2027 Best Online Family Therapy Doctorate Programs for Executive and Leadership Careers
Choosing an online family therapy doctorate is a high-stakes decision when your goal is executive leadership, not just another credential. These programs can prepare licensed clinicians, program directors, consultants, and senior managers for roles in behavioral health administration, clinical supervision, higher education, and systems-level change. The timing matters: BLS data shows medical and health services managers had a 2024 median pay of $117,960, reflecting strong demand for leaders who understand care delivery. This guide helps you compare quality, accreditation, flexibility, cost, and career fit before you invest.
Key Things You Should Know
- The strongest online family therapy doctorates for leadership combine institutional accreditation, MFT-specific doctoral training, executive-friendly scheduling, and clear outcomes in supervision, administration, teaching, consulting, or research.
- Most online or hybrid family therapy doctorates take about three to five years; total tuition can range from roughly $30,000 at lower-cost public options to more than $90,000 at higher-cost private programs before travel, fees, and lost work time.
- A doctorate may support advancement into director, faculty, consultant, or behavioral health executive roles, but it does not automatically create licensure, promotion, salary growth, or C-suite access; program fit and prior experience matter heavily.
What Are the Best Online Family Therapy Doctorate Programs for Executive and Leadership Careers?
The best online family therapy doctorate program for an executive or senior leader is not always the most famous school. It is the program that matches your career target, licensure background, schedule, research interests, leadership training needs, and budget. For 2026, the most useful way to compare programs is by doctoral type, accreditation status, delivery format, residency expectations, and executive relevance.
The table below highlights notable U.S. online or low-residency doctorate options connected to marriage and family therapy, couple and family therapy, or closely related counseling leadership. Program details and tuition change often, so use this as a decision framework and confirm current information directly with each university before applying.
| Program | Degree Type | Best Fit for Executive or Leadership Goals | Online Format | Cost Signal to Verify | Key Trade-Off |
| University of Louisiana Monroe | PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy or systemic studies pathway | Leaders seeking a comparatively affordable doctoral route with systemic theory, research, and clinical leadership relevance | Online coursework with program-specific doctoral expectations | Often cited among lower-cost public online options; estimated tuition can be near the lower end of the doctorate market before fees | May be less executive-branded than business or healthcare administration doctorates |
| National University | PhD or DMFT in Marriage and Family Therapy | Working clinicians who want online doctoral study with applied, research, supervision, or systemic leadership emphasis | Online model designed for adult learners | Private-university pricing; confirm per-course tuition, technology fees, and doctoral continuation costs | Flexibility is strong, but total cost can rise if dissertation or capstone work extends |
| Nova Southeastern University | DMFT or PhD in Couple and Family Therapy | Experienced practitioners aiming for advanced clinical leadership, supervision, academia, or systems consultation | Online or hybrid/low-residency components depending on program structure | Typically a higher-cost private option; include required travel and residency expenses | Strong professional network and clinical identity may come with more scheduling and cost commitments |
| Antioch University | PhD in Couple and Family Therapy | Professionals interested in social justice, supervision, teaching, and systemic leadership in clinical or academic environments | Low-residency model rather than purely asynchronous online study | Private doctoral tuition plus residency travel should be included in ROI calculations | Residencies may strengthen mentoring but reduce flexibility for executives with limited travel windows |
| Amridge University | PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy | Clinicians seeking faith-informed or values-integrated doctoral training for teaching, supervision, or practice leadership | Online delivery with doctoral research requirements | Midrange private pricing; verify dissertation, registration, and graduation fees | May fit some leadership contexts well but may not be ideal for every secular healthcare or academic employer |
| Liberty University | EdD in Community Care and Counseling with marriage and family counseling emphasis | Managers seeking counseling-related leadership, ministry, education, or organizational roles rather than COAMFTE-centered MFT doctoral identity | Online with possible intensive or residency components depending on catalog requirements | Published online doctoral tuition is often comparatively transparent; verify full-time and part-time rates | It may not function as a true MFT doctorate for licensure-sensitive or MFT faculty roles |
The practical ranking question is: "Which program gives me the fewest barriers and the strongest evidence for my goal?" If your goal is behavioral health executive leadership, prioritize leadership curriculum, applied systems work, finance or policy exposure, and schedule control. If your goal is tenure-track teaching or research, prioritize doctoral faculty scholarship, dissertation support, methodology depth, and programmatic accreditation.
