Overview
Trevecca's Marriage and Family Program trains and develops therapists of the highest caliber and produces a unique combination of deep community and rich exploration for its students.
Trevecca’s Graduate Counseling program began more than 25 years ago and has since established longstanding relationships throughout middle Tennessee’s mental health community. With an emphasis on its development of a professional counselor identity, the Graduate Counseling program offers degrees in clinical mental health counseling, marriage and family counseling/therapy, and doctoral education and supervision. Programs are accredited by The Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Education Programs (CACREP).
Whether your career goals include starting your own private practice, serving in an agency or counseling center, or leading as a counseling administrator, Trevecca’s Graduate Counseling program can help you reach your goals. The face-to-face format encourages professional relationships between faculty and students that extend beyond graduation. The Graduate Counseling program prides itself on creating opportunities for hands-on learning and real-time application in the mental health field. In addition to the more than 60 agencies and centers that serve as internship sites, students will study under highly qualified and credentialed faculty who also serve as current practitioners in the field.
The master degree programs meet academic requirements for licensure, as these programs are designed to prepare students for licensure as a professional counselor (LPC-MHSP) or marriage and family therapist (LMFT) in the state of Tennessee. The counseling degree program is a 60-hour program which leads toward licensure as a professional counselor (LPC-MHSP). The marriage and family degree program is a 60-hour program which leads toward licensure as a marital and family therapist (LMFT).
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Core Classes
Lifespan Development
CSL 5220
Looks at the survey of research throughout the entire lifespan including findings in the areas of physical, emotional, cognitive, and interpersonal growth and development.
Course Hours: 3
Helping Relationships
CSL 5260
Provides an orientation to the counseling profession. Characteristics of effective counselors, nature of the therapeutic relationship, and the process of counseling will be addressed. Students will learn and demonstrate the essential skills involved in building an effective helping relationship. Students will be introduced to practicum/internship guidelines and expectations, interview and resume writing skills, client record keeping, and other aspects of the practicum/internship experience.
Course Hours: 3
Group Therapy and Process
CSL 5430
Examines group techniques and application to counseling settings. Various ethnic and socioeconomic groups will be emphasized.
Course Hours: 3
Advanced Abnormal Psychology
CSL 5240
Focuses on patterns of abnormal behavior including anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and antisocial behavior. These patterns of abnormal behavior are discussed and related to DSM diagnosis.
Course Hours: 3
Counseling Diverse Populations
CSL 5250
An overview of counseling strategies useful with varied populations. Counseling skills helpful with clients of different racial, economic, religious, and sexual orientations will also be examined.
Course Hours: 3
Ethical Standards and Legal Issues
CSL 5472
Emphasizes the development, understanding, and application of ethical standards in the theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. The Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) will be studied along with other professional standards of practice and credentialing. There will also be a focus on state rules and regulations and licensure requirements for LPC-MHSPs and LMFTs.
Course Hours: 3
Introduction to Psychological Research
CSL 5100
Designed to give an introduction to research strategies with an emphasis on counseling and psychological problems. Emphasis will be on the development of a proposal for a major research project or thesis.
Course Hours: 3
Introduction to Psychological Testing
CSL 5441
An overview of test construction, selection, and application will be the focus of this course. Legal and ethical administration of tests for ability, intelligence, attitudes, values and personality will also be examined. Experience in taking and administering sample instruments will be provided.
Course Hours: 3
Career Counseling and Professional Development
CSL 5230
An examination of the current trends in career development and life choices. The students will develop a knowledge base concerning career theories, techniques, and assessments for exploring the interests, aptitudes, and values of clients in order to assist them in making reasoned career and lifestyle decisions. The course will also focus on the student's personal career choice in the mental health field, career options, professional opportunities and identity development including a culminating paper on the student's preferred model of therapy. Characteristics that lead to success in the field, the developmental journey of a counselor, and self care are topics covered in this course.
Course Hours: 3
Marital Lifecycle
MFC 5511
With the marital life-cycle as a structure, this course will examine the marital relationship as an interactive and changing system. Particular attention will be given to the predictable challenges presented to couples in the form of demands for adaptation, the identified characteristics of marital health, and various changes experienced in both the institution of marriage and spousal roles during the past few decades.
Course Hours: 3
Systems Theory and Family Therapy
MFC 5200
Introduces the theory and basic underlying assumptions of a systems framework to marriage and family therapy. The emphasis is on identifying the characteristics of healthy family functioning and conceptualizing human problems as they are related to the functioning of systems.
