MFT Practicum Guide for Capella Students

Your practicum is governed by COAMFTE and state licensure boards. Capella’s program meets these rigorous requirements.

The Hour Requirements

You must obtain a significant number of clinical hours, which generally includes:

• Total Clinical Hours: A minimum number of direct client contact hours (e.g., 300-500).
• Relational Hours: A substantial portion of your hours (50% or more) must be relational (couples or families), which is the hallmark of an MFT program. This differs from counseling programs that focus on individuals.
• Supervision Hours: A set number of supervision hours from an AAMFT Approved Supervisor or equivalent.

Understanding these requirements is essential. The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) explains what marriage and family therapists do and the importance of accredited standards.

This is often stressful. Be proactive and start your search 6-9 months early.

Where to Look

Look for community mental health agencies, private practices with training programs, or hospitals. Use the AAMFT supervisor directory to find approved supervisors; they often know which sites are hiring.

The Interview: You Are Interviewing Them

When you get an interview, you are also interviewing them. Ask:

• “What is the average number of relational (couples/family) hours your interns get per week?”
• “Who will be my direct clinical supervisor, and are they an AAMFT Approved Supervisor?”
• “What is the supervision style like here?”
• “What are the expectations for documentation and caseload?”

Choosing a site that can’t provide the required relational hours jeopardizes your graduation. For more on this, our business writing services can help you craft a professional resume and cover letter.

Supervision is your most important learning tool and where you will grow most as a therapist.

How to Prepare for Supervision

Don’t just say, “I had a good week.” Come prepared, vulnerable, and ready to ask questions about cases where you feel “stuck.”

• “My client said X, and I felt defensive. Can we explore that?”
• “I’m stuck on a treatment plan for this family. I see the pattern but don’t know how to intervene.”
• “I used a structural intervention, and it failed. Can we watch the tape?”

This is where you apply theory. A foundational article on supervisory relationships highlights that a strong, trusting alliance is a key predictor of future competence.

MFT training’s focus on the “Self-of-the-Therapist” (SOTT) is unique. The premise: you cannot help a family if you are unaware of your own dynamics. Your history and biases are your tools, but if unexamined, they are your biggest liabilities.

Using Your Genogram

Your Capella courses require a detailed genogram to trace your family’s relational patterns, communication, and cutoffs. You’ll ask: “How did my family handle conflict? How does that shape my reaction to clients?” This self-exploration is a form of critical thinking.

Your coursework covers theories (Structural, Strategic, Bowenian) that you will apply in your practicum. The key shift is from linear to circular causality.

• Linear Thinking: “Parent A yells, which causes Child B to withdraw.”
• Systemic Thinking: “Parent A’s yelling, Child B’s withdrawal, and Parent C’s silence are part of a self-reinforcing pattern (a dance) that maintains the dysfunction.”

In your case conceptualizations, you will map this dance and learn to intervene on the pattern, not just the person.

Your case notes are different. The “client” is the relationship or family system.

Your treatment goals must be relational (e.g., “The couple will improve conflict resolution”), not individual. Your notes must describe relational patterns, your intervention, and the system’s response. This is a common focus of our case study writing services.

Your practicum presents unique ethical challenges. The AAMFT Code of Ethics is your guide.

Confidentiality and “No-Secrets”

What if one partner reveals a secret (e.g., an affair) and asks you to hide it? This is a major dilemma. Many MFTs use a no-secrets policy, stated in the informed consent, clarifying that the therapist will not hold secrets relevant to the treatment.

Cultural Humility

You must examine your cultural biases. A 2023 article on cultural humility and multicultural orientation links these concepts to better therapeutic outcomes. This means being curious, not an expert, about your clients’ cultural backgrounds.