WAMFT Membership Benefits
A strong WAMFT membership creates a powerful voice in the state legislature, builds a strong and connected local community of therapists, and promotes the growth and recognition of the profession of marriage and family therapy in Washington State. WAMFT offers benefits in these three areas: State Legislative Advocacy, the Marriage and Family Therapy Community, and in Professional Development.
State Legislative Advocacy
State Lobbyist
WAMFT is the only association in Washington that supports marriage and family therapy in Olympia and how we practice! Part of your dues pays for a lobbyist to work with legislators and other relevant mental health care organizations to incorporate policy that will be both beneficial and protect our profession locally.
Call to Action
Our membership is made up of frontline therapists that understand the needs of our profession and clients. Being a part of WAMFT gives our members the opportunity to be a voice for change. At critical times, our lobbyist will call for members to show up at events, contact state representatives by phone, or to offer our expertise. Stay connected to legislative emails that notify you of these calls to action or find them on our website.
Legislative Updates
Members are provided legislative updates in our newsletter and on our website. What happens in Olympia affects the local MFT profession and our ability to practice. Keep current on what changes affect you by checking out important legislative updates here.
Strengthening the Profession
WAMFT membership provides a systemic home where members can stay engaged in keeping our profession strong in Washington state. Whether you engage actively with MFT legislative needs by serving on our legislative committee, following up on Calls to Action, providing testimony in Olympia, or choose to support our lobbying efforts through your WAMFT membership dues, you are a significant part of strengthening the marriage and family profession! Donations can be made that go directly to the financial support of our lobbyist by clicking here.
Marriage and Family Therapy Community
Networking Events
Networking events are hosted by member volunteers to connect MFTs in locations like Seattle, Bellevue, Federal Way and Spokane. These events are opportunities to discuss the practice and profession of marriage and family therapy, forming relationships with colleagues, and attending presentations for CEUS to build our knowledge base. Networking events that don’t offer a CEU are free for members and nonmembers, with a discounted rate for members to CEU events. Learn more about upcoming events here.
MFT Exam Study Group
As a benefit to our Pre-Clinical / Associate members WAMFT offers FREE monthly MFT Study Groups to assist in the preparation for the MFT National Examination. Each 2 hour class is facilitated by a fully licensed MFTs.
Annual Conference
The WAMFT Annual Conference is presented each year, offering both local and national speakers. For many members the annual conference is a place to experience the vibrancy of a professional home, with both networking and learning opportunities made available. Students have the opportunity at the annual conference to present their work in our poster presentation track, opening the possibility to receive the WAMFT Poster Presentation Award. CEUs, including ethics, are available. Discounts for members apply. Learn more by clicking here.
Mentor Day
WAMFT Mentor Day is a special event for MFT students and recent graduates, designed to assist the transition of emerging professionals into their careers. It is a program that connects new professionals with mentors in the field, provides cutting edge information about various career choices such as private practice and community mental health, and introduces resources on insurance, licensure requirements, and finding a supervisor. CEUs are available. Discounts for members apply. Learn more by clicking here.
Holiday Party
The WAMFT Holiday Party is an event that offers a time of joyous community celebration, honoring the recipients of the WAMFT yearly awards. Members come together to connect with their colleagues and to share in the rich traditions of WAMFT in the recognition of community, excellence, and the collaborative efforts that build and strengthen the association. It is also a time to share in the support of our students, igniting in them the spark of what it means to be a part of a professional home. This event is free of charge. Donations are collected for WAMFT student scholarships. Learn more by clicking here.
Awards
Each year WAMFT recognizes members for outstanding achievements in the field of marriage and family therapy, to the WAMFT community, and to the commitment to clinical and ethical excellence. Nominations are opened in September of each year and reviewed by the WAMFT Awards and Scholarship Committee. These awards have been a part of WAMFT since 2004 and enrich the community with tradition and the recognition of excellence, fostering connection and a quiet, yet powerful sense of belonging.
eNewsletter
This monthly email is distributed to our members outlining important information regarding trainings, legislative updates, and relevant mental health topics. The WAMFT eNews provides members with a summary of each board meeting and articles sharing the current state of our association. Member contributions and accomplishments are highlighted in the Member Highlight section along with calls for nominations for scholarships, leadership opportunities, and awards.
Community Forum
WAMFT has a community forum where members can post and respond to topical threads. This resource is organized according to discussion thread, offering the ability to upload resources in the Library, and the opportunity to send messages directly to individual members in the community. It is the go-to place to ask for book resources, find appropriate referrals, and to dialogue about areas of interest to the marriage and family community. The Community Forum also offers the venue to share needs for office space and office availability, and supervision and workshop opportunities. Have a question about WAMFT? Ask in the Community Forum.
The forum is designed to allow members to choose how often they are contacted when a post is made so there are no worries of community postings filling up your In-box. Get started by clicking here.
Professional Development
Continuing Education
CEUs are a requirement for obtaining and maintaining licensure in Washington State. Our annual conference offers an opportunity to gain valuable CEUs, including necessary Ethics, while learning about cutting edge topics in the mental health field. Other opportunities to earn CEUs throughout the year are provided at WAMFT networking groups, Mentor Day, and various workshops. Discounts for members are available.
Scholarships
As part of the commitment of WAMFT to the training and mentoring of students and emerging MFT professionals, WAMFT offers academic and diversity scholarships to student members each year. Students may apply for these scholarships each summer, and recipients are selected in September. Scholarship recipients are given a free WAMFT annual conference registration in addition to the monetary value of the scholarship and recognized at the fall annual conference.
Poster Presentation
WAMFT offers a professional development opportunity to students and other members who wish to present their research at the WAMFT annual conference. Each year, members are invited to submit their work to the Conference Planning Committee to be reviewed for participation in this event. All student members who present their work are eligible for the WAMFT Poster Presentation Award.
Leadership Opportunities
Volunteering with WAMFT is an important way to give back to the MFT community. Association leadership builds leadership and networking skills. It provides the opportunity to have a voice at the table as to the direction of the association and connects members with local and national leaders. WAMFT has a board of directors which provides for governance opportunities for all levels of membership including pre-clinical fellows and student members. Extended opportunities for leadership development are made available to the President and President-Elect of WAMFT, providing support to attend leadership training at the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Annual Conference and Leadership Symposium.
There are 12 committees that work in collaboration with the Board of Directors to effectively run the association and provide resources for members. To view a list of these committees, click here.
Members are encouraged to participate in these committees and/or run for the Board of Directors. If interested, please contact WAMFT Elections Committee Chair Laura Wallace.
WAMFT provides governance training each year for the Board of Directors. This training is open to members who want to learn about effective governance of membership-based associations.