Course Hours: 3
Divorce and Divorce Adjustment
MFC 5510
A study of the contemporary family through the avenue of the divorce experience. The primary concern will be an understanding of the cultural influences that fostered a rise in the divorce rate, the changes that this phenomenon has precipitated in American society, the impact of divorce upon the entire family unit, and the adjustments required for healthy family functioning.
Course Hours: 3
Marital Therapy: Crisis Situations and Sexuality
MFC 5400
Designed to give attention to the special problems presented by (1) crisis situations and (2) sexuality. Regarding crisis presentations, common marital presentations will be studied (abusive relationships, marital separation, infidelity, etc.) with attention given to both recognition and appropriate intervention strategies. Regarding sexuality, healthy and problematic areas of sexual functioning will be studied with special attention given to assessment and diagnostic skills for identifying sexual dysfunction and correspondingly appropriate treatment regimens.
Course Hours: 3
The Child in the Family System
MFC 5512
Designed to review theories and research in child development by identifying normal and anticipated behavior from birth through adolescence within the family context. The ability to recognize what constitutes deviations from the anticipated behavior will also be identified with practical suggestions for intervention.
Course Hours: 3
Family Therapy
MFC 5351
Introduces the understanding and practicing of family therapy. Focus will be on developing both diagnostic and intervention skills in regards to treating problems within the context of the family. Special attention will be given to differentiating between various approaches within the purview of family systems theory.
Course Hours: 3
Marital Therapy I
MFC 5700
Students will be presented with a variety of systems therapy models specifically applied to the marital relationship. Students will demonstrate the ability to conceptualize issues, develop treatment plans, and intervene in couple relationships based on both an understanding of diverse theoretical orientations and equally diverse couple problem presentations. This conceptualization will flow from an understanding of theories including but not limited to structural, trans-generational, attachment, and affect regulation models. Cohesive therapy experiences will be shared, evaluated, demonstrated, and practiced both in the classroom and in a practicum setting. Students will be expected to initiate a practicum experience that will continue into the next course, MFC 5710 Marital Therapy II. All totaled the practicum for the two-course marital therapy sequence will be 100 hours with 40 of the 100 hours being in direct client contact (group therapy, co-therapy, client intakes, marital couple therapy, etc.).
Course Hours: 3
Marital Therapy II
MFC 5710
A continuation of MFC 5700 Marital Therapy I. Students will be presented with additional systems therapy models specifically applied to the marital relationship. The ability to conceptualize issues, develop treatment plans, and intervene in couple relationships based on both an understanding of diverse theoretical orientations and equally diverse couple problem presentations will continue to be the focus. This conceptualization will flow from an understanding of theories including but not limited to structural, trans-generational, attachment, and affect regulation models. Skill demonstration, in both classroom and practicum activities, will continue culminating with each student demonstrating competency in a chosen therapy model consistent with the goals and purposes of this program. By the end of this course the students will have completed a 100 hour practicum (in association with the previous course, MFC 5700 Marital Therapy I) of which 40 of the 100 hours will have been in direct client contact (group therapy, co-therapy, client intakes, marital couple therapy, etc.).
Course Hours: 3
Internship in Marriage and Family Therapy I
MFC 5457
Provides supervised experience in the practice of marriage and family therapy in an appropriate clinical setting (usually a mental health center or community agency). Activities will include face-to-face contact with individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Students will spend a minimum of 200 hours on site under appropriate supervision of which 80 of the 200 hours must be in direct client contact (internship fee). Under certain circumstances internship may be extended.*
Course Hours: 3
Internship in Marriage and Family Therapy II
MFC 5458
To be taken in consecutive sequence with MFT 5457 "Internship in Marriage and Family Therapy I" and preferably at the same site, the course provides a continued supervised experience in the practice of marriage and family therapy in an appropriate clinical setting (usually a mental health center or community agency). Activities will include face-to-face contact with individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Student will spend a minimum of 200 hours on site under appropriate supervision of which 80 of the 200 hours must be in direct client contact. (internship fee). Under certain circumstances internship may be extended.*
Course Hours: 3
Internship in Marriage and Family Therapy III
MFC 5600
Provides a supervised experience in the practice of marriage and family therapy in an appropriate clinical setting (usually a mental health center or community agency). Activities will include face-to-face contact with individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Student will spend a minimum of 200 hours on site under appropriate supervision of which 80 of the 200 hours must be in direct client contact. (internship fee). Under certain circumstances internship may be extended.*
Course Hours: 3
Admissions
Application Information
- Cycles of new students begin three times during the year: fall, spring, and summer.
