Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (marriage and family therapist) · Louisiana · regulated by Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners (MFT Advisory Committee) · medium confidence
| Pre-license credential | PLMFT (Provisional Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) |
|---|---|
| Supervised experience | At least 3,000 hours of clinical services to individuals, couples, families, or groups under a board-approved supervisor or registered supervisor candidate |
| Direct client contact | Conflicting: LAC 46:LX §3315.C.1.a says 'at least 1500' direct hours but also 'the required 2000 hours'; board form and handbook say 2,000 direct |
| Supervision | 200 hours of qualified supervision; ≥100 individual |
| Minimum time | 2 calendar years of post-degree supervised experience (statute and rule) |
| Time limit | Must apply and be approved for licensure within 6 years of PLMFT approval, or all hours are forfeited |
| Exams | National marriage and family therapy examination as determined by the advisory committee; no other exam accepted |
Supervision
- How much: 200 hours of qualified supervision; ≥100 individual
- How often: Active supervision: 1 hour face-to-face per 20 hours of direct client contact; at least 1 hour within any 3-month period
- Group supervision: Up to 100 hours; group = more than 2 and no more than 6 PLMFTs
- Who may supervise: LMFT-S (LMFT ≥2 yrs; MFT supervision course or 15+15-hr course; 36 hrs supervision-of-supervision) or LMFT-SC; orientation within 1 yr; ≤10 supervisees
When hours count and what to keep
- Before your degree: Partly: up to 500 direct hours and up to 100 supervision hours (≤50 individual) from a systemically oriented graduate program may count
- Paperwork: Plan of Supervision submitted by the PLMFT for advisory-committee approval; change-of-supervisor filing with fee
Can you be supervised remotely in Louisiana?
Yes by video, but the supervisor needs a state-specific supervisor credential and the board must approve the arrangement first. What shapes this: state-only supervisor credential, prior board approval.
- Video supervision: Up to 100% of face-to-face supervision hours may be by synchronous HIPAA-compliant videoconferencing (§3105/§3315); statute counts 'qualified supervision or telesupervision'. Other remote contact (phone, email) counts only if pre-approved in the plan of supervision.
- Phone only: not allowed unless pre-approved by the advisory committee in the plan of supervision
- Supervisor licensed in Louisiana? required
- Supervisor credential: LA LMFT board-approved supervisor (LMFT-S) or registered supervisor candidate (LMFT-SC); AAMFT Approved Supervisors must still certify with the LA board
- Supervisee cap: ≤10 supervisees combined (PLMFTs, other disciplines and supervisor candidates); group supervision 3-6 PLMFTs
- Board approval first: Plan of supervision approved by the MFT advisory committee; hours accrue only after the official PLMFT approval letter
- If you live outside Louisiana: Same §505.D teletherapy rule as counselors: follow the laws where the licensee and the client are located; nonresidents need board approval to provide teletherapy in Louisiana
The client’s location decides which state’s rules apply. This is not legal advice; confirm with the board before building a program. Compare every state on the remote-supervision map.
Where the rules are unclear
Louisiana’s own documents disagree or are silent on these points. Ask the board if they affect you:
- Direct hours: LAC 46:LX §3315.C.1.a says 'at least 1500' direct hours yet refers to 'the required 2000 hours'; §3311.A.9 says 1500. The board's current PLMFT Documentation of Experience Form (rev. Jan 2019) and LMFT handbook both require 2,000 direct. Which is the post-degree minimum, and do up to 500 graduate hours count toward it?
- Total hours: the board's PLMFT web page says PLMFTs must accrue 3,200 hours (and names 'LPC licensure'); rule §3315.C.1, the FAQ and the experience form say 3,000. Is 3,200 a page error?
- Handbook (25 of 100 hours by video) conflicts with LAC 46:LX (up to 100%); confirm the rule controls for current PLMFTs.
In the board’s own words
“includes at least 3,000 hours of clinical services to individuals, couples, families, or groups” — LAC 46:LX §3315.C.1✓ matched in the source
“must include at least 200 hours of qualified supervision, of which at least 100 hours must be individual supervision” — LAC 46:LX §3315.C.2✓ matched in the source
“must apply and be approved for licensure within six years from date of approval as a provisional licensed marriage and family therapists” — LAC 46:LX §3315.C.1.c✓ matched in the source
“one hour of face-to-face supervision with his/her board-approved supervisor for every 20 hours of direct client contact” — LAC 46:LX §3105✓ matched in the source
“At least 1500 hours must qualify as direct work experience.” — LAC 46:LX §3315.C.1.a✓ matched in the source
“may be counted toward the required 2000 hours.” — LAC 46:LX §3315.C.1.a✓ matched in the source
“Of these 3000 hours, 2000 must be direct client contact hours” — PLMFT Documentation of Experience Form (Rev. Jan 2019)✓ matched in the source
“2,000 CLOCK HOURS OF DIRECT WORK EXPERIENCE” — LMFT Supervisor & Provisional Licensee Handbook✓ matched in the source
“Successful completion of two calendar years of work experience in marriage and family therapy under qualified supervision or telesupervision” — La. R.S. 37:1116(B)(2)✓ matched in the source
“accruing client- and supervisor-contact hours only after the supervisee has received an official letter of approval as a provisional licensed marriage and family therapist” — LAC 46:LX §3315.C.4✓ matched in the source
“shall have maintained an active license in good standing as a LMFT for a minimum of two years.” — LAC 46:LX §3317.B.2✓ matched in the source
“PLMFTs must accrue a minimum of 3,200 hours of supervised experience in a minimum timeframe of two years” — LA LPC Board, PLMFT page✓ matched in the source
11 more quotes are in the state explorer.
Other licenses in Louisiana
- LPC (professional counselor)
- LCSW (clinical social worker)
- Psychologist
- All Louisiana licenses · every state
Sources
- LAC 46:LX §3315.C (PLMFT supervision requirements for licensure), LA Admin Code Aug 2026 compilation pp. 57-59
- La. R.S. 37:1116(B)(2)
- LA LPC Board, PLMFT Documentation of Experience Form (Revised January 2019)
- LA LPC Board, LMFT Supervisor & Provisional Licensee Handbook
- LA LPC Board, PLMFT page
Checked against Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners (MFT Advisory Committee)’s rules, statutes and publications on September 25, 2026. The board decides; if your situation is unusual, confirm with them.