Avoid common selection mistakes that can make an online doctorate less valuable than expected. These red flags are especially important for executives who have limited time to recover from a poor-fit program.
- Choosing a school because it is online without confirming synchronous class times, residencies, clinical supervision expectations, or dissertation milestones.
- Assuming every doctorate with "family" or "counseling" in the title is equivalent to a COAMFTE-aligned marriage and family therapy doctorate.
- Comparing tuition only by advertised per-credit rate instead of total credits, fees, travel, continuation enrollment, and time away from work.
- Ignoring whether faculty have expertise in leadership, policy, supervision, program evaluation, behavioral health systems, or executive consulting.
- Expecting the doctorate alone to create promotion without a plan for networking, publications, supervision credentials, operational results, or leadership experience.
Which Type of Family Therapy Doctorate Is Best for Executive Leadership Careers?
For executive leadership careers, the "best" family therapy doctorate depends on whether you want to lead clinical systems, teach and publish, supervise therapists, consult with organizations, or move into broader healthcare administration. A PhD is usually the better fit for research-intensive and academic roles, while a professional doctorate such as a DMFT or EdD is often better aligned with applied leadership, supervision, program design, and organizational change.
The comparison below shows how the major doctoral routes differ. Use it to match the degree type to the leadership outcome you actually want, not just to the title that sounds most prestigious.
| Doctorate Type | Primary Focus | Best For | Less Ideal For | Executive Value |
| PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy or Couple and Family Therapy | Research, theory, teaching, clinical scholarship, and advanced systemic practice | Future faculty, researchers, policy contributors, clinical supervisors, and senior clinical leaders | Executives who want minimal research or a fast applied credential | Strong when leadership goals include evidence-based program design, academic credibility, or high-level supervision |
| DMFT | Applied clinical leadership, supervision, program development, and advanced practice | Licensed clinicians, practice owners, behavioral health directors, and consultants | Students who need a heavily research-oriented academic doctorate | Strong when the goal is leading clinical teams, improving service delivery, or consulting on family systems care |
| EdD in Counseling, Community Care, or Leadership | Education, organizational leadership, applied research, and program improvement | Training directors, nonprofit leaders, ministry leaders, student services leaders, and managers in counseling-related settings | People who specifically need an MFT doctoral identity or COAMFTE-aligned faculty pathway | Useful when the executive goal is administration, workforce development, or organizational learning |
| PhD or PsyD in Psychology | Psychological assessment, research, clinical psychology, or applied practice depending on program | Students pursuing psychology licensure, assessment-heavy roles, or broader mental health research | MFTs who want a shorter, systems-focused doctorate without psychology licensure requirements | Can be valuable but may require a different licensure and training path |
| DHA, DrPH, DBA, or DSW | Healthcare administration, public health, business leadership, or social work leadership | Executives prioritizing operations, population health, finance, policy, or enterprise leadership | Clinicians who want advanced family therapy theory, supervision, and systemic clinical identity | May be stronger than an MFT doctorate for C-suite, payer, hospital operations, or public-sector executive roles |
If you are still building toward advanced family systems expertise, a doctorate may be premature. Some professionals first complete licensure-focused marriage and family therapy programs, gain leadership experience, and then choose a doctorate that matches a specific executive path.
A good rule of thumb is simple: choose a PhD if you need research authority, a DMFT if you need advanced clinical leadership, and an EdD or health administration doctorate if your target role is more organizational than therapeutic. Prestige matters less than alignment between curriculum, faculty, format, and your next leadership move.

What Accreditation Should an Online Family Therapy Doctorate Program Have?
An online family therapy doctorate should have two layers of quality assurance: institutional accreditation and, when relevant, programmatic accreditation. Institutional accreditation means the university meets recognized academic and administrative standards. Programmatic accreditation, especially through the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, is more specific to marriage and family therapy education.
