Reformed Theological Seminary

MARRIAGE & FAMILY THERAPY AND COUNSELING PROGRAM

Overview
Christian Counseling is a highly specialized calling that requires careful training. Hurting people can be healed. At the Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling program at Reformed Theological Seminary, we prepare Christians who can work with God's Word and God's world as they minister God's truth to the fabric of people's lives. Under the authority of Scripture and with the foundation of a biblical world view, our students learn to see the people they help both as individuals living before the face of God and as active members of family relationships.

Accreditation
The MFTC program at RTS is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Courses offered satisfy educational requirements for Marriage and Family Therapy licensure and Professional Counselor licensure in most states. Graduates of the program are received by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy as Associate Members. Upon completion of required supervised postgraduate clinical experience, they may become full clinical members of the national organization.

Solid Biblical Foundation
Faithful and vigorous biblical studies shape our understanding of God's character, God's world, and His Work in our lives. We teach biblical studies courses that cover every book in the Bible as well as courses devoted to theology and the relationship of theology and therapy. Biblical teaching is a critical part of therapy and of the therapist's approach to issues. Each student takes 12 hours of course work in biblical and theological studies. Three hours of the Marriage and Family curriculum are devoted to the relationship of theology and therapy.

Integrated with Strong Academic Psychological Studies
We are committed to the Scripture as God's Word and our norm for faith and practice. Each Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling course is taught from a biblical perspective and interacts with current theory and the best available texts in the field. Students will learn to evaluate psychology in light of Scripture and to put what they have learned into practice.

In our clinic, therapy is generally from a family systems perspective. Students will discover how to understand people's lives in the context of their personal development, family relationships, and social interaction. In addition to learning how to help people reshape their lives and relationships in constructive, Godly ways, students will help them clarify and live out what they believe as they draw together around God's truth.

Extensive Clinical Experience
Students will find strong emphasis on practical experience at RTS Jackson. Your 67 semester hour program will include the following:

At least 500 hours of face-to-face client contact, 250 of which must be relational
A minimum of 100 hours of direct supervision with practicing professional therapists.
Between 1000 and 1500 hours of total clinical experience

Students are gradually eased into their clinic experience. At the beginning of their first year, students start by spending one hour every two weeks at the reception desk in the clinic as their first exposure to clients. In the spring of their first year, students shadow a senior student therapist. Following that, student therapists may begin seeing clients with fellow classmates, and after 100 hours they may begin seeing clients on their own.

The Center for Marriage and Family Therapy, which is located on the RTS campus, includes the following features:

15 Therapy Rooms which includes 2 Play Therapy Rooms
State-of-the-Art audio/video equipment in each therapy room
Fully computerized student/therapist work area
Comfortable student lounge areas to maximize informal student to student and student to faculty interaction.

The existence of The Center for Marriage and Family Therapy and its well-respected reputation allows students the ability to serve the local community and affords the convenience of not having to search for or drive long distances for clinical opportunities. Also, with one centralized location for clinical hours, student therapists receive the same level and type of supervision as their classmates.

Links
- The Center for Marriage and Family Therapy
- Program Options in the Department of Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling
- Marriage and Family Therapy Career and Licensure FAQ

Legal Agreement

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