Getting a degree in marriage and family therapy in Wisconsin is a good idea for a number of reasons. First, Wisconsin has an extensive public higher education system, so there are campuses far and wide across the state. The chances are good that you wouldn’t need to commute far to take classes for a graduate degree in this field.
Second, a college degree in Wisconsin is less expensive than most other states. So not only can you get the quality degree you need, but you can do so while spending less money.
And third, marriage and family therapistsare in high demand, and it’s predicted that this demand will continue for the foreseeable future. With so many jobs available, it stands to reason you can easily find employment after graduation. But, you must complete your degree before you can search for a job. Below are some of the popular options worth your consideration.
Marriage and Family Therapy Programs in Wisconsin
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering marriage and family therapy programs in Wisconsin:
University of Wisconsin-Stout
One of the advantages of this program is the compressed schedule. Though you’re required to participate in classes on campus, classes only occur on Mondays and Tuesdays. This frees up the rest of the week to work, study, and complete the necessary supervised practice hours to graduate.
You must complete 57 credits to graduate from this program. These credits encompass a wide variety of coursework, from Lifespan Development to Sex Therapy to Foundations of Couples and Family Therapy.
One of the most interesting classes you’re required to take is Trauma and Recovery in MFT. This class explores various theories of trauma, analyzes historical research, and discusses modern approaches to treating clients who have experienced violence, addiction, self-harm, and other types of trauma. The class additionally examines both systemic and relational influences on the process of recovering from trauma.
Another key course that guides your development as a marriage and family therapist is Applied Therapy Skills. This class focuses on training you to utilize the skills you learn in class as preparation for the practicum placement later in the program. Working with your classmates, you’ll demonstrate core counseling skills and techniques in mock counseling sessions featuring role-playing situations with “clients” of all kinds.
Furthermore, this program requires a course in Diagnosis in Family Therapy. The class focuses on the development of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and its use in assessing and treating mental disorders. You’ll look at other aspects of diagnosis, too, including cultural factors, ethical considerations, and psychopharmacological issues.
There are several other therapy-related courses you must complete. For example, you’ll take Foundations of Couples and Family Therapy, which covers a range of topics, including early theories of couples and family therapy, assessment procedures, and treatment options for couples, families, and children. You’re also required to take Contemporary Couples and Family Therapy, which discusses modern approaches to this work.
Additional required coursework includes the following:
UW-Stout further requires you to take a course entitled Research in Marriage and Family Therapy. This course examines the scientist-practitioner model of therapist training. You’ll learn how to use research as a professional development tool, how to implement research-based practices in your work, and how to conduct research that adds to the field with new and unique knowledge.
The final component of this program is a three-semester sequence of practicum experiences. You’re required to complete at least 300 hours of clinical practice. You’ll do so at an approved site with an experienced marriage and family therapist to offer you support and guidance. Furthermore, you’ll enjoy one-on-one training activities with faculty members, and you can complete half of the required practicum hours at UW-Stout’s on-campus clinic.
You must meet the following requirements to be considered for admission:
University of Wisconsin-Superior
The curriculum is divided into two parts: core courses and track courses. You might think of the core courses as foundational to your success–they explore essential theories, types of counseling, and human growth topics.
For example, one of the first classes you’ll take is Counseling Theories. This course analyzes historic and modern counseling approaches and allows you to get a firm footing on how to use these theories in the context of counseling. Furthermore, exploring disparate counseling theories helps you identify approaches that work well with your personality and those that don’t, too.
Several types of counseling classes are required as part of your studies. These include the following:
Beyond this, you’ll take knowledge-based courses like Crisis Intervention and Family Trauma, Human Growth and Development, and Ethics in Professional Counseling. One of the most important courses you’ll take focuses on a different kind of knowledge, though–Psychopathology.
Psychopathology is the study of abnormal behavior. You’ll get a thorough education in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and how to use it as a tool to guide your diagnostic decision-making. As part of this training, you’ll become aware of different types of mental disorders, assessment procedures, and approaches for preventing and treating different disorders, too.
Additionally, you’ll take Introduction to Assessment, which is a critical course because it highlights the theoretical and statistical measurements that enable you to use assessments to their fullest potential. You’ll learn how to select appropriate assessment instruments, administer them, and analyze the data collected from them. Moreover, you’ll become competent in conducting psychological assessments for various ages and groups. This class also explores the limitations of assessments, including those related to multicultural factors.
The eight marriage and family counseling track courses dive deeper into more specific topics. A good example of this is Family Group Systems, which integrates family counseling techniques and family theory. You’ll also examine the influences of your own family system on your process and practice as a pre-service counselor. Doing so allows you to understand your biases and adjust your counseling approach as needed.
Chemical Dependency and the Family is another key counseling course required in the marriage and family counseling track. Specifically, the class focuses on assessment and intervention techniques that support the family member with the addiction and help other family members work through the trauma they’ve experienced as a result of their loved one’s drug use. Other topics in this class focus on relapse prevention, recovery approaches, developmental issues, and the process of addiction.
Other courses required for the marriage and family counseling track include the following:
The following criteria must be met to apply:
Edgewood College
This 48-credit program requires about two years to complete. A total of 16 courses–some of which are field-based–are needed to graduate.
