Section 337.700 - DefinitionsAs used in sections 337.700 to 337.739, the following terms mean:
(1)"Committee", the state committee for marital and family therapists;(2)"Department", the Missouri department of commerce and insurance;(3)"Director", the director of the division of professional registration;(4)"Division", the division of professional registration;(5)"Fund", the marital and family therapists' fund created in section 337.712;(6)"Licensed marital and family therapist", a person to whom a license has been issued pursuant to the provisions of sections 337.700 to 337.739, whose license is in force and not suspended or revoked;(7)"Marital and family therapy", the use of scientific and applied marriage and family theories, methods and procedures for the purpose of describing, diagnosing, evaluating and modifying marital, family and individual behavior within the context of marital and family systems, including the context of marital formation and dissolution. Marriage and family therapy is based on systems theories, marriage and family development, normal and dysfunctional behavior, human sexuality and psychotherapeutic, marital and family therapy theories and techniques and includes the use of marriage and family therapy theories and techniques in the diagnosis, evaluation, assessment and treatment of intrapersonal or interpersonal dysfunctions within the context of marriage and family systems. Marriage and family therapy may also include clinical research into more effective methods for the treatment and prevention of the above-named conditions;(8)"Practice of marital and family therapy", the rendering of professional marital and family therapy services to individuals, family groups and marital pairs, singly or in groups, whether such services are offered directly to the general public or through organizations, either public or private, for a fee, monetary or otherwise;(9)"Provisional licensed marital and family therapist", any person who is a graduate of an acceptable education institution described in subsection 1 of section 337.715 with at least a master's degree in marital and family therapy, or its equivalent as defined by state committee regulation, and meets all requirements of a licensed marital and family therapist other than the supervised clinical experience set forth in section 337.715, and who is supervised by a person who is qualified to be a supervisor, as defined by state committee regulation.L. 1995 S.B. 69, et al., A.L. 2007H.B. 780 merged with S.B. 308, A.L. 2008S.B. 788 , A.L. 2010H.B. 2226, et al.