Tex. Codes » Occupations Code · TITLE 3. HEALTH PROFESSIONS · SUBTITLE I. REGULATION OF PSYCHOLOGY AND COUNSELING · CHAPTER 502. MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS
Texas Codes

Tex. Occ. Code § 502.002 (2026)

Definitions

✓ current as of May 2026
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Sec. 502.002. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:

(1) "Board" means the Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists.

(2) "Executive council" means the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council.

(3) Repealed by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 768 (H.B. 1501), Sec. 2.113(34), eff. September 1, 2019.

(4) "Licensed marriage and family therapist" means a person who offers marriage and family therapy for compensation.

(5) "Licensed marriage and family therapist associate" means an individual who offers to provide marriage and family therapy for compensation under the supervision of a supervisor approved by the executive council.

(6) "Marriage and family therapy" means providing professional therapy services to individuals, families, or married couples, alone or in groups, that involve applying family systems theories and techniques. The term includes the evaluation, diagnostic assessment, and remediation of mental, cognitive, affective, behavioral, or relational dysfunction, disease, or disorder in the context of marriage or family systems and may include the use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International Classification of Diseases. The practice of marriage and family therapy does not constitute the practice of medicine and does not include prescribing medication, treating a physical disease, or providing any service outside the scope of practice of a licensed marriage and family therapist or a licensed marriage and family therapist associate.

Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 14.252(a), eff. Sept. 1, 2001.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1061 (H.B. 1413), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2005.

Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 501 (H.B. 2818), Sec. 1, eff. June 9, 2017.

Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 768 (H.B. 1501), Sec. 2.029, eff. September 1, 2019.

Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 768 (H.B. 1501), Sec. 2.113(1), eff. September 1, 2019.

Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 768 (H.B. 1501), Sec. 2.113(34), eff. September 1, 2019.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 7 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 2014–2026 · leading case: Texas State Bd. of Examiners v. Texas Med. Ass'n, 511 S.W.3d 28 (Tex. 2017).
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Texas State Bd. of Examiners v. Texas Med. Ass'n, 511 S.W.3d 28 (Tex. 2017). · cites it 2× “” Tex. Occ. Code § 502.002(6). The rule, in turn, authorizes MFTs to provide a “[diagnostic assessment which utilizes [the DSM] as part of their therapeutic role to help individuals identify their emotional, mental, and behavioral problems when necessary.”
Texas State Bd. of Examiners of Marriage & Fam. Therapists v. Texas Med. Ass'n, 458 S.W.3d 552 (Tex. App. 2014). · cites it 2× “” See Tex. Occ. Code § 502.002(6). The Therapist Defendants argue that (1) the plain meaning of the terms “evaluation,” as used in Section 502.”
Texas State Bd. of Examiners of Marriage & Fam. Therapists Charles Horton in His Off. Capacity Sandra DeSobe in Her Off. Capacity, & Texas Ass'n of Marriage // Cross-Appellant,Texas Med. Ass'n v. Texas Med. Ass'n// Texas State Bd. of Examiners of Marriage & Fam. Therapists Charles Horton in His Off. Capacity Sandra DeSobe in Her Off. Capacity, & Texas Ass'n of Marriage (Tex. App. 2015). · cites it 2× “20,21 TEX. OCC. CODE § 502.002(4) 18 TEX. GOV. CODE § 311.”
Texas Bd. of Chiropractic Examiners Patrick Fortner, in His Off. Capacity as the Bd.'s Exec. Dir. & Texas Chiropractic Ass'n v. Texas Med. Ass'n (Tex. 2021). “Our conclusion that TMA had not met its burden of demonstrating that the rule authorizing diagnostic assessments exceeded the statutory scope of practice was based in part on other rules limiting therapists to providing “services within [their] professional competency” and…”
Texas State Bd. of Soc. Worker Examiners v. Katherin Youniacutt & Tammy Thompson (2026). “See Tex. Occ. Code §§ 502.002(6) (marriage and family therapy), 503.”
Texas State Bd. of Examiners of Marriage & Fam. Therapists Charles Horton in His Off. Capacity Sandra DeSobe in Her Off. Capacity, & Texas Ass'n of Marriage // Cross-Appellant,Texas Med. Ass'n v. Texas Med. Ass'n// Texas State Bd. of Examiners of Marriage & Fam. Therapists Charles Horton in His Off. Capacity Sandra DeSobe in Her Off. Capacity, & Texas Ass'n of Marriage (Tex. App. 2014). “” Tex. Occ. Code § 502.002(6). The challenged rules say nothing that would require or even permit an MFT to go outside those areas.”
Texas State Bd. of Examiners of Marriage & Fam. Therapists Charles Horton in His Off. Capacity Sandra DeSobe in Her Off. Capacity, & Texas Ass'n of Marriage // Cross-Appellant,Texas Med. Ass'n v. Texas Med. Ass'n// Texas State Bd. of Examiners of Marriage & Fam. Therapists Charles Horton in His Off. Capacity Sandra DeSobe in Her Off. Capacity, & Texas Ass'n of Marriage (Tex. App. 2014). “” See Tex. Occ. Code § 502.002(6). The Therapist Defendants argue that (1) the plain meaning of the terms “evaluation,” as used in Section 502.”
— Tex. Occ. Code § 502.002(4) — 1 case
Texas State Bd. of Examiners of Marriage & Fam. Therapists Charles Horton in His Off. Capacity Sandra DeSobe in Her Off. Capacity, & Texas Ass'n of Marriage // Cross-Appellant,Texas Med. Ass'n v. Texas Med. Ass'n// Texas State Bd. of Examiners of Marriage & Fam. Therapists Charles Horton in His Off. Capacity Sandra DeSobe in Her Off. Capacity, & Texas Ass'n of Marriage (Tex. App. 2015). “20,21 TEX. OCC. CODE § 502.002(4) 18 TEX. GOV. CODE § 311.”
— Tex. Occ. Code § 502.002(6) — 6 cases
Texas State Bd. of Examiners v. Texas Med. Ass'n, 511 S.W.3d 28 (Tex. 2017). “” Tex. Occ. Code § 502.002(6). The rule, in turn, authorizes MFTs to provide a “[diagnostic assessment which utilizes [the DSM] as part of their therapeutic role to help individuals identify their emotional, mental, and behavioral problems when necessary.”
Texas State Bd. of Examiners of Marriage & Fam. Therapists v. Texas Med. Ass'n, 458 S.W.3d 552 (Tex. App. 2014). “” See Tex. Occ. Code § 502.002(6). The Therapist Defendants argue that (1) the plain meaning of the terms “evaluation,” as used in Section 502.”
Texas Bd. of Chiropractic Examiners Patrick Fortner, in His Off. Capacity as the Bd.'s Exec. Dir. & Texas Chiropractic Ass'n v. Texas Med. Ass'n (Tex. 2021). “Our conclusion that TMA had not met its burden of demonstrating that the rule authorizing diagnostic assessments exceeded the statutory scope of practice was based in part on other rules limiting therapists to providing “services within [their] professional competency” and…”
Texas State Bd. of Soc. Worker Examiners v. Katherin Youniacutt & Tammy Thompson (2026). “See Tex. Occ. Code §§ 502.002(6) (marriage and family therapy), 503.”
Texas State Bd. of Examiners of Marriage & Fam. Therapists Charles Horton in His Off. Capacity Sandra DeSobe in Her Off. Capacity, & Texas Ass'n of Marriage // Cross-Appellant,Texas Med. Ass'n v. Texas Med. Ass'n// Texas State Bd. of Examiners of Marriage & Fam. Therapists Charles Horton in His Off. Capacity Sandra DeSobe in Her Off. Capacity, & Texas Ass'n of Marriage (Tex. App. 2014). “” Tex. Occ. Code § 502.002(6). The challenged rules say nothing that would require or even permit an MFT to go outside those areas.”
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