Licensed Mental Health Counselor (professional counselor) · Massachusetts · regulated by Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions · high confidence
| Pre-license credential | LSMHC (Licensed Supervised Mental Health Counselor), optional; created by the 7/31/2026 regulations |
|---|---|
| Supervised experience | 3,360 total hours: two years Full Time or equivalent Part Time post-master's supervised experience, completed in 2–8 years |
| Direct client contact | 960 direct client contact hours: ≥610 individual, couples, or family; ≤350 group |
| Supervision | 130 hours post-master's; ≥75 individual. Of 200 total supervision hours (pre + post), ≥75 must be by an LMHC |
| Minimum time | 2 years |
| Time limit | 8 years (complete in no less than two and no more than eight years) |
| Weekly cap | 35 hours/week, 48 weeks/year (Full Time definition; board guide: cannot count more) |
| Exams | NCMHCE (NBCC); passing score valid 5 years (unless licensed as LSMHC or out-of-state LMHC after passing) |
Supervision
- How much: 130 hours post-master's; ≥75 individual. Of 200 total supervision hours (pre + post), ≥75 must be by an LMHC
- How often: ≥1 supervisory contact hour per 16 direct client contact hours; part time: no less than 1 hour bi-weekly
- Group supervision: Group = no more than 10 supervisees with an Approved or Contract Supervisor, ≥1 supervisory contact hour (≥45 min); peer groups do not count
- Who may supervise: Approved Supervisor: MA LMHC/LMFT with 3 yrs practice, a supervisor certification, or 12 supervision CE hours; LICSW with 3 yrs; HSP psychologist; psychiatrist; psychiatric NP
When hours count and what to keep
- Before your degree: Not counted: post-master's experience may not begin until all 60-credit education is complete
- Paperwork: Post-master's clinical experience forms signed by supervisor; annual supervisee evaluations kept on file at the site; contract-supervisor agreement on file; apply via Health Professions Licensing Portal
Can you be supervised remotely in Massachusetts?
Mostly, with some limits. What shapes this: video status not stated.
- Video supervision: 262 CMR 2.00 (7/31/2026) is silent on supervision modality. The Allied board's teletherapy policy (video or telephone supervision accepted) covered only Sept 1, 2021 - Sept 30, 2023 and has lapsed; the July 2026 news release says teletherapy now counts permanently toward experience hours but does not mention supervision.
- Supervisor licensed in Massachusetts? required (Approved Supervisor = Massachusetts LMHC/LMFT/LICSW/HSP psychologist/psychiatrist/psych NP; an out-of-state equivalent only if training and supervision occur outside Massachusetts); ≥75 of 200 total supervision hours from an LMHC or out-of-state equivalent
- Supervisor credential: none separate: Approved Supervisor = MA licensee with 3 years' practice, or a supervisor certification (MaCCS, AMHCA, AAMFT, NBCC) or 12 CE hours in supervision
- Supervisee cap: group supervision ≤10 supervisees; no per-supervisor cap found
- Board approval first: None found for unlicensed trainees; the new LSMHC license is optional (c. 112 §164 exempts supervised trainees); supervision agreement kept at the site, not filed
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.
Recent and pending changes
Revised 262 CMR 2.00 effective 7/31/2026 (Mass. Register #1579): new optional LSMHC license (NCMHCE + degree + practicum/internship); experience counted 'through' (not 'at') a site, which the board says permanently allows teletherapy hours; supervisor definition broadened.
Where the rules are unclear
Massachusetts’s own documents disagree or are silent on these points. Ask the board if they affect you:
- Does post-master's supervision by video count toward the 130 supervision hours under the July 2026 rules, now that the 2021-2023 teletherapy policy has expired?
- Where in 262 CMR is the 'teletherapy permanently' change codified?
In the board’s own words
“Eligible applicants must demonstrate the completion of the following post-Master's experience requirements: (a) 3,360 total hours; which includes:” — 262 CMR 2.07(2) (7/31/2026)✓ matched in the source
“Eligible applicants must complete, in no less than two and no more than eight years, a minimum of two years of Full Time or equivalent Part Time” — 262 CMR 2.07(1) (7/31/2026)✓ matched in the source
“960 Contact Hours of Direct Client Contact Experience, of which: 1. a minimum of 610 Direct Client Contact Experience Contact Hours are in individual, couples, or family counseling” — 262 CMR 2.07(2)(b) (7/31/2026)✓ matched in the source
“at least 130 total hours of supervision of which at least 75 hours must be in Individual Supervision” — 262 CMR 2.07(3)(a) (7/31/2026)✓ matched in the source
“a minimum of one Supervisory Contact Hour of supervision for every 16 Contact hours of Direct Client Contact Experience” — 262 CMR 2.07(3)(b) (7/31/2026)✓ matched in the source
“Full time is no more than 35 hours per week for 48 weeks a year.” — LMHC Application Guide✓ matched in the source
“No applicant shall earn credit for any supervised experience that occurs prior to the applicant's completion of all education listed in 262 CMR 2.05.” — 262 CMR 2.05(1) (7/31/2026)✓ matched in the source
“If the applicant holds or held a license as a Licensed Supervised Mental Health Counselor, the applicant must provide only 262 CMR 2.03(2)(a) and (c).” — 262 CMR 2.03(2)(e) (7/31/2026)✓ matched in the source
“allow teletherapy for licensing experience hours permanently, and create a new licensed supervised mental health counselor (LSMHC) license” — Board news release 7/31/2026✓ matched in the source
“supervision through video conferencing or telephone that will occur from September 1, 2021 through September 30, 2023 will be accepted” — Allied Board Policy on Teletherapy (Aug 19, 2022)✓ checked by hand
“If a supervisee's training and supervision occur outside of Massachusetts, an Approved Supervisor is a licensed person who” — 262 CMR 2.02 Approved Supervisor (f)✓ matched in the source
“A Massachusetts Licensed Mental Health Counselor or Massachusetts licensed marriage and family therapist with” — 262 CMR 2.02 Approved Supervisor (a)✓ matched in the source
4 more quotes are in the state explorer.
Other licenses in Massachusetts
- LMFT (marriage and family therapist)
- LICSW (clinical social worker)
- Psychologist
- All Massachusetts licenses · every state
Sources
- 262 CMR 2.00 (official mass.gov PDF, dated 7/31/26, Mass. Register #1579)
- 262 CMR 2.00 regulation page (Trial Court Law Libraries, date 07/31/2026)
- Licensed Mental Health Counselor Application Guide (Board, current, references LSMHC)
- Licensed Supervised Mental Health Counselor Application Guide (Board)
- Board news release 'Issues Revised Licensing Regulations', 7/31/2026
- Board Policies and Guidelines (Allied Mental Health): Teletherapy policy 9/1/2021–9/30/2023
- M.G.L. c.112 §165
- M.G.L. c.112 §164 (intern/trainee and agency exemptions)
Checked against Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions’s rules, statutes and publications on September 25, 2026. The board decides; if your situation is unusual, confirm with them.