Accreditation matters because it can affect employer recognition, transferability, eligibility for federal financial aid, faculty hiring, and professional credibility. It is especially important if you want to teach in MFT programs, supervise future clinicians, or work in licensure-sensitive systems.
| Accreditation or Approval | What It Means | Why Executives Should Care |
| Institutional accreditation | The university is reviewed by a recognized institutional accreditor | Supports financial aid eligibility, employer acceptance, and basic academic legitimacy |
| COAMFTE accreditation | The MFT program meets specialized standards for marriage and family therapy education | Important for MFT academic, supervision, and professional credibility; may matter for some faculty roles |
| State authorization | The school is permitted to enroll online students from your state | Critical for online students because a program may not be available in every state |
| Licensure alignment | The curriculum supports requirements set by state licensing boards | Doctoral study does not replace state licensure rules, and requirements vary by state |
For many professionals, the biggest mistake is assuming that a doctoral program automatically solves licensure issues. In most cases, MFT licensure is based on qualifying graduate education, supervised clinical hours, examinations, and state board approval. A doctorate can deepen expertise and leadership credibility, but it may not make an unlicensed person license-eligible unless the program and prior education meet state requirements.
Before applying, confirm accreditation directly with the university, the accreditor, and your state licensing board. This is especially important if your long-term goal includes clinical director roles, supervision, academic appointments, or executive oversight of licensed professionals.
What Do Students Learn in an Online Family Therapy Doctorate Program?
Online family therapy doctorate programs usually build on master's-level clinical training and move students into advanced systems thinking. For executive and leadership careers, the most valuable programs go beyond therapy techniques. They teach students how to evaluate programs, lead teams, supervise clinicians, interpret research, manage ethical risk, and improve services across families, organizations, and communities.
The curriculum table below shows common learning areas and how they connect to leadership roles. These topics vary by school, but they are useful markers when comparing whether a program is truly executive-relevant.
| Learning Area | What Students Study | Leadership Application |
| Advanced systemic theory | Family systems, relational models, cultural context, and systemic assessment | Helps leaders design services that account for family, community, and organizational dynamics |
| Clinical supervision | Supervisor ethics, feedback models, case consultation, and therapist development | Supports roles such as clinical director, approved supervisor, training director, or quality leader |
| Research methods | Quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, and program evaluation approaches | Helps executives measure outcomes, evaluate interventions, and defend strategic decisions |
| Leadership and administration | Organizational change, policy, management, ethics, and systems leadership | Prepares students for program leadership, nonprofit management, healthcare administration, and consulting |
| Diversity, equity, and ethics | Power, culture, access, trauma-informed practice, and professional responsibility | Strengthens decision-making in complex organizations serving diverse families and communities |
| Teaching and scholarship | Pedagogy, curriculum design, publication, and professional presentation | Supports faculty roles, continuing education leadership, and thought leadership |
Working executives should look for assignments that produce usable leadership assets, not just academic papers. Strong programs may allow students to create supervision models, training curricula, program evaluations, policy analyses, grant proposals, or implementation plans tied to their current workplace.
Some professionals discover that their real goal is narrower than a family therapy doctorate. For example, clinicians focused primarily on youth development, school-based services, or pediatric behavioral health may compare doctoral options with child psychology master's programs before committing to a family systems doctorate.
Can You Complete an Online Family Therapy Doctorate While Working Full Time?
Yes, many students complete an online family therapy doctorate while working full time, but "online" does not always mean self-paced or easy to schedule. The key issue for executives is not whether lectures are online; it is whether the program's calendar, synchronous meetings, residencies, dissertation expectations, and practicum or supervision components fit your workload.
Online doctoral education has become a mainstream choice for adult learners, and recent NC-SARA reporting continues to show broad participation in interstate distance education across U.S. institutions. For working leaders, that trend is useful because more schools now design doctoral support, advising, library access, and virtual collaboration around remote learners.
When comparing flexibility, focus on the details that directly affect your calendar. The following features usually matter more than the label "online."
- Asynchronous coursework that lets you complete weekly work outside business hours.
- Predictable synchronous sessions scheduled far enough in advance for executive calendars.
- Residency requirements that are short, infrequent, and clearly budgeted.
- Part-time enrollment options that do not create punitive fees or excessive delays.
- Dissertation or capstone pacing that includes structured milestones rather than vague "independent study."
- Faculty responsiveness, writing support, research coaching, and cohort interaction for remote doctoral students.
Before enrolling, ask the school for a sample two-year course rotation, required synchronous meeting times, residency dates, dissertation enrollment rules, and average time-to-completion for working students. These questions reveal whether the program is realistically built for executives or simply delivered through an online platform.
