Virginia Law

A. The applicant shall have successfully completed 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of graduate coursework with a minimum of six semester hours or nine quarter hours completed in each of the core areas identified in subdivisions 1 and 2 of this subsection, and three semester hours or 4.0 quarter hours in each of the core areas identified in subdivisions 3 through 9 of this subsection:

1. Marriage and family studies (marital and family development; family systems theory);

2. Marriage and family therapy (systemic therapeutic interventions and application of major theoretical approaches);

3. Human growth and development across the lifespan;

4. Abnormal behaviors;

5. Diagnosis and treatment of addictive behaviors;

6. Multicultural counseling;

7. Professional identity and ethics;

8. Research (research methods; quantitative methods; statistics);

9. Assessment and treatment (appraisal, assessment and diagnostic procedures); and

10. Supervised internship of at least 600 hours to include 240 hours of direct client contact, of which 200 hours shall be with couples and families. Only internship hours earned after completion of 30 graduate semester hours may be counted towards residency hours.

B. If the applicant holds a current, unrestricted license as a professional counselor, clinical psychologist, or clinical social worker, the board may accept evidence of successful completion of 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of graduate study, including a minimum of six semester hours or nine quarter hours completed in marriage and family studies (marital and family development; family systems theory) and six semester hours or nine quarter hours completed in marriage and family therapy (systemic therapeutic interventions and application of major theoretical approaches).