Sanctioned licensing board violations for marriage and family therapists spanning a 10‐year period

Abstract

Although disciplinary data on violations committed by licensed mental health professionals are important information for training programs, supervisors, and regulators, little disciplinary information is available on licensed marriage and family therapists (MFTs). This study collected data publicly available from state regulatory board websites and open records requests from 35 states for a total of 1241 separate cases, 889 of which were from CA. The findings indicated that the five most common violations for MFTs in 34 states (not including CA) were nonsexual dual relationships, failure to meet CE hour requirements, sexual dual relationships, unlicensed practice, and misrepresentation on licensing applications or renewals. For CA, the most common violations included criminal charges‐misdemeanor, DUI/inappropriate substance use, unprofessional conduct, misrepresentation on licensure paperwork, and failure to meet CE hour requirements. MFTs licensed between 2 and 5 years committed the majority of violations. Implications for training programs, supervisors, and regulators are discussed.