A full-time executive should be cautious about accelerated formats. A faster program can reduce tuition exposure and time in school, but it can also limit deep research development, networking, publication opportunities, and leadership projects. The best pace is the one you can sustain without sacrificing job performance, licensure responsibilities, or dissertation quality.

What Are the Admission Requirements for an Online Family Therapy Doctorate?
Admission requirements for online family therapy doctorate programs vary, but most expect applicants to show graduate-level preparation, professional maturity, and a clear doctoral purpose. Some programs are designed mainly for licensed or license-eligible marriage and family therapists; others accept broader counseling, psychology, social work, ministry, or human services backgrounds.
Typical admissions materials help schools determine whether you can handle doctoral research and whether your goals match the program's faculty and curriculum. Expect to prepare more than a basic application.
- A master's degree from an accredited institution, often in marriage and family therapy, counseling, psychology, social work, or a related behavioral health field.
- Official transcripts showing graduate academic performance and prerequisite coursework.
- Professional resume or CV documenting clinical, supervisory, administrative, teaching, consulting, or leadership experience.
- Statement of purpose explaining your doctoral goals, research interests, and intended executive or leadership outcomes.
- Letters of recommendation from supervisors, faculty, or senior professionals who can assess your readiness for doctoral work.
- Writing sample, interview, or research concept paper, especially for PhD programs.
- Licensure information when the program requires or prefers licensed clinicians.
If you do not yet have the right graduate foundation, compare licensure-oriented master's options before applying to a doctorate. Many students first evaluate best online MFT programs to build the clinical base needed for later doctoral study.
Executives coming from healthcare administration, education, or nonprofit leadership should ask whether the program requires clinical licensure or MFT-specific prerequisites. If your background is mainly managerial, an EdD, DHA, DrPH, DBA, or DSW may align better than a clinically grounded family therapy doctorate.
How Long Does It Take to Earn an Online Family Therapy Doctorate?
Most online family therapy doctorates take about three to five years, but the timeline depends on degree type, transfer credits, enrollment intensity, dissertation progress, residency schedules, and whether the student is also working full time. The coursework phase is usually predictable; the dissertation or applied doctoral project is where many timelines extend.
The table below summarizes common timeframes. Use it to estimate not only graduation date, but also opportunity cost, workload, and how long you may need to pay doctoral fees.
| Enrollment Pattern | Typical Timeline | Best Fit | Main Risk |
| Full-time doctoral study | About three to four years | Students with flexible work schedules, employer support, or strong research preparation | High weekly workload and possible conflict with executive responsibilities |
| Part-time doctoral study | About four to six years | Senior managers, clinicians with caseloads, practice owners, and caregivers | Longer exposure to fees, policy changes, and motivation fatigue |
| Accelerated or transfer-friendly path | Potentially shorter if credits and milestones align | Students with prior doctoral coursework or tightly matched research interests | Less time for mentoring, publications, networking, or leadership portfolio development |
| Dissertation-extended path | Can exceed published program length | Students whose topic, data access, or committee process becomes complex | Continuation tuition and delayed career payoff |
To choose a realistic timeline, work backward from your career goal. If you want to apply for faculty roles, build time for teaching experience, conference presentations, and publication. If you want an executive role, build time for a workplace-based project that demonstrates measurable leadership impact.
A practical planning sequence can help you avoid preventable delays.
- Confirm whether the program has a fixed cohort schedule or flexible course sequencing.
- Ask when students begin dissertation or capstone planning.
- Identify whether your intended research topic requires institutional review board approval or access to clinical data.
- Check whether dissertation courses have repeat enrollment fees.
- Decide whether your employer can support adjusted hours during residencies, comprehensive exams, or final defense periods.
Does an Online Family Therapy Doctorate Require a Dissertation?
Many online family therapy doctorates require a dissertation, but not all doctoral projects look the same. PhD programs typically emphasize original research and scholarly contribution. Professional doctorates may require an applied dissertation, capstone, clinical project, program evaluation, or practice-based research product.
