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Department of Human Development and Family Studies
College of Health and Human Sciences

Human Development and Family Studies Marriage and Family Therapy Program Highlights

The Colorado State University MFT training program is based on a relational/systemic philosophy that is multiculturally-informed and promotes ethical competency. We’re accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education. This accreditation is based on the Professional Marriage and Family Therapy Principles which include AAMFT Core Competencies, AAMFT Code of Ethics, and State Licensure Regulations.

Apply Now COAMFTE Graduate Achievement Data Disclosure

Program Mission

Mission

The mission of the Colorado State University Marriage and Family Therapy Program is to graduate students who successfully meet the clinical and academic training standards as guided by the COAMFTE Developmental Competency Components: Knowledge, Practice, Diversity, Ethics and Research. Graduates will be prepared to provide ethical, multiculturally-informed, evidence-based, and systemically oriented therapeutic services for a diverse population of individuals, couples, and families within a variety of professional settings, including community, academic, and policy-making settings.

Goals

The following are the program goals and student learning outcomes (SLO) associated with each goal:

Goal 1: To prepare effective Marriage and Family Therapists.

  • SLO1: Students will possess the competencies necessary to successfully and ethically conceptualize cases and facilitate admission to treatment.
  • SLO2: Students will possess the competencies necessary to conduct effective and ethical clinical assessments and diagnoses of clients.
  • SLO3: Students will possess the competencies necessary to conduct effective and ethical treatment planning and case management.
  • SLO4: Students will possess the competencies necessary to employ effective and ethical therapeutic interventions.
  • SLO5: Students will possess the competencies necessary to maintain compliance with ethical, legal, and professional standards in the practice of MFT.
  • SLO6: Students will receive at least 300 clinical hours during the program.
  • SLO7: Students will receive at least 100 hours of clinical supervision during the program.

Goal 2: To prepare Marriage and Family Therapists to responsibly serve diverse, marginalized, and underserved communities.

  • SLO8: Students will demonstrate cultural competence in admitting clients to treatment, clinical assessment and diagnosis, treatment planning, therapeutic interventions, legal and ethical issues, and research and theory.
  • SLO9: Students will provide therapeutic services in each of the CSU Centers for Counseling, Assessment and Mentoring that expressly serve diverse, marginalized, and underserved populations.

Goal 3: To prepare students to be critical consumers of and contributors to the MFT literature.

  • SLO10: Students will possess the competencies necessary to apply relevant research to their clinical practice and to evaluate their own effectiveness as therapists.
  • SLO11: Students will complete an original thesis research project.

Retention Policy

We make every effort to ensure all students complete the MFT program successfully. Retention is a two-way street.

We continually strive to create a strong program so that students want to stay. This is done by collecting regular feedback from students, faculty and administrators, clients, and community partners. We use this feedback to continually improve the program. Students can refer to the MFT Policy and Procedures for Student Complaints, Concerns, and Grievances in the MFT Program Clinical Administrative Manual.

We strive to provide students with a clear indication of their development and competence in all areas of the program so students will be able to successfully complete the program. If at any time a student is struggling with courses or thesis, the student and the instructor of the course or their thesis adviser will communicate about the issue and work together to resolve it. See the HDFS  Graduate Handbook for further detail.

During practicum and internship, all students will receive ongoing formal and informal feedback on their clinical skills. Students must be functioning at an (A) appropriately developing toward competence or (C) competent level.  If at any point in the MFT program, a student is functioning at a level below (A) or (C) in any area of the AAMFT core competencies or the AAMFT Code of Ethics, the student will be given an unsatisfactory (UN) in that area and an action plan will be developed.

At the beginning of the program, all students review this policy and sign an agreement that they have reviewed the AAMFT Core  Competencies, AAMFT Code of Ethics, and the policy. (The blank form is saved on Canvas; the  signed form is saved in each student’s S: drive portfolio). Once a student receives a (UN), an action plan will be created with the student, the CFCT Director and the Program Director with the intention of setting goals to move toward success.

Retention is also a part of our Program Diversity Plan. A series of evaluation surveys are given to all MFT students at the end of each semester that include questions related to issues of diversity.  Additionally, students are given information about advocacy and diversity support available at CSU.  This information is on the CSU website, in the HDFS graduate handbook and is posted on the MFT Canvas site.

Diversity is a central value of our program. Because of this, faculty, and supervisors are expected to create a warm and welcoming environment for all students. Therefore, maintaining a social justice lens and attending to cultural issues are central to courses and supervision. MFT faculty and supervisors are expected to continue their cultural competence training in an on‐going fashion and diversity efforts by faculty are part of their annual evaluations with the department head. Faculty are also encouraged to be particularly sensitive to student requests that might be related to issues of identity and/or culture (i.e. issues related to religion or language). If a student leaves the program for any reason, an exit interview will be conducted. Among other questions, supervisors will assess if there was anything related to diversity issues that led to their departure.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Social Justice

MFT Program Diversity Statement

Department of Human Development and Family Studies DEIJ homepage.