You’ll start your studies in Foundations of Systemic Practice. This class focuses on the essential issues of marriage and family therapy. On the one hand, you’ll learn about the historical development of this field. On the other hand, you’ll discover modern approaches to marriage and family therapy practice that you can implement as a professional when working with couples, families, and individuals.
The MFT Theories and Models course builds on the Foundations course discussed above. It focuses more specifically on marriage and family counseling theories, including those from the early period of marriage and family therapy. Likewise, you’ll discuss modern approaches to working with couples and families, including those that fall into the biopsychosocial framework.
Clinical Treatment of Families and Groups is yet another practice-focused class you must complete. Your work in this class focuses specifically on treatment approaches used to treat individuals within family and group systems. Some of the specific approaches you’ll discuss include those meant to address crises, substance abuse, and relational dynamics, to name a few.
Additional coursework is required in the following areas:
This degree also requires you to take a course entitled Ethics, Law, and Social Responsibility. The focus of your studies will be on common ethical issues you’ll encounter over your career. You’ll become familiar with relevant laws and regulations, too, including those that govern licensure. You’ll additionally gain competency in theAmerican Association for Marriage and Family Therapy code of ethics.
A relational practicum is a key component of this program. You’ll complete the practicum in the semester prior to your clinical internship. The course focuses on professional development, skills development, and clinical training at the program’s clinical training center. There, you’ll observe practicing therapists work with clients, undertake relational case conceptualizations, and get your initial experience working as a clinician in a supervised setting.
The internship, meanwhile, is a 500-hour clinical experience that extends over a 12-month period. The hours you accumulate must include at least 300 hours of direct contact with individuals, couples, and families. In addition to this requirement, 100 of the 300 direct contact hours you acquire must be relational (the other 200 can be ancillary hours). A further 100 hours of supervision are required.
You must meet the following requirements to be considered for this program:
You may also be asked to participate in a follow-up interview with program faculty.
Northwestern University
Once admitted to the program, you’ll take a wide variety of courses that prepare you for clinical work. For example, you’ll take Basic Concepts of Systems therapy, which sheds light on the essential features and functions of systemic approaches to marriage and family therapy. You’ll learn how to view relational issues through a systemic lens and, perhaps more importantly, how to address those issues in a systemic manner.
Another course you’re required to take is Intimate Relations. Many couples experience intimacy issues, so having an understanding of common intimacy problems and how to address them is essential for your development as a clinician. Likewise, you have to learn how to work with family units–parents and their children, for example–and the Family Therapy With Children and Adolescents class helps you do just that. In addition to learning how to provide non-judgemental feedback to each family member, you’ll also learn how to help families communicate more effectively.
Multiculturalism is a large part of this program’s curriculum. As such, you’ll take a course entitled Power, Privilege, and Difference: Practicing Cultural Curiosity and Humility in a Multicultural World. The purpose of this class is to help you see the world through the lens of other people’s perspectives. What’s more, you’ll explore your own perspective on the world in greater detail to reveal any blind spots you might have that influence how you work with certain clients.
The classes described above just scratch the surface, though. You’re required to attend one immersive experience at Northwestern that builds on the online coursework you complete and provides you an opportunity to practice the skills you’ve acquired in the program. This experience with your professors and cohort members prepares you for the program’s final component–the clinical internship.
The internship phase of this program requires you to complete 400 or more hours of fieldwork. Since this is an online degree, you’ll complete these hours at an approved site in or near your community. The internship hours must include at least 125 hours of relational work with individuals, couples, and families. Including the practicum experiences that come before the internship, you’ll have six quarters of fieldwork under your belt before you graduate.
following requirements must be met to apply:
National University
One of the significant advantages of this program is its adaptability to meet licensing requirements in Tennessee and many other states. For instance, while the standard program consists of 45 credits, you can take additional courses to fulfill a 60-credit requirement if needed for your state.
The program begins with foundational coursework delivered in an online format. These introductory classes cover fundamental ideas and include Foundations for Graduate Study in Marriage and Family Therapy, Treatment Planning and Traditional Family Therapy, and Recovery-Oriented Care and Postmodern Family Therapy. These courses provide you with essential knowledge as you start the program.
You’ll also study Psychopathology, Diagnosis, and Systemic Treatment. Additionally, you are required to complete at least two specialized courses that concentrate on particular family groups. These options include:
After completing your coursework, you’ll begin the fieldwork phase. This includes a practicum, a two-part internship, and a final internship along with a capstone course. You can complete all required fieldwork hours at an approved site near your location.
The practicum helps you develop essential skills for clinical therapy settings, focusing on ethics, telehealth, and the application of systemic methods in various cases. During this phase, you’ll begin earning direct client contact hours, with a total of 300 hours required, including at least 150 hours working with couples or families.
The internship phase focuses on helping you refine your therapeutic style through work with families, couples, and individual clients. You may continue at the same practicum site or choose a different location. The program concludes with a capstone presentation, where you reflect on your learning and receive feedback from your supervisors.
Applications are accepted throughout the year, with classes starting monthly. This allows you to begin the program shortly after your application is approved. To apply, you must meet the following requirements:
