Northcentral University

Dr. Kim Blackham received her PhD in general marriage and family therapy from Northcentral University in 2016. The Pennsylvania-based therapist, and mother of four, chose NCU to complete her PhD because it was the only school that offered everything she needed. "My decision to enroll at NCU was based almost completely on the fact that it was the only online COAMFTE-accredited PhD program in the country," said Dr. Blackham. "I wasn't interested in a program where I would just earn a degree. I wanted a program with rigorous standards and professional legitimacy." While it was one single factor that brought her to NCU, many factors contributed to her loving her PhD experience at NCU. "My experience at NCU was fabulous! All of my professors took an interest in my success. They supported my goals, and helped me to succeed at the level that was important to me," said Dr. Blackham. "I'm very proud of my degree from NCU." Dr. Blackham has been featured on media outlets such as CNN, PBS, Woman's Day, Brides and more, for her intensive marriage retreats and work with physician couples. Her research shows these retreats have a 70% success rate of moving couples from high distress to a secure connection. 34 KIM BLACKHAM, PhD, LMFT Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (2016) MEET OUR GRADUATES… COAMFTE accreditation indicates that a marriage and family therapy program has met stringent accreditation standards and demonstrates quality in marriage and family therapy education. NCU's MAMFT was the first distance-based program to receive COAMFTE accreditation and our PhD-MFT is the first, and still the only, distance-based doctoral program to receive COAMFTE's coveted programmatic accreditation. Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education is located at 112 South Alfred Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. Phone: 703.838.9808 Website: www.coamfte.org.

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