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Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 4980

Regulation

Redline — January 1, 2011 → current.View current text →
Current — January 1, 2023
As of January 1, 2011
(a) Many California families and many individual Californians are experiencing difficulty and distress, and are in need of wise, competent, caring, compassionate, and effective counseling in order to enable them to improve and maintain healthy family relationships.
(a) (1) Many California families and many individual Californians are experiencing difficulty and distress and are in need of wise, competent, caring, compassionate, and effective counseling in order to enable them to improve and maintain healthy family relationships.
Healthy individuals and healthy families and healthy relationships are inherently beneficial and crucial to a healthy society, and are our most precious and valuable natural resource. Marriage and family therapists provide a crucial support for the well-being of the people and the State of California.
(2) Healthy individuals and healthy families and healthy relationships are inherently beneficial and crucial to a healthy society and are our most precious and valuable natural resource. Licensed marriage and family therapists provide a crucial support for the well-being of the people and the State of California.
(b) A person shall not engage in the practice of marriage and family therapy, as defined by Section 4980.02, unless the person holds a valid license as a marriage and family therapist pursuant to this chapter.
(b) No person may engage in the practice of marriage and family therapy as defined by Section 4980.02, unless he or she holds a valid license as a marriage and family therapist, or unless he or she is specifically exempted from that requirement, nor may any person advertise himself or herself as performing the services of a marriage, family, child, domestic, or marital consultant, or in any way use these or any similar titles, including the letters “M.F.T.” or “M.F.C.C.,” or other name, word initial, or symbol in connection with or following his or her name to imply that he or she performs these services without a license as provided by this chapter. Persons licensed under Article 4 (commencing with Section 4996) of Chapter 14 of Division 2, or under Chapter 6.6 (commencing with Section 2900) may engage in such practice or advertise that they practice marriage and family therapy but may not advertise that they hold the marriage and family therapist’s license.
(c) Except as provided in subdivision (d), a person shall not do either of the following without a license obtained pursuant to this chapter. (1) Advertise that the person performs the services of a marriage, family, child, domestic, or marital consultant. (2) Use the titles listed in paragraph (1) or any similar titles, including the letters “L.M.F.T.,” “M.F.T.,” or “M.F.C.C.,” or another name, word, initial, or symbol in connection with or following the person’s name to imply that the person performs the services suggested by those titles.
(d) (1) A person licensed under Article 4 (commencing with Section 4996) of Chapter 14 or under Chapter 6.6 (commencing with Section 2900) may engage in the practice of marriage and family therapy and advertise that the person practices marriage and family therapy.
(2) A person described in paragraph (1) shall not advertise that the person holds the marriage and family therapist’s license, including by using the letters “L.M.F.T.,” “M.F.T.,” or “M.F.C.C.,” or another name, word, initial, or symbol in connection with or following the person’s name to imply licensure as a marriage and family therapist, unless the person is licensed pursuant to this chapter.

Official source: California Legislative Information. Reproduced from public-domain California statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.