How many hours do I need for an LPC-MHSP in Tennessee?

three thousand (3000) hours of supervised post-masters professional experience

How much supervision does an LPC-MHSP in Tennessee require?

150 contact hours of supervision; ≥75 by an LPC/MHSP; minimum one hour per week of direct, individual, formal contact

Which exams are required for an LPC-MHSP in Tennessee?

NCE, NCMHCE, and Tennessee Jurisprudence Exam

Can I be supervised by video in Tennessee?

Only partly. Some supervision or presence must be in person or on site. Live video counts as face-to-face supervision under the Board's 6/24/2022 policy (HIPAA-compliant platform), which stays in effect 'until the proposed rules are enacted'. The still-official rule text (0450-01-.01(39)(b), April 2020) allows live video only 'with prior board approval based on hardship'. Pending rule (hearing 9/11/2026, not yet effective) would allow 100% of supervision via telehealth under T.C.A. 63-1-155.

Tennessee requirements

LPC-MHSP requirements in Tennessee

What it takes to become a Licensed Professional Counselor with Mental Health Service Provider designation in Tennessee: 3,000 supervised hours over at least no sooner than two (2) years following the beginning of supervised clinical practice, plus supervision, time limits, exams and whether you can be supervised by video. Every figure is sourced to the state board and dated.

Sourced to Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral TherapistsChecked September 25, 2026Not individually reviewed by a clinicianAbout this site

Licensed Professional Counselor with Mental Health Service Provider designation (professional counselor) · Tennessee · regulated by Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists · high confidence

Pre-license credential	A-LPC/MHSP associate license (optional; temporary licenses converted 1/1/2026)
Supervised experience	three thousand (3000) hours of supervised post-masters professional experience
Direct client contact	1,500 face-to-face client contact hours (plus 1,500 clinically-related activities)
Supervision	150 contact hours of supervision; ≥75 by an LPC/MHSP
Minimum time	no sooner than two (2) years following the beginning of supervised clinical practice
Time limit	no more than four (4) years following the beginning of supervised clinical practice
Exams	NCE, NCMHCE, and Tennessee Jurisprudence Exam

Supervision

How much: 150 contact hours of supervision; ≥75 by an LPC/MHSP
How often: minimum one hour per week of direct, individual, formal contact
Group supervision: no more than 50 of the 150 hours in group; group = 3–8 supervisees; triadic (1:2) counts as individual
Who may supervise: licensed ≥5 years as LPC/MHSP, LMFT, LCPT, LCSW, psychiatrist, LSPE or HSP psychologist; plus supervision course, AAMFT/AAPC/NBCC-ACS credential, or 12 contact hours

When hours count and what to keep

Before your degree: not counted; classwork, practicum, and master's-course experiences are excluded
Paperwork: Verification of Supervised Post-Graduate Experience form (primary supervisor reports hours); Request for Temporary License form names primary supervisor

Can you be supervised remotely in Tennessee?

Only partly. Some supervision or presence must be in person or on site. What shapes this: supervisor on-site rule.

Video supervision: Live video counts as face-to-face supervision under the Board's 6/24/2022 policy (HIPAA-compliant platform), which stays in effect 'until the proposed rules are enacted'. The still-official rule text (0450-01-.01(39)(b), April 2020) allows live video only 'with prior board approval based on hardship'. Pending rule (hearing 9/11/2026, not yet effective) would allow 100% of supervision via telehealth under T.C.A. 63-1-155.
In-person minimum: none stated
Supervisor licensed in Tennessee? other: 0450-01-.10 lists license types (LPC/MHSP, LMFT, LCPT, LCSW, psychiatrist, LSPE, HSP psychologist, ≥5 yrs) without saying 'Tennessee'; T.C.A. 63-1-155 requires a graduate providing telehealth for licensure hours to be supervised by a Title 63 (Tennessee) licensee
Supervisor credential: Current: no board registration; supervisor documents 5 years' licensure plus a supervision course, AAMFT/AAPC/NBCC-ACS credential, or 12 contact hours of supervision training, and ≥75 of 150 hours must be with an LPC/MHSP. Pending rule: supervisors must be Board-designated approved supervisors (designation shown on license) and LPC/MHSP-only for MHSP candidates.
Supervisee cap: none in current rule; pending rule: ≤12 active individual supervisees and ≤2 groups per supervisor (waiver possible). Group = 3–8 supervisees; triadic (1:2) counts as individual
Board approval first: Associate (formerly temporary) license is optional for LPC/MHSP candidates; if sought, the request form must be signed by the primary supervisor and a primary-supervisor change must be re-filed. Supervisor qualifications are otherwise proven only at the full-license application. Pending rule: for applicants after 7/1/2026, the Verification of Supervised Postgraduate Experience form is filed with the associate application before supervision begins