This distinction matters for executives because the final project can either accelerate your leadership goals or become an obstacle. A well-designed project can produce a publishable study, an organizational intervention, a supervision model, or a program evaluation that directly supports your next role.
| Final Requirement | Common In | What It Usually Produces | Best Career Fit |
| Traditional dissertation | PhD programs | Original research with literature review, methods, findings, and defense | Academic, research, policy, and advanced scholarship roles |
| Applied dissertation | Professional doctorates and some EdD programs | Research tied to a real organizational, clinical, or educational problem | Executive leadership, program improvement, consulting, and supervision roles |
| Capstone or doctoral project | Some applied doctorates | Practice-based product, intervention, evaluation, or implementation plan | Practice owners, clinical directors, nonprofit leaders, and training executives |
| Portfolio model | Less common doctoral formats | Integrated evidence of teaching, supervision, scholarship, and leadership competencies | Professionals who need a practical leadership portfolio |
Do not choose a "no dissertation" option just because it sounds easier. For some executive careers, a strong applied project is more useful than a traditional dissertation; for faculty roles, a dissertation may be essential. The better question is whether the final requirement gives you credible evidence of expertise that employers, boards, clients, or academic committees will value.
Before applying, ask how dissertation chairs are assigned, how often committees meet, what the average completion timeline looks like, and whether students can use workplace data ethically. These details can make the difference between a focused doctoral finish and years of stalled progress.
How Much Does an Online Family Therapy Doctorate Cost, and Is It Worth the Investment?
An online family therapy doctorate can be worth the investment when it supports a specific advancement path: clinical director, faculty member, approved supervisor, consultant, behavioral health executive, program evaluator, or practice owner. It is less likely to pay off if you enroll without a career plan, choose a poorly aligned program, or expect the credential alone to create promotion.
Cost varies widely by institution, credit load, residency requirements, and dissertation duration. When comparing programs, look beyond tuition and build a full cost estimate.
- Lower-cost public online doctorate estimate: about $30,000 to $45,000 before university fees, books, travel, and dissertation extension costs.
- Midrange private online doctorate estimate: about $45,000 to $75,000 before fees and residency expenses.
- Higher-cost private or hybrid doctorate estimate: about $75,000 to more than $90,000 before travel, lodging, technology fees, and continuation enrollment.
- Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan annual limit for graduate and professional students: $20,500, with Grad PLUS loans potentially covering remaining eligible costs after credit approval.
The loan figure matters because many doctoral students cannot cover the full cost with the standard unsubsidized loan alone. If you need Grad PLUS loans, employer tuition assistance, scholarships, or payment plans, include interest, fees, and repayment timing in your ROI estimate.
Salary data can help frame the decision, but it should not be treated as a promise. BLS data reports 2024 median pay of $63,780 for marriage and family therapists and $117,960 for medical and health services managers. For readers, the gap illustrates why the doctorate's value may be strongest when paired with management responsibility, budget ownership, supervision authority, or organizational leadership rather than therapy practice alone.
Use these questions before deciding whether the cost is reasonable for you.
- Will the doctorate qualify me for a role I cannot realistically pursue with my current master's degree, license, and experience?
- Does the curriculum include leadership, supervision, policy, finance, program evaluation, or organizational change content?
- Will my employer pay part of the tuition or provide schedule flexibility?
- Can I turn the dissertation or capstone into a workplace improvement, publication, consulting product, or promotion case?
- What is the total cost if I need one or two extra terms to finish the dissertation?
- Would a less expensive credential, certificate, MBA, DHA, EdD, or supervisor credential reach the same goal faster?
The best ROI usually comes from alignment: a clear leadership target, a credible accredited program, a manageable cost structure, and a doctoral project that creates career evidence. The weakest ROI usually comes from choosing based on rankings, convenience, or prestige without a specific post-doctoral plan.
What Executive Careers Can You Pursue With an Online Family Therapy Doctorate?
An online family therapy doctorate can support several executive and leadership paths, especially for professionals who already have clinical experience, licensure, supervision background, or program management responsibility. The degree is most powerful when it adds doctoral-level systems expertise to a track record of leading people, budgets, programs, or outcomes.
