Couple and Family Therapy (Ph.D.)

• CFTD-740: CFT Qualitative Research Methods (3 cr.)
• CFTD-742: CFT Quantitative Research Methods (3 cr.)
• CFTD-741: CFT Statistics (3 cr.)
• CFTD-743: CFT Qualitative Data Analysis (3 cr.)
• CFTD-788: Grant Writing (1 cr.)

• CFTD-720: Advanced CFT Theory I (3 cr.)
• CFTD-721: Advanced CFT Theory II (3 cr.)
• CFTD-722: Advanced Therapy with Couples (3 cr.)
• CFTD-724: Advanced Family Therapy with Children and Adolescents (3 cr.)
• CFTD-725: Grief and Loss Through the Family Life Cycle (3 cr.)
• CFTD-726: Trauma and the Family System (3 cr.)

• CFTD-730: Advanced Issues of Culture and Diversity in CFT (3 cr.)
• CFTD-745: Supervision of Couple and Family Therapists (2 cr.)
• CFTD-750: Professional Development Seminar I (1 cr.)
• CFTD-790: Professional Development Seminar II (1 cr.)
• CFTD-763: Doctoral Qualifying Exam 0 cr.
• Plus 9 credits of specials* that specifically meet these two areas of Advanced Curriculum

• CFTD-703: CFT Practicum – Clinical Practicum and Seminar I (3 cr.)
• CFTD-704: CFT Practicum – Clinical Practicum and Seminar II (3 cr.)
• CFTD-705: CFT Practicum – Clinical Practicum and Seminar II (3 cr.)
• CFTD-763: Doctoral Qualifying Exam (0 cr.)
• CFTD-865: CFT Doctoral Internship I (1 cr.)
• CFTD-866: CFT Doctoral Internship II (1 cr.)
• CFTD-867: CFT Doctoral Internship III (1 cr.)
• CFTD-875: CFT Dissertation Prep Seminar (1 cr.)
• CFTD-876: CFT Dissertation I and Proposal Defense (1 cr.)
• CFTD-877: CFT Dissertation II (1 cr.)
• CFTD-878: CFT Dissertation III and Oral Defense (1 cr.)

*Currently Available and Developed Specials:

• CFTD-728: Divorce Mediation and Conflict Resolution with Couples (3 cr.)
• CFTD-729: Sex Therapy: Theory and Techniques (3 cr.)
• CFTD-732: Integration of Religion and Spirituality in CFT (3 cr.)
• CFTD-735: LGBTQ Competent Therapy with Couples and Families (3 cr.)
• CFTD-736: Medical Family Therapy (3 cr.)
• CFTD-738: Gerontology Issues in Family Therapy (3 cr.)
• CFTD-746: CFT Supervision of Supervision I (1 cr.)
• CFTD-747: CFT Supervision of Supervision II (1 cr.)
• CFTD-748: CFT Supervision of Supervision III (1 cr.)
• CFTD-781: CFT Instruction I (1 cr.)
• CFTD-782: CFT Instruction II (1 cr.)
• CFTD-783: CFT Instruction III (1 cr.)
• CFTD-789: Creative Interventions with Couples and Families (1 cr.)
• CFTD-802: hooks & Hardy (2 cr)
• CFTD-804: Emotionally-focused Therapy (2 cr.)
• CFTD-805: Divorce (1 cr.)
• CFTD-807: Infidelity (1 cr.)
• CFTD-811: Pop-culture and Couple & Family Therapy (1 cr.)
• CFTD-815: Consensus Rorschach (1 cr.)
• CFTD-821: Private Practice (1 cr.)
• CFTD-825: Working with Families with Children with Special Needs (1 cr.)
• CFTD-827: How to Publish in the Field of Mental Health (1 cr.)
• CFTD-831: Becoming A Kink-Aware Professional: An Exploration of Kink and BDSM (1 cr.)
• CFTD-837: Introduction to Consensual Nonmonogamy (1 cr.)
• CFTD-841: Men’s Mental Health (1 cr.)
• CFTD-861: Introduction to Mediation for Couples and Families (1 cr.)
• CFTD-863: Clinical Risk Management: Suicide in Couples and Families (1 cr.)

Total Credits Required for Two Years of Advanced Curriculum and Practical Experiences: 63

Transferred and/or Requisite Credits: 39

Total Credit Hours Required: 102

Students accepted to the CFTD program may use a maximum of 39 credits from their master’s degree in marriage and family therapy, couple and family therapy, or medical family therapy or other graduate degree programs in the doctorate. Requests must include a transcript and syllabus and will be evaluated on an individual basis. These 39 credits must include the requisite coursework to apply for the (Associate) Marriage and Family Therapy license in the state of Illinois. Students not meeting this requirement will take the requisite CFT courses in the first year of their program which may extend their program.

Students who did not complete their master’s degree at Adler must also take:

• MCFT-433: Fundamentals of Adlerian Psychology and Parenting Education: Theory and Interventions (3 cr.)
• SJP-513: Social Justice Practicum I (1 cr.)
• SJP-514: Social Justice Practicum II (1 cr.)

The mission of the CFTD program is to prepare professionals with the core identity of Couple and Family Therapist including the attainment of advanced skills in research, theory, and the application of a systemic framework and identity including an ethical consciousness, cultural competence, and social responsibility. This is achieved through a commitment to our Program Goals and Student Learning Outcomes. As evidenced by the program’s mission, goals, and student learning outcomes, the Couple and Family Therapy Department is committed to diversity in a variety of ways including the composition of our faculty, supervisors, and students.

