Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (marriage and family therapist) · Massachusetts · regulated by Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions · high confidence
| Supervised experience | At least 3,360 hours of post-master's experience in MFT at a Clinical Field Experience Site under an Approved Supervisor |
|---|---|
| Direct client contact | 1,000 face-to-face client contact hours; ≥500 with couples and family groups |
| Supervision | 200 hours; ≥100 individual |
| Minimum time | 2 years (statute); rule cap of 35 h/week × 48 weeks makes 3,360 hours take ≥2 years |
| Weekly cap | 35 hours/week, 48 weeks/year |
| Exams | AMFTRB Examination in Marital and Family Therapy |
Supervision
- How much: 200 hours; ≥100 individual
- Group supervision: Group = no more than 6 practitioners plus an Approved Supervisor, ≥1.5 hours; individual = no more than 2 practitioners, ≥1 hour; peer supervision does not qualify
- Who may supervise: Approved Supervisor: MA LMFT/LMHC with 3 yrs practice, a supervisor certification (incl. AAMFT), 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: no credit for supervised experience before all education is complete
- Paperwork: Post-Master's Degree Clinical Experience Form (signed by Approved Supervisor) + applicant attestation; random audits for precise hour calculations
Can you be supervised remotely in Massachusetts?
Mostly, with some limits. What shapes this: video status not stated.
- Video supervision: 262 CMR 3.00 (7/31/2026) does not address supervision modality; the 2021-2023 Allied board teletherapy policy has lapsed.
- Supervisor licensed in Massachusetts? required per Approved Supervisor definition (Massachusetts licensees; out-of-state equivalents only for out-of-state training), per ../MA.json
- Supervisor credential: none separate: MA LMFT/LMHC with 3 years, supervisor certification (incl. AAMFT) or 12 supervision CE hours; LICSW; HSP psychologist; psychiatrist; psych NP
- Supervisee cap: Individual supervision ≤2 practitioners; group ≤6
- Board approval first: None found; no MFT associate license (supervised family therapy interns are exempt)
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 3.00 effective 7/31/2026 (Mass. Register #1579): supervisor definition aligned with LMHC; experience must be at a Clinical Field Experience Site; new 35 h/week, 48 weeks/year cap; no pre-education experience credit.
Where the rules are unclear
Massachusetts’s own documents disagree or are silent on these points. Ask the board if they affect you:
- Does video supervision count for the 200 post-degree MFT supervision hours after September 30, 2023?
In the board’s own words
“At least 3,360 hours of post-Master's degree experience in Marriage and Family Therapy completed at a Clinical Field Experience Site under the direction of an Approved Supervisor.” — 262 CMR 3.03(3)(b) (7/31/2026)✓ matched in the source
“1,000 hours of face-to-face contact hours of clinical experience ... of which at least 500 hours must be with couples and family groups” — 262 CMR 3.03(3)(b) (7/31/2026)✓ matched in the source
“A minimum of 200 hours of supervision ... A minimum of 100 hours of the required minimum 200 hours of supervision must be Individual Supervision.” — 262 CMR 3.02 Supervised Clinical Experience (Post-degree) (7/31/2026)✓ matched in the source
“A candidate may not earn more than 35 experience hours per week for 48 weeks a year.” — 262 CMR 3.03(3)(b) (7/31/2026)✓ matched in the source
“an applicant must have two additional years of supervised clinical experience in the relevant field” — M.G.L. c.112 §165✓ matched in the source
“A regularly scheduled meeting of Marriage and Family Therapy supervision of not more than two practitioners with an Approved Supervisor” — 262 CMR 3.02 Individual Supervision✓ matched in the source
“supervision of not more than six practitioners, plus an Approved Supervisor, for a period of at least 1½ hours” — 262 CMR 3.02 Group Supervision✓ 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
Other licenses in Massachusetts
- LMHC (professional counselor)
- LICSW (clinical social worker)
- Psychologist
- All Massachusetts licenses · every state
Sources
- 262 CMR 3.00 (official mass.gov PDF, dated 7/31/26, Mass. Register #1579)
- 262 CMR 3.00 regulation page (date 07/31/2026)
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Application Checklist (Board)
- M.G.L. c.112 §165
- M.G.L. c.112 §164(4) (intern/trainee exemption)
- Board news release, 7/31/2026
- Allied Board Policies: Policy on Teletherapy (2021-2023)
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.