An examination of counselor trainee experiences compared with marriage family therapy scope of practice

The Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) training program at Sacramento State includes a practicum course in which students work as therapist trainees as part of the requirements for the Master's degree and MFT licensure. Neither a review on the client records nor an evaluation of the practicum portion of the students' training had ever been performed. Therefore, the current project conducted a records review of demographic and therapeutic variables for 440 cases, representing seven years' worth of client records. Descriptive analyses were conducted and subsequently discussed in relation to the training requirements, standards of practice, and core competencies of the MFT profession. Results indicated the practicum course provides training in some of the MFT core competencies, although several shortcomings were also present. The information provided in this study may contribute to future training of MFTs by assisting degree programs to plan practica that facilitate the development of the MFT core competencies.