New graduate program will help meet Arizona's critical need for marriage and family therapists

It’s no secret that Arizona faces a pressing shortage of mental health providers. In fact, only 10% of the state’s mental health needs are currently being met, according to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. The Norton School of Human Ecology hopes to help meet that urgent need with a new Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) program.

“We’ve wanted to develop a program in marriage and family therapy at the University of Arizona for years,” said Darin Knapp, associate director of the Norton School and program lead. “There’s definitely a significant need for professionals with this expertise, and there’s been strong student interest for a long time. It’s exciting to be able to give Arizona students the training they need in-state so they can practice within their communities once they graduate.”

Unlike disciplines that focus solely on the individual, marriage and family therapists approach mental health from a systems approach, navigating complex dynamics within families. Knapp said that’s why the new MFT program fits so well into the Norton School.

“As marriage and family therapists, our work is closely aligned with techniques undergraduate students learn in the Human Development and Family Science program,” he explained. “Our students get training in working with clients across the lifespan, from working in play therapy with little kids, all the way up through working with elders.”

The new graduate program pairs rigorous academic training with direct clinical experience counseling individuals, couples and families beginning in students’ second semester.

“We think it’s important that students have opportunities to practice what they’re learning every step of the way,” Knapp said. “That’s why we’ve integrated supervised clinical practice throughout the program, not just at the end.”

Preventing burnout among future providers is another emphasis of the MFT program.

“Learning about appropriate self-care for therapists is vital,” Knapp said. “We have a lot of coursework that directly relates to self-care, and it’s also integrated into their supervised clinical practice. We want it to be part of the ongoing conversation, so that students become used to integrating regular self-care and professional boundaries into their practice from the beginning.”

Applications for the M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy are currently open, and the first cohort of students will begin in Fall 2026.

Information sessions will be held on September 5, and October 2, 2025. You can also learn more about the program here.