Practicum 4

This capstone practicum course serves as the culminating clinical training experience for doctoral students in the DMFT Licensing Track, providing an immersive opportunity to demonstrate mastery in applying advanced family systems approaches within a mental health counseling setting. Under the direct supervision of a Hawaiʻi approved, licensed marriage and family therapist, students will engage in complex case conceptualization, advanced systemic interventions, and ethical decision-making to address diverse clinical populations. Doctoral candidates are expected to exhibit a high level of clinical autonomy and professional leadership, integrating empirically supported systemic models, supervision feedback, and interprofessional collaboration to refine their therapeutic competencies. This course requires students to accrue approved direct client contact hours aligned with licensure requirements in the state of Hawaiʻi, while simultaneously engaging in critical self-reflection and peer consultation to enhance their clinical effectiveness. Additionally, students will contribute to the field by evaluating clinical processes, advocating for systemic change, and advancing best practices in marriage and family therapy.