity with any one state. Kansas does have licensure through reciprocity, which can be met by one of the following:

1. The state in which you are currently licensed has substantially equivalent requirements to those for licensure in Kansas and at least three years clinical practice including the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders as listed in K.A.R. 102-5-4b(c)(2), or
2. You are currently licensed and in good standing and meet the following requirements:
c. Continuous licensure and practice as a clinical marriage and family therapist for the last 5 years with the minimum required work experience hours as listed in K.A.R. 102-5-4b(b)(3)(A),
d. at least three years clinical practice including the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders as listed in K.A.R. 102-5-4b(c)(2)
e. and a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy.

A. No. At this time Kansas does not require applicants to pass a Jurisprudence examination.