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Tennessee licenses Marriage and Family Therapists through the Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists. Licensure generally requires a master’s or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy (or a closely related field with MFT coursework), a period of post-degree supervised clinical experience, and a passing score on the National Marriage and Family Therapy Examination. Verify current licensing, MFT Licensure Compact, supervised-experience, renewal, and continuing-education requirements directly with the Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists.
Master's or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy (or a related field with equivalent coursework) from a regionally accredited program, reportedly including a supervised practicum/internship of at least about 300 hours. Verify exact education requirements with the Board.
Applicants reportedly must pass two examinations, including the national Marital and Family Therapy Examination (AMFTRB) and a state jurisprudence examination. Verify the required examination(s) with the Board.
Post-degree supervised clinical experience is required (reportedly on the order of 1,000+ hours of clinical practice, with supervision per Board rule). Verify exact hour requirements with the Board.
The state has not enacted the Marriage and Family Therapy Licensure Compact. Marriage and family therapists must hold a license issued by this state to practice here, and any compact privilege held elsewhere does not authorize practice in this state.
Tennessee has not enacted the MFT Licensure Compact; no enacted MFT compact currently exists nationally. (Tennessee did adopt AAMFT's endorsement-based "Access MFTs" portability model, which is distinct from a compact.) Verify current compact status with the Board and mftcompact.org.
License portability may be available by endorsement and, where the state participates, through the MFT Licensure Compact. Verify endorsement eligibility and compact participation with the Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists.
Telehealth marriage and family therapy practice is governed by state law and board rules. Verify current telehealth requirements with the Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists.
This guide is for general informational purposes only and should not be treated as legal, licensing, or employment advice. Marriage and family therapist licensing laws, board rules, education and examination requirements, MFT Licensure Compact participation, supervised-experience rules, and renewal/continuing-education requirements vary by state and may change. Always verify current requirements directly with the official state licensing board.