The Marriage and Family Therapy master’s degree at Lee University has officially received accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, making Lee the first and only school in Tennessee with a program with this accreditation.
According to Dr. Kirstee Williams, MFT program director, marriage and family therapy is one of the fastest growing mental health professions in the United States. New MFT programs are being developed, but only a few receive accreditation through COAMFTE.
COAMFTE has strict guidelines regarding both academic and clinical training, and graduates of COAMFTE programs must meet high standards of professional knowledge and development.
“Our MFT program authentically integrates faith, science, and experience into the clinical practice of marriage and family therapy,” said Dr. Trevor Milliron, director of graduate programs in counseling at Lee. “From our faith, we draw the concepts of hope, love, forgiveness, reconciliation, faithfulness and commitment. From science, we embrace an empirical worldview where our treatments are evidence-based.”
Lee University’s Marriage and Family Therapy program began in 2011, and since then 46 graduates have completed the program and gone on to pursue a career as a therapist. Lee currently has a state-licensed marriage and family center on campus.
COAMFTE specializes in accrediting master’s degree, doctoral degree, and post-graduate degree clinical training programs in marriage and family therapy throughout the U.S. and Canada.
The COAMFTE accreditation process includes assessing a program’s operations through compliance with specified professional standards developed by a national consensus of professionals in the field. Once accredited, the program provides a credential to the public which attests that a program has accepted and is fulfilling its commitment to educational quality.