1. When is registration open until?

Registration for the 2024 Student Ethics Competition will remain open from February 23 to Sunday, April 7. The hypothetical for the competition will be released on Monday, April 8. The essays are due on May 19, 2024.

Visit the survey here  and please have all of your information ready and filled out before you submit. Incomplete registration forms will disqualify a team from eligibility, so be sure to complete the form before submitted. Do not submit more than one form per team.

2. When will the hypothetical be released?

Submission are due by 11:59pm, EDT on Sunday, May 19, 2024. All submissions must be submitted through a survey, which will be made available beginning on April 9, 2024. Submissions sent elsewhere will not be scored.

3. Can a student who is graduating at the end of the Spring 2024 semester participate?

Yes. All students registered for a Master’s, PDI, or Doctoral MFT program during the Spring 2024 semester are eligible.

4. Who is eligible to participate?

Student members of AAMFT who are registered as students in a Master's, PDI, or Ph.D. Marriage and Family Therapy program during the Spring 2024 academic semester are eligible to participate in the Student Ethics Competition. Each team must be made up of two or three students. AAMFT Professional Members including Clinical Fellows who are also currently registered as students may also enroll in the competition. Each team can only have one Professional Member, and a Clinical Fellow cannot serve as team leader. All team members must be members of AAMFT.

5. How many categories of competition are there?

This year, all eligible students will be competing in teams for first, second, and third place. There will no longer be separate categories for master’s, post-degree institute students, and doctoral students.

6. Will AAMFT help me find teammates?

No. Each team must be created by the students. Once you have a team created, choose a team leader to follow the link for registration.

Legal and Ethics Fact Sheets

The AAMFT has developed a series of fact sheets concerning the legal and ethics issues that most frequently arise in a therapist’s practice. Each fact sheet provides general information on an important topic.

Code of Ethics

The AAMFT strives to honor the public trust in marriage and family therapists by setting standards for ethical practice as described in this Code. The ethical standards define professional expectations and are enforced by the AAMFT Ethics Committee. 

Legal and Ethics Columns

AAMFT’s Family Therapy Magazine (FTM) has featured many articles over the years on legal and ethical issues that marriage and family therapists frequently encounter. Written by AAMFT members and staff, these FTM articles provide valuable information on dealing with the major legal and ethical concerns faced by therapists.