Massachusetts supervised hours requirements
What Massachusetts requires for LMFT, LMHC and LICSW licensure: hours, supervision and time limits from the rule text, with the sections cited and the date checked.
The short answer
Licensing authority: Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions; Massachusetts Board of Registration of Social Workers.
- LMFT: total post-master's experience 3,360 hours; face-to-face client contact 1,000 hours.
- LSMHC to LMHC: total hours 3,360 hours; direct client contact 960 contact hours.
- LCSW to LICSW: total clinical social work services 3,500 hours.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
Post-degree experience
Post-master's experience toward the Massachusetts LMFT, at a clinical field experience site under an approved supervisor. The regulation defines no pre-license credential for marriage and family therapists, and no credit is earned before all required education is complete.
| Requirement | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total post-master's experience | 3,360 hours |
| Face-to-face client contact | 1,000 hours With individuals, family groups, couples, groups or organizations |
| With couples and family groups | At least 500 hours Part of the 1,000 |
| Supervision | At least 200 hours |
| Individual supervision | At least 100 hours Not more than two practitioners |
Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
Post-degree experience · Title while gaining experience: Licensed Supervised Mental Health Counselor (LSMHC)
Post-master's supervised clinical field experience toward the Massachusetts LMHC. It may not begin until you have completed 60 semester credits, including all required education.
| Requirement | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total hours | 3,360 hours After the master's degree |
| Direct client contact | 960 contact hours Massachusetts measures these in contact hours of at least 45 minutes |
| Individual, couples or family counseling | At least 610 contact hours Part of the 960 |
| Group counseling | At most 350 contact hours Part of the 960 |
| Supervision | At least 130 hours |
Full LSMHC to LMHC requirements, supervision and time limits
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)
Post-degree experience · Title while gaining experience: Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW)
Clinical social work experience after you are licensed as an LCSW, toward the Massachusetts LICSW. Massachusetts states no minimum for direct client contact.
| Requirement | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total clinical social work services | 3,500 hours Over not less than two years from your LCSW license date |
| Individual supervision | 100 hours Face-to-face clinical supervision |
| Weekly supervision | At least 1 hour a week Or an equivalent pro rata amount for part-time work |
| Supervision rate | At least 1 hour per 35 hours worked And not less than 1 hour per month |
Full LCSW to LICSW requirements, supervision and time limits
Common questions
- What does Massachusetts require for therapist licensure hours?
- LMFT: total post-master's experience 3,360 hours; face-to-face client contact 1,000 hours. LSMHC to LMHC: total hours 3,360 hours; direct client contact 960 contact hours. LCSW to LICSW: total clinical social work services 3,500 hours. Each license page lists the supervision rules and time limits.
- Who sets these requirements in Massachusetts?
- Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions; Massachusetts Board of Registration of Social Workers. Each figure on these pages cites the rule section it comes from.
- Do these figures mean I am eligible for a license?
- No. Your licensing board reviews your application and your supervisors' verifications and decides. These pages summarize the published rules as Accrue models them, including what Accrue does not check.
Sources
Sources checked
- 262 CMR 3.00
- The Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions issues revised licensing regulations (board news release)
- 262 CMR 2.00
- 258 CMR 9.00
- 258 CMR 12.00
- 258 CMR 8.00
- Board of Registration of Social Workers, board policies and guidelines (policy dated May 25, 2021)
Accrue is a record-keeping aid and is not affiliated with any licensing board, accreditor or school. Rules change; confirm the requirements that apply to you with the authority that sets them before you rely on a figure.