Denver Family Institute offers a Post-Master’s Degree Certification in Marriage and Family Therapy. The Certification program is accredited by the Commission of Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy. The certification program centers on two years of clinically oriented coursework in family systems theory and relational therapies, along with intensive supervision and clinical work at the institute’s low-fee clinic.

Graduation Requirements for MFT Certificate

Clinical Training

In order to graduate, you must complete 500 hours of face-to-face clinical contact hours. All of these hours must be earned after the receipt of a master’s degree.

Of those 500 hours, up to 50 may include “alternative” team hours. The requirements for alternative hours must be adhered to strictly. These clinical hours require the following of the work of another student clinician’s case by one or more students through live observation. The students observing will be involved in giving feedback to the student. The individual and group supervisors for the clinician providing the direct clinical contact must be notified and aware that alternative hours are being earned. Students involved must observe the majority of client sessions. Observing occasional sessions does not count as alternative hours and is considered an added learning opportunity.

No more than 250 hours of these same 500 hours may occur off site.

250 of these same 500 hours must be relational in nature, meaning that two or more people are in the room with the therapist.

Students must complete a minimum of seven live case presentations in supervision prior to graduation.

The number of clinical contact hours for licensure and the way they are counted varies throughout Colorado. Contact your professional board to keep track of any changes, or call the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies at (303) 894-7766. 

OPTION: Students who graduated from a COAMFTE-accredited MFT Master’s Degree or Ph.D. Program (or the equivalent) seeking additional supervision hours or clinical hours post-graduate may be considered for our supervision only or clinic and supervision only.

Academic Requirements

To graduate with the MFT Certificate, students must have 12 Standard Didactic Units. One SDU is equal to 30 class contact hours. Students receive 8 SDUs while at Denver Family Institute (2 SDUs in Family Studies, 5.33 SDUs in Clinical Practice, and .66 SDUs in Professional Identity and Ethics). We are in the process of modifying our coursework to earn 5.00 SDUs in Clinical Practice and 1 SDU in Ethics and Professional Identity and Ethics.

a. 2 SDUs – Theoretical Foundations/Family Studies
b. 5 SDUs – Clinical Practice
c. 2 SDUs – Individual Development & Family Relations
d. 1 SDU – Professional Identity & Ethics
e. 1 SDU – Research
f. 1 SDU – Additional Learning

Students taking the coursework at DFI receive the following:

Theoretical Foundations – 2 SDUs – Family Studies I and II and Couples I (60 contact hours divided by 30 hours per SDU)

Clinical Practice – 5.33 SDUs – Family Therapy Assessement Course, Strategies and Techniques, Multi-Problem Families, Couples II, Couples & Sex Therapy (couples III), Applied Cultural Comptence, Theoretical Integrity, Special Populations (160 hours divided by 30 hours per equals 5.33 SDUs)

Ethics and Professional Identity – 0.66 SDUs (Applied Ethics course). Students needing a full Standard Didactic Unit to meet licensing requirements may earn 10 additional contact hours upon arrangement for independent study with the Ethics instructor.

Individual Development and Family Relations: No SDUs are earned in the normal coursework at DFI (most students have this from their graduate degree).

Research: Students typically meet this requirement in their graduate program. Independent study in this area may be arranged.

Additional Learning: Coursework from the graduate degree typically may be used to meet this requirement.

If students have not yet met some of these requirements in their master’s or other graduate programs, the coursework must be completed prior to graduation. Independent study to meet this requirement may be arranged.

Summer and interim courses are offered occasionally. These courses are optional and do not count toward graduation, though they may help in licensure, etc.

Students must successfully pass these classes.

The academic requirements for the LMFT in Colorado currently differ from our COAMFTE graduation requirements. Students applying for the LMFT in Colorado who have graduated from DFI generally meet the LMFT academic requirements. However, we urge students to review those requirements with a faculty member prior to graduation from DFI. Additional coursework may be designed to assist students in meeting those requirements. We strongly encourage students to pursue the LMFT for their professional identity and success. Thus, DFI wants to assist you in determining those requirements. Graduation from DFI does not guarantee eligibility for the license as a Marriage and Family Therapist.

Licensing/Clinical Membership in AAMFT

Students maintain ultimate responsibility for knowing and meeting licensing requirements. These requirements are subject to change and are beyond the control of Denver Family Institute.

If you practice in Colorado, licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist is required to obtain clinical membership in AAMFT. To date, students who have met DFI’s academic graduation requirements have also met the LMFT board’s requirements for licensure. We cannot, however, guarantee this on an individual basis, as it depends on graduate courses taken. We will assist students in determining if they have adequate coursework to obtain the LMFT and offer independent study classes to meet these requirements.

Students must also pass a licensing exam. DFI students have passed this exam routinely, but again, individual results cannot be guaranteed. In addition, the number of clinical hours required by the licensing board differ from those of the Institute (1,500 hours required versus 500 hours).