»Our Program
Curriculum
The MFT program requires the completion of 60 credits of coursework. Classes are held during the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Clinical practicum is completed during a student's final year in the program.
Students can complete the program in two and a half or three years.
Sample Curriculum Grids:
Two and a Half Year Plan of Study
Core Faculty
Our faculty are licensed professionals specializing in a broad range of approaches, including family systems, cognitive behavioral, psychodynamic, and post-modern. As students will be tested on several different theories as they attain licensure, the availability of multiple areas of faculty expertise has proven invaluable for alumni.
Naveen Jonathan Ph.D., LMFT Program Director
Research Interests: South Asian community, LGBTQIA+ community, families w/child who is diagnosed with
physical health issue, and interdisciplinary work in medical family therapy.
Clinical Interests: Immigration/acculturation issues in clients, LGBTQIA+ clients, mental health care
providers, college students, couples and families.
Brennan Peterson Ph.D., LMFT Professor
Research Interests: Coping with infertility, fertility awareness, and oocyte cryopreservation.
Clinical Interests: Couple/Individual therapy, emotion-focused therapy, and mindfulness.
Faculty Spotlight: Brennan Peterson, PhD
Beth Patrick Ph.D., LMFT Assistant Professor & Director of Clinical Training
Research Interests: Couples and Chronic Illness, sociocultural attunement in practice, and spirituality
and the LGBTQ+ experience.
Clinical Interests: LGBTQAI+ teens, individuals, couples and families, medical family therapy-chronic
illness and couples, and death/dying /bereavement.
Research Interests: Children and adolescent mental health especially in the educational system, chronic illness/pain with family dynamics and within the medical system or approach of collaborative care.
Clinical Interests: Children and adolescent, military families, chronic illness/pain, and trauma.
On-Site Clinical Practicum
For one year, all MFT students conduct individual, couple, and family therapy under direct supervision of licensed mental health professionals at Chapman’s MFT Training Clinic, the Frances Smith Center for Individual & Family Therapy, which opened a new state-of-the-art clinic in January 2011. With eight large observation rooms, each equipped with digital cameras used to record sessions for instructional purposes, the clinic not only provides students with valuable real-world training, but it also strives to improve the quality of life in the greater community.
Established in 1965 by faculty and students concerned about helping families and individuals affected by the Vietnam War, the Frances Smith Center for Individual and Family Therapy (also known as the Chapman University Community Clinic) has grown into a well-respected training facility offering psychological treatment services to the local community.
Very few MFT programs possess an onsite clinic, which enables students to work toward the 3,000 hours they must complete prior to taking the MFT licensing exams in California. Several of our graduates have cited this part of the program as one of the best aspects of their education, as it is very difficult to get this kind of hands-on experience elsewhere.
In 2021, our Competency Model was accepted for publication in the Journal of Contemporary Family Therapy. Read the article by clicking here.
The Wooden Floor
In this collaboration, students engage with local non-profit agency, The Wooden Floor, to provide psychoeducation and empowerment groups for at-risk youth and their families.
“The Wooden Floor was truly an unforgettable experience that I am so grateful to have been a part of. My colleagues and I were always amazed by the dedication and care provided to the students and their families by the staff and the various programs within The Wooden Floor. I even found myself wishing to have experienced the Wooden Floor as a younger student. I also felt incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join and support the families within the local community. I learned so much through my peers and supervisors, who all demonstrated such compassion and willingness to meet students and families where they are. Likewise, in working closely with the students and families, I witnessed how resilience and community mental health work hand-in-hand to empower lives. The Wooden Floor embodies so much hope and presents unique opportunities for growth for the whole family. I will forever treasure the memories and experiences I had participating in and leading activities with students and families at the Wooden Floor.” - Julie Koh, Class of 2025
"Participating in Empowerment at The Wooden Floor was an unforgettable experience. The Wooden Floor offers a sense of safety, connection, and vulnerability for the students and families. As a first-generation college student, I wish I had been able to participate in a program like The Wooden Floor when I was a young student. The staff is so supportive and passionate about helping their students and families. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to participate in this collaboration and I hope I inspired the students as much as they inspired me." - Julianna Franco, Class of 2025
Learn more about Chapman's partnership with The Wooden Floor.
Stroke Boot Camp
Through a collaborative partnership with Crean College's Department of Physical Therapy, students learn to provide therapeutic services to stroke survivors and their caregivers.
"Stroke Boot Camp (SBC) was a wonderful opportunity and experience I am so grateful I was able to be a part of. I was able to gain valuable experience working alongside other healthcare professionals and gather insight into various fields that allowed me to broaden my knowledge in the medical family therapy field. Not only was I able to learn important therapeutic skills from my interactions with participants, but I was also able to further develop my systemic skillset through my interactions with caregivers and family members. Additionally, being able to work closely alongside my fellow trainees was an enjoyable learning experience that has provided me with the skills to work collaboratively in the Marriage and Family Therapy field. I thoroughly enjoyed the unique opportunities SBC has provided me and am excited to be a part of it again this fall." - Katie Sy, Class of 2025
See the Daily Pilot article to learn more about this program's impact on the local community.
Cognitive Communication Support Group
In collaboration with Crean College's Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, students provide support groups to spouses of clients with Primary Progressive Aphasia and clients with traumatic brain injury.
"The Communication Sciences and Disorders collaboration was an immensely impactful experience for me during my final year of the MFT program. I got the chance to run two different support groups: one for the spouses of adults impacted by primary progressive aphasia and the other for women who have acquired brain injuries. I feel grateful to have learned how to run these two unique groups as an adjunct to my clinical experience during my time at Chapman. I gained incredibly valuable professional skills through consulting with the Communication Sciences and Disorders students to provide the best care possible for our group participants. I found my experience to be particularly rewarding as I witnessed relationships forming between the group participants as a result of their shared experiences. To be able to facilitate these groups, provide a safe space for the participants to connect with each other, and learn more about primary progressive aphasia and acquired brain injuries was truly a highlight of my time here at Chapman!" - Jane Gilchrist, Class of 2024
Parkinson’s Caregiver & Aphasia Support Group
Delta Kappa Phi
Chapman University’s MFT program is one of only two MFT programs in California with a Chapter in Delta Kappa, the International Marriage and Family Therapy Honor Society. Delta Kappa is committed to training emerging leaders in the field of MFT. It provides a structure for developing scholarly forums that present cutting edge research and theory on marriage and family therapy to practitioners on an ongoing basis and recognizes and promotes the achievements of marriage and family therapy clinicians and scholars.
Read about the Phi Chapter's participation in the annual National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Walk to learn more about their involvement in the community.