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M.A. Degree in Clinical-Counseling Psychology
Marriage and Family Therapy Program
La Salle's Marriage and Family Therapy Program is granted COAMFTE Accreditation
The Marriage and Family Therapy Program at La Salle University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, 112 South Alfred Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, Tel. No. (703) 838-9808. This accreditation is a measure of the program’s excellence. With it comes national recognition as one of the nation’s premium MFT training programs.
AAMFT’s Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) is the nationally recognized accrediting agency that accredits Master's degree, doctoral degree, and post-graduate degree clinical training programs in marriage and family therapy throughout the United States and Canada.
What is Marriage and Family Therapy?
Marriage and Family Therapy is an approach to mental health care which seeks to help people within the context of their families and their relationships, using family systems theories and interventions. Its practitioners hold a common assumption that if the individual is to change, the context must change. Therefore, the unit of treatment is no longer the person, even if only a single person is interviewed. It is the set of relationships in which the person is embedded.
Who are Marriage and Family Therapists?
Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) are mental health professionals trained in psychotherapy, family systems, and relationship issues. They are licensed to treat mental and emotional disorders within the context of individuals, couples, marriage and family systems.
What do Marriage and Family Therapists do?
Marriage and Family Therapists evaluate and treat mental and emotional
disorders and other health and behavioral problems, and address a
wide array of relationship issues within the context of the individual and/or the family
system.
Some of the problems that Marriage and
Family Therapist help people with are:
- Communication between family members, intimate partners, friends, coworkers or others.
- Parental concerns such as learning effective approaches to discipline and how to effectively deal with children and/or adolescent’s behavior and emotional difficulties.
- Marital or couple discord
- Sexual difficulties and concerns
- Feelings of depression, anxiety or loneliness
- Unmanageable anger, hostility or violence
Marriage and Family Therapists are widely employed as clinicians
and consultants in mental health clinics, hospitals, schools, drug
and alcohol centers and a variety of other settings. Trained marriage
and family therapists, are also used to conduct or direct research.
What is the Program?
It is a 48 credit hour program which is normally completed in three years, however can be completed in two.
It helps to prepare students for employment in professional setting
with special training in marriage and family therapy.
It has been designed to fulfill the basic educational requirements
for clinical membership in the American Association for Marriage
and Family Therapy.
It is excellent preparation for those students planning to pursue
doctoral studies in marriage and family therapy.
It prepares students for licensure as Marriage and Family Therapists
in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and most other states.
How does the Program progress?
The MFT program progresses from a knowledge base of core courses
in systems theory and psychology, to a sequence of skills courses
in assessment and intervention, to actual clinical practice, completed
in a 12 month clinical placement in the final year.
Why study Marriage and Family Counseling At La Salle?
La Salle has been training counselors and therapists since 1979.
Its faculty is highly qualified and posses a wide range of disciplinary
expertise. Its resources are extensive, including:
- La Salle's Marriage and Family Therapy Program is COAMFTE Accredited
- Connelly Library – a state-of-the art library with extensive holdings in counseling and psychology.
- An Assessment Laboratory that contains a wide variety of testing materials and resources
- A Counseling Laboratory containing videotaping equipment
- Affiliations with many nationally recognized agencies and clinics in the Philadelphia area, which is especially rich in its mental health resources. Sites include:
- Aldie Counseling Center (Doylestown, PA)
- Arcadia University Counseling Center (Glenside, PA)
- Behavioral Health Center for Older Adults (Langhorne, PA)
- Catholic Charities (Camden & Trenton, NJ)
- Center for Families & Relationships (Philadelphia, PA)
- Eagleville Hospital (Eagleville, PA)
- Drexel University Counseling Center (Philadelphia, PA)
- Intercommunity Action (Philadelphia, PA)
- Lenape Valley Foundation (Doylestown & Bristol, PA)
- Northern Home (Philadelphia, PA)
- NHS Human Services (Philadelphia & Lansdale, PA)
- Today, Inc. (Middletown Twp, PA
Location
A noteworthy feature of La Salle's Marriage and Family Therapy Program, as well as the is that they are offered in their entirety at three campuses
Admission Requirements
Ordinarily students will be accepted into the program three times
a year - to begin their studies in the fall, spring or summer semester.
To be eligible, students must present:
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Evidence of completion of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education with a minimum of 15 hours in psychology, counseling or Marriage
and Family Studies and a GPA of 3.0. Be sure to submit all transcripts of academic institutions attended, particularly if credits were transferred.
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Three letters of recommendation. This should include a college professor who can assess your academic qualifications and abilities as well as a supervisor (if you are in or have worked in the field), who can assess your professional qualifications, abilities and motivation for enrolling in this program.
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Acceptable scores in the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Millers Analogies Test (MAT). Arrangements to take the MAT may be made with the Counseling Center of La Salle University. Information on GRE scheduling is also available from the Counseling Center. (Note: This requirement is waived if you already possess a Masters Degree, in any field. It may be waived if you have a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.5 or higher.)
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The Application for Admission, accompanied by the stipulated application fee payable to La Salle University. This fee is waived for online applications.
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Work experience (paid or volunteer) in an area related to one of the program’s Clinical Counseling Psychology majors.
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A Personal Statement:
You have made the decision to apply to La Salle’s masters program. This is a professional program designed to train you to become a mental health clinician and/or a human resources professional.
In your statement, please include what professionalism means to you with regard to you becoming a mental health clinician and/or a human resources professional. In addition, please include some information about yourself, your intentions concerning your academic and career paths, why you choose the La Salle master’s program, your expectations of the program, what you will contribute to the program, and what you believe you will eventually contribute to the mental health field.
Evidence of the ability to meet the qualifications, both academic and professional, required for field placement in the profession. These are described in the Student Handbook.
Deadlines for submission of completed applications are as follows:
- For entry into the Spring semester: no later than December 15
- For entry into the Summer semester: no later than April 15
- For entry into the Fall semester: no later than July 15
Life experience is valued and therefore some preference will
be given applicants who present relevant work experience, either
paid or volunteer
Required Courses
PCMF 500 Counseling Theories
PCMF 502 Counseling Laboratory
PCMF 503 Psychopathology
PCMF 504 Development
PCMF 505 Introduction to Systems
PCMF 506 Research & Statistics
PCMF 602 Advanced Counseling Laboratory
PCMF 603 Human Sexuality
PCMF 619 Ethnic/Gender & Family Issues
PCMF 602 Advanced Counseling Laboratory
PCMF 614 Working with Families
PCMF 619 Ethnic/Gender & Family Issues
PCMF 624 Marital Therapy
PCMF 628 Introduction to Relationships
PCMF 634 Addictions and the Family
PCMF 680/81/82* MFT Internship
PCMF 690/91/92* MFT Professional Seminar
* The Professional Seminar is taken in conjunction with the practicum
internship for a total of 9 credits
Full-Time Program
Complete M.A. and licensure requirements (60 credits) in two years - Scholarships available
Secondary Major:
Students in the MFT Program have the option of having a secondary major in Addictions.
Courses Required:
Psy 512 Addictions I
Psy 633 Professional Issues in Addictions Counseling
Post-Master’s Certificate Program:
While students are pursuing clinical hours for licensure, they can take remaining courses needed to reach 60 credit hours needed for licensure in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Click here for a list of the courses in the certificate program.
 Donna A. Tonrey, Psy.D., LMFT
Director, Marriage and Family Therapy Program
Phone: 215.951.1767
Fax: 215.991.3585
tonrey@lasalle.edu
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