Massachusetts LSMHC to LMHC hours requirements
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.
The short answer
Headline figures: Total hours 3,360 hours; direct client contact 960 contact hours.
Supervision: At least 130 total hours of supervision, at least 75 of them in individual supervision.
Time limit: Complete a minimum of two years of full-time or equivalent part-time post-master's experience, in no less than two and no more than eight years.
Post-degree experience · Title while gaining experience: Licensed Supervised Mental Health Counselor (LSMHC) · Authority: Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions
Requirements
| 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 |
| Individual supervision | At least 75 hours Part of the 130 |
| Supervision rate | At least 1 supervisory contact hour for every 16 contact hours of client contact |
Supervision
- At least 130 total hours of supervision, at least 75 of them in individual supervision.
- At least one supervisory contact hour for every 16 contact hours of direct client contact. If you work part time, supervision is pro-rated to no less than one supervisory contact hour every two weeks.
- A supervisory contact hour lasts at least 45 consecutive minutes. Group supervision is a regularly scheduled meeting of not more than ten supervisees.
- Of the 200 supervisory contact hours required across pre- and post-master's training, at least 75 must be with an approved supervisor who is a licensed mental health counselor.
Time limits
- Complete a minimum of two years of full-time or equivalent part-time post-master's experience, in no less than two and no more than eight years.
- No credit is earned for supervised experience before you complete all required education.
What Accrue checks
- Counts your logged experience toward 3,360 hours, direct client contact toward 960 hours, and supervision toward 130 hours.
What Accrue does not check
- The 75-hour individual supervision minimum is not tracked as its own target. The regulation's definition of individual supervision was not confirmed, so whether a session with two supervisees counts is unsettled.
- The one-per-16 supervision ratio is not checked.
- The 610-hour and 350-hour subtotals are not tracked.
- Whether teletherapy hours count is unresolved: the board's news release says the July 31, 2026 revision allows them, but the regulation contains no teletherapy language. Accrue does not separate them from in-person hours, so confirm with the board.
- The window of two to eight years is not checked.
- The requirement that 75 of the 200 supervisory contact hours across pre- and post-master's training be with a licensed mental health counselor is not checked.
Common questions
- How many hours do you need for the LMHC in Massachusetts?
- The cited rule sets total hours 3,360 hours; direct client contact 960 contact hours. Source: 262 CMR 2.00; The Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions issues revised licensing regulations (board news release), checked September 17, 2026. Supervision and time limits also apply; see the sections above.
- What supervision does Massachusetts require for the LMHC?
- At least 130 total hours of supervision, at least 75 of them in individual supervision. At least one supervisory contact hour for every 16 contact hours of direct client contact. If you work part time, supervision is pro-rated to no less than one supervisory contact hour every two weeks. A supervisory contact hour lasts at least 45 consecutive minutes. Group supervision is a regularly scheduled meeting of not more than ten supervisees.
- Is there a time limit for LMHC hours in Massachusetts?
- Complete a minimum of two years of full-time or equivalent part-time post-master's experience, in no less than two and no more than eight years. No credit is earned for supervised experience before you complete all required education.
- Does meeting these figures make me eligible?
- No. The Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions reviews your application and your supervisors' verifications and decides. Accrue keeps the record and shows how the cited rule applies to it.
Sources
Sources checked
- 262 CMR 2.00
- The Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions issues revised licensing regulations (board news release)
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.