- Fall semester, apply by June 1, two new groups are taken (a Tuesday class schedule and a Saturday class schedule)
- Spring semester, apply by October 1, one new group is taken (a Saturday class schedule)
- Summer semester, apply February 15, one new group is taken (a Tuesday class schedule)
- Applicants are encouraged to meet semester deadline requirements.
- Contact us today if you have missed an application deadline but would like to be considered for the upcoming cohort start.
Minimum requirements: 2.7 GPA and 380 MAT/290 GRE. If an applicant is below the minimum for one of the requirements, s/he may be considered under our conditional admission policy.
Application Documents
Fill out online application
Reference Assessment Form (2 required)
MAT/GRE Information
Immunization Information
Application Checklist
- Complete the online application (it's free!).
Need help applying? Read the step-by-step instructions here! - Official transcript must be submitted directly to SGCS Admissions
- Miller Analogies test score report (MAT) OR Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score report
- Two (2) completed reference assessment forms (available online) must be professional and/or academic. Return all application items to:
Trevecca Nazarene University
SGCS Admissions
333 Murfreesboro Pike
Nashville, TN 37210
Admission Deadlines (per semester)
- Fall: June 1
- Spring: October 1
- Summer: February 15
- All completed application items must be received by the deadline in order to be considered for the next step in the application process.
Need help? Our enrollment counselors are ready to answer any questions. We are also available for in-person meetings. Fill out the form to be connected!
Financial Aid and Costs
Graduate students who are enrolled in a degree-seeking program or are working on the hours needed for Licensed Professional Counselor or Licensed Marital and Family Therapist and who are in good standing on past federal student loans are eligible to apply for a Federal Student Loan. Students are expected to be making satisfactory progress toward a degree.
Students receiving federal student loans must be enrolled for at least three (3) hours at the beginning of each semester. Failure to do so will result in all or a portion of the loan being returned to the lender.
To meet federal regulations concerning loan disbursements and refunds from loan proceeds, the University must delay the disbursement of loan proceeds until at least three weeks into each semester.
Students must submit a new application for federal aid for each year they are enrolled and want to receive federal loans. It is the student’s responsibility to monitor their funds and call the financial aid office when additional funds are needed. Financial aid packets and additional information concerning financial aid may be obtained by calling the Financial Aid Office at (615) 248-1242. Students should complete a new Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) each year for classes beginning in April. The FAFSA can be completed at www.fafsa.gov. More information on the Federal Direct Loans program can be found on Trevecca’s website, www.trevecca.edu. The financial aid information can be found under Admissions.
Tuition
| Tuition | Credit Hours | Tuition Costs |
| $636/credit hour | 60 | $38,160 |
Additional Fees
- CPCE Exam: $75
- Practicum/Internship Fee: $54
- Practicum/Internship (Tevera): $200
- Practicum Extension Fee: $250
- Miller Analogies Test Fee: $70
- Technology Fee: $50/course
- Additional fees for textbooks and required materials
Overview
Trevecca's Marriage and Family Program trains and develops therapists of the highest caliber and produces a unique combination of deep community and rich exploration for its students.
Trevecca’s Graduate Counseling program began more than 25 years ago and has since established longstanding relationships throughout middle Tennessee’s mental health community. With an emphasis on its development of a professional counselor identity, the Graduate Counseling program offers degrees in clinical mental health counseling, marriage and family counseling/therapy, and doctoral education and supervision. Programs are accredited by The Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Education Programs (CACREP).
Whether your career goals include starting your own private practice, serving in an agency or counseling center, or leading as a counseling administrator, Trevecca’s Graduate Counseling program can help you reach your goals. The face-to-face format encourages professional relationships between faculty and students that extend beyond graduation. The Graduate Counseling program prides itself on creating opportunities for hands-on learning and real-time application in the mental health field. In addition to the more than 60 agencies and centers that serve as internship sites, students will study under highly qualified and credentialed faculty who also serve as current practitioners in the field.
The Master of Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy is a 60-hour program that meets academic requirements for licensure and is designed to prepare students for licensure as a marriage and family therapist (LMFT) in the state of Tennessee.
Program of Study Program Details - PDF
To connect with an enrollment counselor, fill out the form to the right or call 615-248-1546.