In the CSU MFT Program, a socially just, diverse, equitable, and inclusive work and learning environment is one where all students, employees, and volunteers feel valued and respected. We are committed to a nondiscriminatory approach and provide equal opportunity for education, employment, and advancement in all our academic and clinical programs. We respect and value diverse life experiences, backgrounds, and identities and ensure that all voices are valued and heard.

  We are committed to training therapists to practice socially just therapy and hiring staff who reflect this value. This means that all personnel is trained to be attuned to and address oppression, discrimination, power differentials, disparities, barriers, and identity trauma in their work as they strive for socially just relationships and use their training towards a more socially just world. Social Justice is integrated into all aspects of the MFT graduate program.

MFT Program Diversity Data

Students – 2014-2019 | Over the last five years, our program has included 61 graduate students. Of those, 18% identify as male, 82% female. When reporting race, 8% identify as Asian, 7% Latinx, 1% as Black, and 3% report having multiple racial identities.

Faculty | Of the eight core MFT faculty members, 38% identify as male and 62% as female. When reporting race, 12% identify as Asian and 88% identify as being of European American decent.

Supervisors | Of our nine primary clinical supervisors, 45% identify as male and 55% as female. When reporting race, 12% identify as Asian, 12% identify as Black, and 76% identify as being of European American decent.

More in-depth information is as follows:

Gender Identity

  • 2021 | 10 Women and 4 Men
  • 2020 | 7 Women and 2 Men
  • 2019 | 8 Women and 0 Men
  • 2018 | 6 Women and 4 Men
  • 2017 | 8 Women and 1 Man

Race

  • 2021 | 10 White/Non-Hispanic and 3 Hispanic/LatinX/Chicano
  • 2020 | 8 White/Non-Hispanic and 1 Other
  • 2019 | 6 White/Non-Hispanic; 1 Asian or pacific islander; and 1 Hispanic/LatinX/Chicano: 1
  • 2018 | 6 White/ Non-Hispanic; 1 Multiple; 1 American Indian or Alaskan Native; 1 Black; 1 Asian
  • 2017 | 8 White/Non-Hispanic: 8 and 1 Hispanic/LatinX/Chicano

Current Supervisors

  • Gender identity | 3 Men and 3 Women
  • Race/ethnicity | 1 African American and 5 White/Non-Hispanic

Links for diversity offices and cultural centers

Office of International Programs

Office of Inclusive Excellence

Pride Resource Center

Women and Gender Advocacy Center

Asian/Pacific American Cultural Center

Black/African American Cultural Center

El Centro

Native American Cultural Center

Fort Collins Community Resources

Colorado State University Diversity Statement

“Colorado State University is committed to embracing diversity through the inclusion of  individuals reflective of characteristics such as: age, culture, different ideas and perspectives, disability, ethnicity, first-generation status, familial status, gender identity and expression, geographic background, marital status, national origin, race, religious and spiritual beliefs, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, physical appearance, medical diagnosis, documentation status, and veteran status with special attention given to populations historically underrepresented or excluded from participation in higher education. The University’s commitment to diversity is a longstanding one that reflects our role and mission as a land-grant institution.”

COAMFTE Graduate Achievement Data for Colorado State University Marriage and Family Therapy Program | Accredited: Feb. 1, 1990

Graduate Achievement Data Disclosure

Advertised Program Length*: 2 years (6 semesters)

  • FT=Full‐time
  • IP=In Process: Students from the cohort listed have yet to graduate from the cohort year listed.
  • Programs are only required to provide data on the past 7 years/cohort or since the program was initially accredited, whichever is shorter.
  • * Graduation Rate is the program’s Advertised Length of Completion which is how long the program is designed to complete as written.
  • ** Job Placement Rate is the percentage of graduates from the cohort year that are employed utilizing skills learned in the COAMFTE accredited program.
  • *** Licensure rate is the percentage of graduates from the cohort year that have achieved ANY level of MFT licensure. For Master’s programs only, COAMFTE has established a benchmark of 70% licensure rate for each cohort.
Cohort Year Students Entered Program Number of Students in Program Graduation Rate in Advertised Time (%)* Job Placement Rate (%)** Licensure Rate (%)***
FT FT FT FT
2015-2016 13 100 100 92.31
2016-2017 9 66.67 100 100
2017-2018 9 100 100 100
2018-2019 10 100 100 100
2019-2020 9 66.67 100 100
2020-2021 9 100 100 100
2021-2022 14 IP IP IP
2022-2023 9 IP IP IP