Louisiana Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
Letter from the President
Dear LAMFT Members,
As we move into the fall, I want to take a moment to share some of the exciting things happening within LAMFT and, most importantly, to thank each of you for continuing to be part of our professional community.
Over the past several months, our Board has been working hard to continue strengthening what LAMFT offers our members. One of our biggest priorities has been creating more opportunities for continuing education, professional growth, and connection.
I am especially proud to share that LAMFT now offers on-demand CEUs directly through our website. This has been a goal of ours for quite some time, and we are excited to finally be able to provide members and other mental health professionals with greater flexibility in accessing continuing education. We will continue adding educational opportunities and expanding the resources available through LAMFT.
We are also continuing to offer live virtual CEU opportunities at no cost to LAMFT members, and I am excited to share that we will soon be offering another in-person CEU event. More information about this event, including registration details, will be shared soon.
While continuing education is an important part of these events, we also recognize the value of simply having opportunities to be together. Some of the most meaningful professional connections happen in the conversations between sessions, meeting someone who does similar work, reconnecting with an old colleague, or realizing that someone else understands the challenges you face in this profession.
That idea of connection is also helping guide our plans for next year.
Save the date! The 2027 LAMFT Annual Conference will be held April 15–17, 2027, in Baton Rouge.
Our focus for the 2027 conference will be connecting as a community. As Marriage and Family Therapists, relationships and systems are at the heart of the work we do, and we want our conference to reflect those same values within our own professional community.
Our goal is to create an experience that provides meaningful education while also giving us intentional opportunities to connect—with colleagues, with other professionals, with new ideas, and with the larger MFT community throughout Louisiana. Planning is already underway, and we are excited to share more about speakers, sessions, networking opportunities, and ways to participate in the months ahead.
Our work also continues beyond continuing education and conferences. LAMFT remains committed to advocating for Marriage and Family Therapists throughout Louisiana and ensuring that our profession has a voice in the decisions that affect the work we do. We continue to build relationships, address issues affecting our profession, and look for opportunities to strengthen the presence and representation of MFTs across our state.
There is a lot happening within LAMFT, and there is still plenty of work ahead. One of my biggest hopes as President is that LAMFT continues to become more than simply a professional association. I want it to be a community where MFTs throughout Louisiana can connect, learn from one another, advocate together, support one another, and feel like they are part of something larger than their individual practices or workplaces.
Thank you for your continued membership, involvement, and support of LAMFT. I am excited about what we are building together and look forward to seeing our community continue to grow.
Warmly,
Madelynn Fellon, MA, LPC-S, LMFT-S, NCC
President
Louisiana Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
About LAMFT: Advancing Marriage & Family Therapy in Louisiana
The Louisiana Association for Marriage & Family Therapy (LAMFT) has been a steadfast advocate for the profession and practice of Marriage and Family Therapy across the state since its inception in 1976. Originally incorporated as a state division of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), LAMFT has grown to become a vital voice for licensed professionals dedicated to strengthening individuals, couples, and families through systemic therapy.
In 2001, under the leadership of Lane Brigham and Carol Kacer, LAMFT achieved a major legislative milestone: the successful passage of licensure for Marriage and Family Therapists in Louisiana. This landmark effort led to the creation of the Marriage and Family Therapy Advisory Committee (MFTAC) to the LPC Board, and the grandfathering of nearly one thousand licensees into the profession.
By 2009, licensure for MFTs had been established in all 50 states, following a national model law template. Louisiana continued to shape its own path with key legislative victories. In 2010, LAMFT played a pivotal role in expanding MFTAC and defending the profession against an omnibus licensing board initiative. This led to a compromise that temporarily added “serious mental illness” (SMI) language to the law.
In 2016, LAMFT launched a collaborative, grassroots campaign alongside the Louisiana Counseling Association (LCA) to address this language. Partnering with State Senator Jean-Paul Morrell, the organizations successfully removed the SMI clause, while also securing permanent recognition of LMFTs' and LPCs’ right to independently diagnose and treat—a defining moment for the profession in Louisiana.
Between 2017 and 2021, LAMFT partnered closely with AAMFT to further develop and expand its reach. In 2022, LAMFT officially established itself as an independent organization, redefining its bylaws and structure to better serve the unique needs of Marriage and Family Therapists in Louisiana. Since then, LAMFT has continued to grow its membership, host impactful conferences, and elevate public awareness of the essential role MFTs play in mental health care.
Today, LAMFT remains committed to supporting and advancing the practice of Marriage and Family Therapy in Louisiana through advocacy, education, and community-building. We are proud of our history—and even more excited about the future.
“We are born in relationship, we are wounded in relationship, and we can be healed in relationship.”
— Harville Hendrix, Ph.D.,S