The CFTD program collects Student Achievement Data from its’ current students and graduates including graduation rates, job placement, and licensure.

Adler University is a nationally recognized pioneer in graduate education, training culturally competent clinicians who empower individuals and strengthen communities around the globe.

Our program is designed to prepare doctoral graduates with advanced specialized skills, knowledge, and experience for jobs including (but not limited to):

• Advanced Couple and Family Therapist
• Clinical supervisor for couple, marriage, and family therapists
• Academic professor
• Systemic researcher

Graduates of the program have the core professional identity as a Couple and Family Therapist (CFT) qualified for membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and eligible for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in the state of Illinois.

Learn in a collaborative environment with experts who offer individualized mentorship and unique professional development opportunities. Our diverse faculty bring together real-world expertise with scholarship and research experience in the field of marriage and family therapy.

Build your professional network and begin to establish yourself as a scholar-practitioner in the field. Through University partnerships with community agencies, you will gain hands-on experience providing clinical therapy, supervision, and advocacy for underserved populations. Student scholarship is supported with opportunities to present your work at both state and national levels.

As part of successfully completing our program, you will complete an advanced clinical practicum and a full-time internship tailored to your professional goals.

Additionally, you will complete a doctoral dissertation, which provides students with the opportunity to engage in in-depth scholarship on an important issue in the field of couple and family therapy; it provides students the venue to demonstrate their skills in advanced research.

The Couple and Family Therapy Department Handbook (“CFT Handbook”) is available here for applicants and current students. This contains the most up-to-date information regarding the department and our degree and certificate offerings.

Adler University works to provide resources to our students and alumni in support of the licensure process. Below are some basic guidelines on application and licensure in the state of Illinois. Please review this information thoroughly. If you require more detailed, step-by-step instructions, please submit an email to [email protected] with the subject line: “LPC/LCPC Licensure Application Process guidelines” and request the instructions.

Art Therapists

The registered art therapist (ATR) and board certified art therapist (ATR-BCO) are the recognized standards for the field of art therapy.  To obtain more information about ATR and ATR-BC, please contact the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB).

LMFT

The curriculum and supervised training of the MCFT program are intended to help graduates meet the educational requirements for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in the state of Illinois. Licensure requirements can vary significantly from state to state in their expectations of practicum hours and coursework. Students are strongly encouraged to review the licensing requirements in any state in which they would anticipate practicing. MCFT students complete a practicum as part of their degree requirement including 100 hours of supervision with an AAMFT Approved Supervisor or Supervisor Candidate. This 100 hours of supervision can also be used towards LMFT licensure requirements in the state of Illinois. Additionally, the Master’s Qualifying Exam for degree completion is intended to prepare students for the licensure exam.

Doctoral students in Couple and Family Therapy (DCFT) must be licensed or eligible for licensure as a LMFT in the state of Illinois. Applicants without this can be admitted as a doctoral student but must first complete the requisite coursework for eligibility – this will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the Department Chair. Students not meeting this requirement will take the requisite CFT courses in the first year of their doctoral program. Client contact (practicum and internship) and supervision, done post the eligible master’s degree, to fulfill the doctoral requirements can be counted as hours towards licensure should it meet all the state and program requirements.

Information regarding licensure as an LMFT in the state of Illinois can be found at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations website for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Information regarding the licensing exam can be found at the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards National Exam.

LPC

Education requirements (link below) for the LPC include: M.A. in Counseling, Psychology or related field (minimum 48 semester hours with at least one three credit hour course in 13 different areas, or a doctoral degree). Additionally, 700 hours of M.A. practicum/intern experience is required. Post-masters experience is not required. You must pass the NCE exam for licensure.

Application Process

Complete LPC application packet and mail to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations. Your terminal degree is posted on your official transcript.

Packet applications include:

• Four-page application form
• Certification of Education (please obtain form from the state’s professional regulations website and submit to the Office of the Registrar, [email protected], for completion)
• Academic Criteria form
• Conviction Criminal Act (CCA) form
• Official (sealed) transcripts
• Course descriptions (from online catalog)
• NCE scores (if you took it at the Adler University, request your scores from NBCC)
• Application fee ($150)

LCPC

Education requirements for the LCPC include: M.A. in Counseling, Psychology or related field (minimum 48 semester hours with at least one three credit hour course in 13 different areas, or a doctoral degree. Additionally, 700 hours of MA practicum/intern experience and two years of supervised post-MA experience are required. You must pass the NCMHCE exam for this license.

Educational requirements

LPC and LCPC licensure in Illinois requires a minimum of three credit hours in these areas:

Human Growth and Development
Counseling Theory
Counseling Techniques
Group Dynamics, Processing and Counseling
Appraisal of Individuals
Research and Evaluation
Professional, Legal and Ethical Responsibilities
Social and Cultural Foundations
Lifestyle and Career Development
Practicum/Internship (700 clock hours)
Psychopathology and Maladaptive Behavior
Substance Abuse
Family Dynamics

Licensure laws and rules vary across states and may change at any time. Each state has its own educational and post-graduate experience requirements, and may require different exams.

For information on LPC, LCPC, LPCC, LMHC, LPCMH, LCMHC, and LPC-MH for any state or province, please visit the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).