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

2025 Pub. Ch. 204 (eff. 1/1/2026): temporary LPC/MHSP license renamed associate license (A-LPC/MHSP), valid up to 4 years, extendable. Proposed 0450-01 amendments (hearing 9/11/2026, not yet effective): LPC/MHSP-only supervisors for supervision begun after 7/1/2026, board-designated supervisors, 100% telehealth supervision, weekly-hour minimum replaced by 'sufficient frequency'. Board LPC/MHSP supervision policy approved 9/22/2025.

Where the rules are unclear

Tennessee’s own documents disagree or are silent on these points. Ask the board if they affect you:

Rule 0450-01-.01(39)(b) still requires prior hardship approval for live video, but the 2022 Board policy treats live video as face-to-face without approval 'until the proposed rules are enacted'. Can the policy override the rule text?
Does the current on-site 20 h/week licensed-professional requirement (0450-01-.01(11)(c)) bar an associate working fully remotely from home for a TN practice?

In the board’s own words

“a minimum of three thousand (3000) hours of direct clinical experience which is completed under supervision” — 0450-01-.10(6)(a) (April 2020 SOS compilation)✓ matched in the source

“one hundred and fifty (150) contact hours of supervision, of which no more than fifty (50) hours may be in a group setting” — 0450-01-.10(6) (April 2020 SOS compilation)✓ matched in the source

“The minimum requirements are one hour per week of direct, individual, formal contact” — 0450-01-.10(6)(b) (April 2020 SOS compilation)✓ matched in the source

“completed no sooner than two (2) years nor more than four (4) years following the beginning of supervised clinical practice” — 0450-01-.10(6)(a) (April 2020 SOS compilation)✓ matched in the source

“Although the temporary license is not required for applicants pursuing their post- graduate hours, the temporary license is highly recommended” — LPC/MHSP Policy on Supervision for Licensure✓ matched in the source

“Pass the National Counselors Examination, the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination, and the Tennessee Jurisprudence Exam” — 0450-01-.04(4)(e) (April 2020 SOS compilation)✓ matched in the source

“If an applicant is granted an associate license, then the license must remain valid for up to four (4) years” — Pub. Ch. 204 (2025) §3, T.C.A. 63-22-121(a)(4)✓ matched in the source

“It is the policy of the Board that face-to-face supervision is inclusive of live video conferencing supervision.” — Policy Statement Regarding Supervision via Telehealth (2022)✓ checked by hand

“face-to-face or live video conferencing (with prior board approval based on hardship), consultation, guidance, and instructions” — 0450-01-.01(39)(b) (April 2020)✓ matched in the source

“One hundred percent (100%) of supervision hours may be conducted via telehealth as outlined in T.C.A. § 63-1-155” — Proposed 0450-01-.10(2)(c), Notice 07-10-26 (pending)✓ matched in the source

“Is, at all times, supervised by an individual who is licensed under this title” — T.C.A. § 63-1-155(a)(1)(D)(ii)

11 more quotes are in the state explorer.

Other licenses in Tennessee

Sources

Checked against Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists’s rules, statutes and publications on September 25, 2026. The board decides; if your situation is unusual, confirm with them.

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Practice Harbor is free while you are pre-licensed. It counts your clinical hours from the sessions you mark as attended, and you can add outside hours by hand.

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General information, not legal advice. Requirements are summarized from each state’s licensing board, statutes and regulations on the date shown; the board decides, and rules change. Becoming Licensed is not affiliated with any licensing board.