The table below connects common roles to responsibilities and salary context. Salaries vary by employer, geography, licensure, prior experience, and industry, so use these figures as labor-market reference points rather than individual earnings predictions.
| Career Path | Typical Responsibilities | Relevant 2024 U.S. Salary Context | How the Doctorate May Help |
| Clinical director or behavioral health program director | Oversee clinical teams, compliance, supervision, quality improvement, and service models | Medical and health services managers had a 2024 median pay of $117,960 | Strengthens systems thinking, supervision expertise, and program evaluation credibility |
| Marriage and family therapy faculty member | Teach graduate students, supervise trainees, publish research, and serve on academic committees | Postsecondary teachers had a 2024 median pay of $83,980 across fields | PhD training, dissertation research, and teaching preparation can support academic competitiveness |
| Approved supervisor or training director | Mentor clinicians, review cases, design training, and maintain ethical practice standards | Compensation varies widely by clinical setting, private practice model, and supervisory role | Doctoral supervision coursework can support credibility and advanced training leadership |
| Behavioral health consultant | Advise organizations on family systems, trauma-informed care, workforce training, and program design | Management analysts had a 2024 median pay of $101,190 | Research and evaluation skills can help consultants produce evidence-based recommendations |
| Private practice owner or group practice executive | Manage clinicians, operations, marketing, compliance, service lines, and strategic growth | Income depends heavily on ownership structure, payer mix, market, and caseload model | Leadership training can help translate clinical expertise into scalable operations |
| Nonprofit, public agency, or family services executive | Lead programs, partnerships, grants, community services, and family support initiatives | Top executives had a 2024 median pay of $103,900 across sectors | Systems training can support policy, community impact, and multi-stakeholder leadership |
Some leadership paths are adjacent rather than directly MFT-centered. For example, professionals interested in court-involved families, correctional programs, custody-related systems, or victim services may compare doctoral study with forensic psychology master's programs if their goal is more justice-system oriented than family therapy leadership.
The doctorate is most useful for candidates who can combine it with visible leadership outcomes. Examples include reducing program waitlists, improving supervision quality, launching a family services line, publishing research, developing training products, improving retention, or demonstrating measurable clinical quality improvement.
It may not be the right investment if your goal is a general executive role that does not require clinical or family systems expertise. In that case, a healthcare administration, business, public health, education leadership, or social work doctorate may provide a more direct route to senior management.
Other Things You Should Know About Family Therapy
It can be, if the university is institutionally accredited and the program aligns with the role. Employers usually care about accreditation, licensure fit, leadership experience, research or supervision skills, and whether the degree supports the job's responsibilities.
Some doctoral programs prefer or require licensure, while others accept related counseling, psychology, social work, ministry, or human services backgrounds. Check each program's admissions rules and your state licensing board if clinical practice is part of your goal.
A PhD is usually better for research, faculty, and academic leadership. A DMFT is often better for applied clinical leadership, supervision, consulting, and program development. For broad healthcare executive roles, a DHA, DrPH, DBA, or EdD may be more direct.
Often yes, but only if the program's schedule is compatible with full-time work. Confirm synchronous class times, residency dates, dissertation expectations, and part-time options before enrolling.
References
- Online Ph.D. in Marriage & Family Counseling | AE.org https://academicearth.org/ph-d-in-marriage-family-counseling/
- DMFT Careers | Opportunities in Marriage and Family Counseling https://www.tuw.edu/doctoral-programs/dmft-careers/
- 2025 Most Affordable Online MFT Programs https://www.onlineu.com/most-affordable-colleges/marriage-and-family-therapy-masters-degrees
- Exploring PhD Completion Rates: How Many Finish on Time? https://wallyboston.com/phd-completion-rates/
- Best PhD & DMFT Programs in Marriage & Family Therapy (2026) – Marriage Family Therapist https://www.marriagefamilytherapist.org/degree/doctorate/
- 100% Online. Flexible. Affordable. https://www.eastern.edu/academics/graduate-programs/phd-marriage-family-therapy
- Best Online PhD in Marriage & Family Therapy Programs 2026 https://psydprograms.org/best-online-phd-family-couples-therapy-degrees/
- Online MFT Programs - Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy Programs https://www.onlineeducation.com/counseling/mft-programs
- Best Online Master's In Marriage & Family Counseling 2025 https://www.psychology.org/rankings/best-masters-programs-in-family-counseling/
- Best Online Marriage and Family Therapy Master’s Programs for 2025 https://www.onlinemastersdegrees.org/best-programs/counseling/marriage-and-family-therapy-mft/