Onboarding plan

Marriage and Family Therapist Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)

A practical, printable plan to take a new marriage and family therapist from first day to full productivity.

Updated By the Career Education Institute Curriculum Team
Marriage and Family Therapist onboarding at a glance

Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.

Before day one

  • Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
  • Verify required credentials: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), AMFTRB national exam (as applicable)
  • Prepare equipment and access: electronic health records; telehealth platforms; assessment tools; genograms
  • Assign a buddy or preceptor
  • Enroll the new hire in Marriage and Family Therapist training so foundations are covered before or during week one

Week one: orient and protect

  • Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
  • Assess for violence and suicide risk
  • Follow duty-to-warn laws
  • Protect confidentiality
  • Seek consultation and self-care
  • Shadow an experienced marriage and family therapist through a full shift
  • Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)

Days 1–30: learn

Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.

  • Supervised practice: build a genogram
  • Supervised practice: stay neutral in couples therapy
  • Supervised practice: handle a crisis in session
  • Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
  • 30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins

Days 31–60: contribute

Goal: handle a regular workload independently.

  • Assess clients and relationships: independently
  • Develop treatment plans: independently
  • Provide couples, family and individual therapy: independently
  • Teach communication skills: independently
  • Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
  • Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
  • 60-day check-in

Days 61–90: own

Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.

  • Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
  • Begin cross-training on a secondary task
  • Agree on a credential goal (for example, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT))
  • Discuss the career path: MFT Associate → Licensed MFT → Specialist or Supervisor
  • 90-day review

Competency checklist

Skill or taskTrainedObservedSigned off
Build a Genogram
Stay Neutral in Couples Therapy
Handle a Crisis in Session
Family systems therapy
Couples therapy
Assessment and diagnosis
Treatment planning

How to measure onboarding success

  • Time to independent caseload
  • Documentation timeliness and audit results
  • Client outcomes and satisfaction
  • First-year retention

How Marriage and Family Therapist training maps to this plan

  1. Introduction to the Marriage and Family Therapist Role
  2. A Day on the Job
  3. Essential Marriage and Family Therapist Vocabulary
  4. Core Duties and Responsibilities
  5. Common Tasks, Step by Step
  6. Tools, Equipment and Technology
  7. Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
  8. Skills Employers Look For
  9. Launching Your Marriage and Family Therapist Career
  10. Final Knowledge Check
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