Morrell (SB 121) Act No. 736
Prior law defined "marriage and family therapy" to mean the professional application of
psychotherapeutic and family systems theories and techniques in the assessment and
treatment of individuals, couples, and families.
New law amends prior law and defines "marriage and family therapy" to mean the
professional application of psychotherapeutic and family systems theories and techniques
in the prevention, diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral
disorders in an individual and relational disorders in couples and families.
Prior law defined "practice of marriage and family therapy" to mean the rendering of
professional marriage and family therapy services to individuals, couples, and families,
singly or in groups, whether such services are offered directly to the general public or
through either public or private organizations for a fee, monetary or otherwise.
New law amends prior law and defines "practice of marriage and family therapy" to mean
the rendering of professional marriage and family therapy and psychotherapy services,
limited to prevention, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental, emotional, behavioral,
relational, and addiction disorders to individuals, couples, and families, singly or in groups,
whether such services are offered directly to the general public or through either public or
private organizations for a fee, monetary or otherwise in accordance with professional
training as provided pursuant to prior law and code of ethics/behavior involving the
application of principles, methods, or procedures of the marriage and family therapy
profession.
Prior law provides for the licensure of marriage and family therapist.
New law, effective Jan 1, 2018, requires any licensed marriage and family therapist who
engages in the diagnosis of individuals to furnish satisfactory evidence to the La. Licensed
Professional Counselors Board of Examiners ("board") that he has completed the standard
training in the professional application of psychotherapeutic and family systems theories and
a minimum of six credit hours in diagnostic psychopathology, where students are taught to
systematically collect and analyze data based on one or both of the two standard diagnostic
systems employed, International Classification of Diseases, current revision, or the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, current edition. New law provides
that licensed marriage and family therapists who have satisfied all other criteria for licensure
as required by the board shall be allowed to diagnose individuals upon demonstration of
competency through continuing education or other measures as defined by the board.
New law provides that nothing shall be construed to authorize any person licensed under the
provisions of prior law to assess, diagnose, or provide treatment to any individual suffering
from a serious mental illness, as defined in prior law, when medication may be indicated,
except when a licensed marriage and family therapist, in accordance with best practices,
consults and collaborates with a practitioner who holds a license or permit with the La. State
Board of Medical Examiners or an advanced practice registered nurse licensed by the La.
State Board of Nursing who is certified as a psychiatric nurse practitioner.
Effective August 1, 2014.
(Amends R.S. 37:1103(6) and (9); adds R.S. 37:1116(E) and (F))