If you’re a licensed clinician wondering how to become a myofunctional therapist, you’re in the right place. Myofunctional therapy is one of the fastest-growing specialties in healthcare and for good reason. It sits at the intersection of speech-language pathology, dentistry, airway health, and orofacial function, offering clinicians a powerful way to address root-cause issues that traditional therapy often misses.
This blog breaks down every step from licensure requirements and training programs to certification and building a thriving caseload. Whether you’re an SLP, dental hygienist, OT, PT, or dentist, here’s exactly what you need to know.
What Is a Myofunctional Therapist?
A myofunctional therapist is a licensed healthcare professional who specializes in evaluating and treating orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs), problems related to the muscles and functions of the face, mouth, and throat. These disorders can include:
- Tongue thrust and improper swallowing patterns
- Mouth breathing and open-mouth posture
- Low tongue resting posture
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction
- Sleep-disordered breathing and obstructive sleep apnea
- Articulation and feeding difficulties
Myofunctional therapy addresses these issues through targeted neuromuscular exercises, patient education, and interdisciplinary collaboration with dentists, orthodontists, ENTs, and other providers. It’s a specialty that’s gaining significant recognition and demand for qualified therapists continues to grow.
Who Can Become a Myofunctional Therapist?
Myofunctional therapy is not a standalone profession. It’s a specialty built on top of an existing clinical license. To become a myofunctional therapist, you must first hold a license in one of the following fields:
- Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) — the most common pathway, given the natural overlap with articulation, swallowing, and oral motor function
- Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) — increasingly common, especially in integrative dental practices
- Dentist or Orthodontist — often add myofunctional therapy to better address airway and facial development concerns
- Occupational Therapist (OT) — particularly those working in feeding, sensory integration, or pediatric care
- Physical Therapist (PT) — especially those treating jaw, neck, and postural dysfunction
Important: Your existing license is non-negotiable. Without it, you cannot legally practice myofunctional therapy in a clinical setting. If you’re still working toward licensure, focus on completing your degree and clinical requirements first.
How to Become a Myofunctional Therapist: 5 Steps
Step 1: Obtain Your Clinical License
Your journey starts with your professional license. This is your foundation — and it’s also what gives you legal authority to assess and treat patients. If you’re an SLP, OT, PT, dentist, or dental hygienist, you already have the most critical prerequisite in place.
Your clinical background will also shape how you approach myofunctional therapy. SLPs naturally bring expertise in articulation, dysphagia, and oral motor function. Dental hygienists offer insights into oral health, occlusion, and patient habits. OTs and PTs bring a musculoskeletal and sensory lens. All of these perspectives are valuable and they’re what make myofunctional therapy such a naturally interdisciplinary field.
Step 2: Gain Clinical Experience
You don’t need to be a seasoned veteran before starting your myofunctional therapy training, but real clinical experience makes a meaningful difference. Working with patients, especially those with complex presentations involving airway, feeding, orthodontic, or sleep concerns, gives you the applied context that makes coursework click.
For example, an SLP working with a pediatric patient who has an ALF appliance, oral motor deficits, and compliance challenges will have a very different (and richer) learning experience than a clinician who hasn’t yet seen these cases. Clinical experience helps you recognize why the assessment frameworks and treatment protocols in myofunctional training matter and how to adapt them in the real world.
Step 3: Complete a Comprehensive Myofunctional Therapy Training Program
This is the core of your transition into myofunctional therapy. A quality training program should cover:
- Orofacial anatomy and physiology
- Assessment tools and diagnostic frameworks for OMDs
- Evidence-based treatment protocols and exercise progressions
- Airway, breathing, and sleep connections
- Interdisciplinary collaboration — working with dentists, ENTs, orthodontists, and more
- Case conceptualization: identifying what’s actually broken in the system and building a treatment plan around it
Not all training programs are created equal. Look for one that goes beyond theory and actually prepares you to assess and treat patients starting Monday morning. The best programs combine didactic instruction with practical application not just CEU hours that sit on a shelf.
