Heal and strengthen relationships as a Christ-centered practitioner Marriage & Family Therapy (M.A.)

Prepare to help families as a clinically skilled, relationally competent practitioner. The M.A. in Marriage & Family Therapy from Wheaton College integrates Christian belief and counseling practice with the best of contemporary scholarship and professional standards.

Credential Type

M.A.

Major Credits Required

Duration

2 years

Format

Residential, Cohort Model

22% Project Job Growth

Enjoy a fulfilling career in an high-demand field. (BLS, 2022)

On-Site Counseling Center

The Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic is the only facility of its kind among Christian colleges.

89% Alumni Licensure Rate

Compared to the COAMFTE benchmark of 70%.

Request Information

Or reach out to us anytime at graduate.admissions@wheaton.edu.

Strengthen couple and family relationships Why Wheaton for Marriage & Family Therapy?

Relationships can be challenging, especially today. More than ever before, there is a growing need for Christian therapists. Our M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy trains you to strengthen families by integrating clinical competency with a Christian perspective.

We hold that relationships from a biblical, systemic, and personal perspective are vital to human development to initiate change in the family system. We seek to equip clinically competent marriage and family therapists who intervene effectively to promote, restore, sustain, and enhance positive functioning in clients.

Clinical Competency

We aim to form systemic clinicians who participate capably in the interactive process of assessing and treating clients and client systems, incorporate knowledge of individual and family life-cycle developmental stages, and conceptualize and integrate clinical/relational/contextual information. Students are instructed from an ethical, legal, and respectful standard of therapeutic practice in working with clients and greater systems. We seek to equip marriage and family therapists who intervene effectively to promote, restore, sustain, and/or enhance positive functioning in clients.

We strive to integrate theory with practice throughout the program through student involvement in pre-practicum training beginning in their first year and practicum placement in their second year. First year pre-practicum students observe live therapy at local clinics from behind a one-way mirror, while second year practicum students directly provide both individual and relational therapy. Graduates will be capable of working with individuals, couples, families, and groups.

Relational Competency

We hold that relationships from a biblical, systemic, and personal perspective are vital to human development to initiate change in the family system. Our program is built upon a cohort model which includes personal and professional development within small groups that facilitate dynamic enrichment of the whole person within Christian community. As a part of their personal and professional development, students will demonstrate self-awareness and emotional regulation by processing through their experience of family background and cultural context. In doing so, students will learn to communicate effectively about such matters with clients, colleagues, faculty, and supervisors.

Faculty, students, and alumni seek recursive involvement through educational investment, living out our mission, and commitment to each other, our churches, and our greater communities.

Interpersonal Justice

Even with the rigor of academia, we implement ways we can be of service to those around us, whether that is in our local church, family, the academic program and cohort, or in the community. First year MFT students have the opportunity to observe live therapy, predominately at local community clinics. Second year MFT students obtain clinical practicum sites throughout the Chicagoland area and provide counseling to communities and populations who may otherwise not be able to receive such services.

Christian Distinctiveness

How we understand and live out our faith, how our faith influences our practices, and what happens when faith and practice collide are all questions we tussle with together in class and outside of class. We discuss openly various views on the nature of God, personhood, brokenness, and healing so that we can understand how our faith and learning shapes our clinical practice.

We seek to foster an environment that supports personal and professional development and that is based in Scripture and orthodox Christianity. Students of the M.A. in MFT program are expected to affirm the Statement of Faith of Wheaton College and to voluntarily conform to the Community Covenant of Wheaton College, which together provide a framework for our life together as an academic and spiritual community. These commitments are far more than philosophical positions; they represent our firm belief that both unity and diversity add depth and richness to the community being developed at Wheaton and the MFT program.

EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES

Wheaton College MFT Mission Statement

We seek to form Marriage and Family Therapists who are clinically skilled and who integrate their personhood as followers of Christ in their professional and personal lives; who value interpersonal justice and the diversity of clients and client systems; and who work toward the goal of healthy and whole relationships, giving specific attention to those on the margin of society and those who are underserved.

COAMFTE Graduate Achievement Data Table

Read about our graduation rates, licensure rates, and more.

Download PDF

Should I choose Clinical Mental Health Counseling or Marriage and Family Therapy?

While there are many similarities between Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) and Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC), our programs offer two distinct approaches:

CMHC emphasizes an eclectic approach to working with clients including cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, person-centered, and systemic approaches.
MFT emphasizes the individual-in-context and systemic theory as foundational in conceptualizing relational and clinical issues.

Learn More about the Programs’ Distinct Qualities

Our Curriculum

The M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy Program Curriculum is designed to form skilled and competent marriage and family therapists who integrate their personhood as followers of Christ, as well as to meet the licensure requirements for the state of Illinois.

Your course requirements will include a mix of theory and real-world application.

Please see the graduate course catalog for current requirements as well as the most up-to-date course numbers, titles, and descriptions.

