MFT Exam Preparation Course

The classes begin with an overview of how the exam is organized and how to
create a study program designed around it. A concise overview of each of the
significant theoretical perspectives, their leading figures and unique contributions
which may be included in the exam, study strategies and memory aides will fill out the first two classes.  A practice exam will be taken by the class and thoroughly reviewed during the third session giving each student an idea of their readiness for the exam.  Question analysis, an ethics overview and the state licensing exam will also be covered in the final class session.  Although these classes are offered as a service to Bethel graduates anyone preparing for the national licensing exam is welcome to register and attend.

What Makes This Course Different From Others?

Getting Started:  This class begins months before the scheduled exam dates and
getting started is sometimes the hardest step.  Right at the beginning of your
preparation you are taught how the exam is constructed and how to prepare for it.

The Course is Spread Out: This course is spread out over a three-month period.  
Most courses are scheduled at one point in your preparation.  Getting the material early in your preparation can be helpful but sometimes overwhelming.  Taking a
preparation course closer to your test date can help you absorb more material but
you may find out late that you have studied incorrectly or have missed vital study
areas.  With this course you have the best of both.  You have an early start, the
material is spread out in manageable segments and you also have a practice exam
toward the end of your study schedule.

Organization of Information: There is clearly an overwhelming amount of material covered by this exam.  67 “Practice Domains” and 56 “Knowledge Domains” can
be addressed from over a 20 theoretical perspectives.  This course presents an
original and unique approach to organizing all this material in a retrievable way.  
By far, the most positive feedback from past students is how the organization of
the material helped them remember a lot of material at once and bring the right
items forward for individual exam questions.

Length of the Course:  In a three-day course we have the ability to spend more
time spicing up the material by getting to know the primary theorists on video,
hearing them explain their own theories in their own words.  Lively discussions
and examples all help bring the material alive and therefore more naturally learned.

State Licensure Exam:  We briefly cover the state exam which is the final step
before licensure.  Despite the fact that this is usually two years or more after the
national exam, students appreciate the overview and knowing what material to
hold on to for later.

Study Groups:  Study groups are always encouraged but by meeting three times
over three months it is more natural and more likely for them to form and for
students to benefit from follow-through.

And Just in Case: Any student can repeat the class at no charge.  Students
sometimes miss a class or reschedule their exam and want to retake or make up a
class at a later date.  Alumni can retake any part of the course if they choose for free.

What Makes This Course the Same as Others?

Instructor: This course, like others, is taught by an experienced, gifted instructor
who has been teaching in the field for years and has taken and passed the national licensing exam.

Materials:  This course includes original printed material outlining and summarizing the main theoretical perspectives.  Unique terms are listed and defined along with helpful comparison and organizational charts. The course also includes recently published journal articles pertinent to information covered on the exam.  A quality graduate level textbook and an AAMFT Guidebook to the Ethical Code are the only additional recommended materials. Corresponding flash cards are also available.

Practice Exam:  This course includes a 100 question practice exam prepared by a
national company. CD rom also available.

AMFTRB based study:  The Association of Marital and Family Therapy
Regulatory Board is the organization that creates the national exam used by
Minnesota.  The material for this course is designed around the 67 Task
Statements and the 56 Knowledge Statements and 22 Theories outlined by this
organization.  Preparation strategies are also guided by their outline of test design
and question construction.

Students Pass! Students from Argosy U, St. Mary’s, St. Thomas, St. Catherine’s, St. Cloud State, The Adler Institute, UW Stout, Capella U, MSU, U of M, Bethel Seminary and others have taken this course.  References are available.

                                                   * * * * * * *

The instructor: Mark E. Anderson, MA, LP, LMFT, has taught family systems for a number of years and is licensed as an LMFT.  He has demonstrated skill at
taking national exams as well as a gift for teaching.  Using stories, humor, videos, charts and outlines, he organizes key ideas and details in a way that make them interesting, understandable and retrievable for the national exam.  Mark is an
adjunct professor at Bethel University in their graduate psychology program, a trainer with Family Therapy Specialists and has a private practice in Arden Hills, where he specializes in family therapy.

Cost:  $305 for all three Saturdays, study materials and practice exam.  (No
discount for missing one or more sessions) (Previous participants may audit one or more classes at no charge.) Classes are held at Bethel Seminary.