MA in Marital and Family Therapy
The Master of Arts in Marital and Family Therapy (M.A.M.F.T.) program, offered at Bethel Seminary’s San Diego campus, is designed from the perspective of family systems for persons who desire to work with couples and families as licensed marriage and family therapists, or as unlicensed counseling professionals in a variety of congregational and community settings. The program also prepares students for doctoral studies in marriage and family therapy.
As a result of their degree work, students develop a professional identity as agents of formation and transformation. They respond to God’s call to minister to couples, families, and other systems by intentionally integrating biblically grounded, professionally coherent theological and theoretical understandings with ethical practice. And they gain skills to minister effectively to individuals, couples, families, and members of other systems who differ from themselves in culture, ethnicity, religious background, worldview, and value system.
This program is accredited locally by the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges and nationally by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education. Course work meets the academic requirements for licensure as a marriage and family therapist in California as well as most of the requirements in many other states. Following graduation, additional supervised clinical practice and passing licensing examinations (two in California) is typically required for licensure.
Spiritual and Personal Formation
There is clear evidence that the person of the therapist is a significant factor in the helping relationship. In the MFT program, formation is a multifaceted, invitational process with many points of entry, both formal and informal. We encourage students to respond to God’s call to wholeness and holiness by reflecting on the theological, theoretical, clinical, and experiential dimensions of life. This reflection serves as the basis for an ongoing process of integration that we believe is essential for maturity as a believer and as a professional.
As a result of their degree work, students develop a professional identity as agents of formation and transformation. They respond to God’s call to minister to couples, families, and other systems by intentionally integrating biblically grounded, professionally coherent theological and theoretical understandings with ethical practice. And they gain skills to minister effectively to individuals, couples, families, and members of other systems who differ from themselves in culture, ethnicity, religious background, worldview, and value system.
This program is accredited locally by the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges and nationally by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education. Course work meets the academic requirements for licensure as a marriage and family therapist in California as well as most of the requirements in many other states. Following graduation, additional supervised clinical practice and passing licensing examinations (two in California) is typically required for licensure.
Spiritual and Personal Formation
There is clear evidence that the person of the therapist is a significant factor in the helping relationship. In the MFT program, formation is a multifaceted, invitational process with many points of entry, both formal and informal. We encourage students to respond to God’s call to wholeness and holiness by reflecting on the theological, theoretical, clinical, and experiential dimensions of life. This reflection serves as the basis for an ongoing process of integration that we believe is essential for maturity as a believer and as a professional.
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