Sample Courses

Marriage & Family Therapy core and elective options include:

Individual & Family Life Cycle Development
Ethics & Professional Practice
Psychopathology & the Family
Trauma & Addiction
Human Sexuality
Clinical Development

Developing Your Professional Identity Engage in Experiential Learning & Spiritual Growth

As a graduate student at Wheaton, you'll not only participate in rich, real-world experiences in professional counseling settings — you also will develop personally and spiritually within an active, supportive learning community.

Gain Clinical Experience

Our Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic is the first and only faith-based training clinic of its kind in Illinois. This unique facility provides much-needed care to couples and families who would otherwise not be able to receive such services.

From live therapy observations as a first-year graduate student to clinical practicums around Chicagoland to your final internship, you will gain hands-on experience with clients.

Central and Eastern European Mental Health Advisory Conference

Engage in Research & Industry

Participate in therapy- and psychology-related research groups with faculty and students, perhaps even present at national academic and industry conferences including our own Family Systems Conference.

You can also connect and collaborate with classmates and colleagues through membership in professional organizations such as the American Counseling Association and the American Association of Christian Counselors.

grad students sitting talking laughing banner image

Get Involved On Campus

Our graduate students are actively engaged on campus and in the local area. They participate in worship services, volunteer with community organizations, attend lectures (like our Scandrette Series), go on field trips, and much more.

They also join (and lead) student groups such as the Graduate Student Council and Graduate Psychology Student Association.

Our Faculty Compassionate and Intelligent Educators

Our core faculty members are engaged in clinical practice, research, and professional development in the field of marriage and family therapy. We openly discuss various views on the nature of God, personhood, brokenness, and healing so that we can understand how our faith and learning shapes our clinical practice.

Jake Johnson, PhD, LMFT

Marriage and Family Therapy Clinical Training Coordinator, Associate Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy

Smyrna Khalaf, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Counseling

Wendy R. Smith, Psy.D.

Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic at Wheaton College, Assistant Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy

David Van Dyke, Ph.D.

Director of the M.A. Program in Marriage and Family Therapy, Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy

Hana Yoo, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy

Success After Wheaton What Can You Do With a Master's in Marriage & Family Therapy?

Our Marriage and Family Therapy graduates are professionally qualified to work with individuals, couples, families, and groups. They pursue licensure and clinical work in Illinois and other states across the U.S., as well as in countries in Eastern Europe, South Asia, South America and in other areas around the world.

Careers

Our graduates find meaningful careers in a wide range of clinically related activities including family and individual counseling, restorative work with refugees, substance use treatment, and mental health policy. They work in settings such as:

Community or missions agencies
Private practices
Hospitals
Behavioral health centers
Outpatient treatment centers
Inpatient treatment facilities
Churches and parachurch organizations
Specialized therapy practices (i.e. Christian counseling, therapy for children, divorce, trauma)
Alternative careers including nonprofit work (i.e. case management), Policy/Advocacy, and Missionary Member Care

Companies & Organizations

Graduates pursue licensure and clinical work in multiple states across the U.S., as well as in countries in Eastern Europe, South Asia, South America and in other areas around the world. They work for organizations, institutions, and companies such as:

Center for Relational Empowerment (Evanston)
Evergreen Counseling (Wheaton)
Grow Collective (Chicago area)
Innervisions Counseling (Milwaukee)
Cedar Tree Counseling (Geneva)
Wellspring Center for Counseling
Minnesota Renewal Center (St. Paul)
Relational Wellness Counseling (Barrington)
Midtown Nashville Counseling
Cultivating Hope Therapy (Kansas City)
The Point Church at Signal Mountain (Tennessee)
Youth Villages (Boon, North Carolina)

Marriage and Family Therapy Graduates 2017 Wheaton College Graduate School

Investing in You

Financial Wellness

The Wheaton College Graduate School Student Financial Services team can help you understand how much your graduate studies will cost and what financial aid options -- such as graduate assistantships, loans, payment plans, and scholarships -- may be available to you.

Learn About Graduate Financial Aid

Promoting healing. Strengthening bonds.

Alumni in Action

“All of the faculty members bring a unique relational piece to this program. They accept us as we are, and they accept us where we are along our trajectory in life.”

— Billy Cleary '18, LMFT

Billy Cleary's approach as a clinical director and therapist is informed by his life experiences which prioritizes the person over the objective. Through collaboration, curiosity, and drive individuals and systems can change and heal.

As a therapist, Billy believes that creating a space to collectively navigate social and relational issues promotes healing and change, thus strengthening bonds. His focus at TELL is to build upon its mission to support individuals, families, and communities throughout Japan and help restore relationships for the international and Japanese community.

Next Steps

Interested in becoming a Christian counselor with expertise in relationships? The Wheaton College M.A. in Marriage & Family Therapy might be right for you. Request more information or start your application today.

Graduate Admissions Request Information