What to look for in a myofunctional therapy training program:
- Taught by certified, practicing clinicians with real caseloads
- Covers both assessment and treatment (not just one)
- Applicable to a range of patient populations (pediatric and adult)
- Recognized or aligned with certification bodies
- Includes some form of mentorship or case review support
Step 4: Build Your Caseload with Mentorship and Support
This is the step that most clinicians underestimate and it’s arguably the most important one.
Completing a training program gives you knowledge. Applying it with real patients, getting feedback, and troubleshooting cases in real time is what builds competence and confidence. The gap between “I took a course” and “I am a myofunctional therapist” is filled by doing the work — with support.
This is why mentorship matters so much in this field. Having someone to review your cases, challenge your clinical thinking, and help you navigate complex presentations accelerates your growth in ways that self-study simply can’t.
What good mentorship looks like:
- Case review and real-time feedback on your clinical decisions
- A community of practitioners to troubleshoot with
- Ongoing education as the field evolves
- Support for both clinical skill and practice development
Real competence comes from applying what you learned with feedback — not from completing a course in isolation. Clinicians who invest in mentorship during their early caseload-building phase consistently report faster confidence growth and better patient outcomes.
Step 5: Pursue Myofunctional Therapy Certification
Once you have completed your training and built clinical experience, you may choose to pursue formal certification. One of the most recognized credentials in the field is the
Certified Myofunctional Therapist® (CMT®) designation. This credential demonstrates that you have met established standards for knowledge and clinical skill in myofunctional therapy.
What CMT® certification involves:
- Completion of The Myo Method course
- Multi-level written and practical examinations
- Demonstrated clinical skill and competency
- Ongoing continuing education to maintain the credential
Certification is not something you buy. It’s something you earn by proving you actually know how to do this work. It also signals to referring providers, patients, and interdisciplinary collaborators that you’ve met a recognized standard of practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a myofunctional therapist?
If you already hold a clinical license, completing a comprehensive training program typically takes anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the program format (intensive vs. self-paced). Building a confident caseload and pursuing certification is an ongoing process that takes additional months to years. Most clinicians find they’re treating patients effectively within 3–6 months of completing training, especially with mentorship support.
Do I need a special degree to become a myofunctional therapist?
No. Myofunctional therapy is a specialty, not a standalone degree program. You build it on top of your existing professional license (SLP, RDH, OT, PT, or dental). What you do need is comprehensive specialty training — not just a single continuing education course.
Can an SLP become a myofunctional therapist?
Absolutely, and SLPs are among the most naturally suited clinicians to transition into myofunctional therapy. The overlapping scope of practice (oral motor function, swallowing, articulation, resonance) means SLPs often find the transition intuitive. Many myofunctional therapists come from an SLP background.
Is myofunctional therapy in scope for dental hygienists?
In most jurisdictions, yes — with proper training. Dental hygienists who complete a recognized myofunctional therapy training program can incorporate OMD assessment and treatment into their practice, often in collaboration with a supervising dentist or orthodontist. Scope of practice rules vary by state and country, so always check your specific licensing board requirements.
How much do myofunctional therapists earn?
Earnings vary depending on your setting, location, and how you structure your practice. Myofunctional therapy is often delivered in private practice or cash-pay models, which can offer higher per-session rates than traditional insurance-based reimbursement. Many clinicians add myofunctional therapy to an existing practice to diversify revenue, while others build standalone practices focused exclusively on OMDs, airway, and interdisciplinary care.
Wondering if myofunctional therapy is the right fit for your practice?
The path to becoming a myofunctional therapist is clear and if you already hold a clinical license, you’re closer than you think. The most important next step is choosing the right training program: one that prepares you to actually assess and treat patients, not just check a CEU box.
After training, the key to real competence is applying what you’ve learned with support, through mentorship, case review, and a community of fellow practitioners who understand this work.
The step most clinicians miss isn’t the training. It’s what comes after. They complete a course and think they’re done. But real skill — the kind that transforms your practice and changes your patients’ lives — is built through doing the work with feedback and support.
Whether you’re just starting to explore myofunctional therapy or you’ve already completed training and are ready to build your caseload, the next step is the same: commit to becoming a practitioner, not just someone who took a course about it.
Learn the framework. Build the skills. See the results. Enroll in The Myo Method®.
