Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 26, § 4031 (2026)

§ 4031. Definitions

As used in this chapter:

(1) “American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy” means a national professional association of marriage and family therapists that accredits marriage and family therapy academic programs and provides direction and leadership for marriage and family therapy practice, education, and research.

(2) “Board” means the Board of Allied Mental Health Practitioners established under section 3262a of this title.

(3) “Licensed marriage and family therapist” means a person who is licensed under this chapter.

(4) “Commission” means the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, the committee of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy that reviews and accredits academic programs in marriage and family therapy that are offered at both regionally recognized colleges and universities and at independent post-graduate training institutes.

(5) “Disciplinary action” includes any action taken by the Board against a licensed marriage and family therapist on a finding of unprofessional conduct by the licensed marriage and family therapist or an applicant. It includes all sanctions of any kind, such as refusing to license a person as a marriage and family therapist or to renew a licensure, suspension or revocation of the person’s licensure, issuing warnings, and other such limitations.

(6) “Marriage and family services” means the diagnosis and treatment of mental conditions or disabilities, whether cognitive, affective, or behavioral, from the context of marital and family systems. It further involves the professional application of psychotherapeutic and family systems theory and technique in the delivery of services to individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of treating such diagnosed mental conditions or disabilities.

(7) “Marriage and family therapy” means the rendering of professional marriage and family services to individuals, family groups, couples, singly or in groups, whether such services are offered directly to the general public or through organizations either private or public, for compensation, monetary or otherwise. (Added 1993, No. 222 (Adj. Sess.), § 13; amended 1997, No. 40, § 59; 1999, No. 52, § 35; 2013, No. 96 (Adj. Sess.), § 181.)