Licensed Psychologist · West Virginia · regulated by West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists · medium confidence
| Degree | Ph.D. or equivalent (Psy.D. equivalent; board guidance adds Ed.D.) in a clinical form of psychology from a regionally accredited institution, with the board's listed core coursework |
|---|---|
| Internship | APA-approved pre- or post-doctoral internship 'or its equivalent' (formal one year, full time, done within 24 months); the statute references 1,800 predoctoral internship hours |
| Supervised experience | One year of Board-approved supervised experience (two years without an internship); may be waived with ≥1,800-hour predoctoral internship |
| Pre-doctoral hours | A ≥1,800-hour predoctoral internship allows an application to waive the one-year supervision; otherwise the supervised year is post-degree (work counts from when degree requirements were met) |
| Postdoc required? | optional (waivable): one year of supervision is required unless the Board waives it for a ≥1,800-hour predoctoral internship; two years if no internship |
| Postdoc hours | One 'year' = 12 average work months full time (prorated by hours/40 for part time); no hour total |
| Credential during the postdoc | Supervised-Psychologist ('gold card'), Board-approved before practice; must be a W-2 employee; quarterly supervision reports |
| Exams | EPPP (take within first 12 months of supervised status; score 500 per board guidance); Board oral examination (ethics, WV law, competency; ≥3 work samples) sets scope of practice |
| EPPP-2 | not adopted (17CSR3 §14.1 names only the EPPP) |
| PSYPACT | member: W. Va. Code §30-21A (Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact), enacted 2021 Regular Session, Enrolled Committee Substitute for SB 668 |
Supervision during the postdoc
- Supervision: ≥1 h individual supervision per 20 h of clinical practice, minimum 1 h/week; sessions at least every 2 weeks; contract: ≥6 h/month individual for full-time, up to 2 h/month group/other
- Who may supervise: WV-licensed psychologist, licensed ≥2 years, with 14 h of supervision training or a 3-hour graduate course; no substantiated sanction; max 4 supervisees
- Minimum time: One year (12 average work months, full-time equivalent) of supervised experience; two years without an internship
- Time limit: Doctoral supervised-psychologists must pass the EPPP within 2 years (maximum 5 attempts) or lose eligibility
Related credentials
- Master’s level: Master's-level licensed psychologist: master's in psychology (≥50 semester hours) + 5 years post-degree supervised experience with ≥2 supervisors; EPPP within 5 years + oral exam
- School psychology: Board-licensed School Psychologist Level I and Level II (Independent Practitioner); Praxis School Psychologist exam + oral exam
- Specialty or health-service credential: One psychologist license for doctoral and master's holders; the Board sets each licensee's scope of independent practice at the oral exam (17CSR3 §14.6-14.7)
Can you be supervised remotely in West Virginia?
Only partly. Some supervision or presence must be in person or on site. What shapes this: in-person minimum, state-only supervisor credential, prior board approval, video limited.
- Video supervision: Individual supervision is in person, face-to-face, unless the Board grants express permission for a 'minimal portion' of hours, documented in the contract. Video conferencing may be a Board-approved alternative. The rule defines individual supervision as a face-to-face, private interaction.
- Phone only: not allowed (individual supervision is in person unless the Board approves video for a minimal portion)
- In-person minimum: In person by default; only a Board-approved 'minimal portion' may be by video. At least one individual face-to-face session per quarter must take place where the supervisee provides services.
- Supervisor licensed in West Virginia? required: licensed as a psychologist or school psychologist, or holding a temporary permit, from the West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists
- Supervisor credential: Board-approved supervisor: 14 hours of supervision training by a psychologist or a 3-hour graduate course, licensed at least 2 years, and no substantiated complaint with sanction
- Supervisee cap: At most 4 candidates per supervisor at any one time
- Board approval first: Yes. The Supervision Contract must be signed and approved by the Board before supervised practice starts, and the supervisee gets a 'Gold Card' naming the approved supervisor(s). Quarterly supervision reports are required.
- If you live outside West Virginia: Must be in West Virginia. Board guidance says supervision must occur in WV with a WV-approved supervisor and WV W-2 employment.
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
17CSR3 refiled and effective May 4, 2026 (sunset Aug 1, 2031). §30-21-7 last amended by 2019 HB 2486.
Where the rules are unclear
West Virginia’s own documents disagree or are silent on these points. Ask the board if they affect you:
- The codified §30-21-7(a)(4) for doctoral applicants mentions only 1,800 predoctoral internship hours, but 17CSR3 §5.4 says that subdivision 'requires at least one year of Board-approved supervised experience' and §4.5 makes the waiver something to apply for. Is the post-degree supervised year waived automatically for a ≥1,800-hour internship, or at the Board's discretion?
In the board’s own words
“at least one thousand and eight hundred hours must be a predoctoral internship in the performance of any of the psychological services” — W. Va. Code §30-21-7(a)(4)✓ matched in the source
“When the applicant holds a Ph.D. or the equivalent, W. Va. Code §30-21-7(a)(4) requires at least one year of Board-approved supervised experience.” — 17CSR3 §5.4✓ matched in the source
“has completed at least 1,800 hours in a predoctoral internship, the individual may apply to the BOE to waive the year of supervision.” — 17CSR3 §4.5✓ matched in the source
“a minimum of 1 hour of individual supervision per 20 hours of the Supervisee's clinical practice, with a minimum of 1 hour per week” — 17CSR3 §9.2✓ matched in the source
“The Board adopts the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) provided by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards” — 17CSR3 §14.1✓ matched in the source
“Doctoral degree supervised psychologists must pass the EPPP within two (2) years and shall only take the EPPP a maximum of five (5) times” — 17CSR3 §14.3✓ matched in the source
“They must also be licensed for at least two years prior to becoming an approved supervisor.” — 17CSR2 §6.2✓ matched in the source
“Individual supervision is in person, face-to-face, unless express permission to do otherwise for a minimal portion of the supervision hours is granted by Board majority” — 17CSR2 §6.4, Supervision Contract Doctoral Degree item 3✓ matched in the source
“Video conferencing may be a Board approved alternative for face-to-face supervision.” — 17CSR2 §6.4, Supervision Contract Doctoral Degree item 3✓ matched in the source
“At least once per quarter, one of the required individual face-to-face sessions shall occur at the location(s) where the Supervisee is providing services.” — 17CSR2 §6.4, Supervision Contract Doctoral Degree item 3✓ matched in the source
“Individual supervision is defined as a face-to-face and private interaction between the supervising licensee and the supervised-psychologist.” — 17CSR3 §9.2✓ matched in the source
“Supervisors shall be licensed as a psychologist or school psychologist or granted a temporary permit by the West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists.” — 17CSR3 §8.3✓ matched in the source
6 more quotes are in the state explorer.
Other licenses in West Virginia
- LPC (professional counselor)
- LMFT (marriage and family therapist)
- LICSW (clinical social worker)
- All West Virginia licenses · every state
Sources
- W. Va. Code §30-21-7 Qualifications of applicants
- W. Va. Code §30-21A-1 et seq. Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (2021 SB 668)
- 17CSR3 Requirements for Licensure as a Psychologist and/or School Psychologist (eff. May 4, 2026), §§2-5, pp. 1-4
- 17CSR2 Procedures (eff. July 15, 2023) §6 Supervision Contracts, Approved Supervisor (incl. Supervision Contract, Doctoral Degree)
- Board guidance: Doctoral Degree Requirements with Supervision (2023)
- Board guidance: Licensure at the Doctoral Level Without Supervision (2018)
Checked against West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists’s rules, statutes and publications on September 25, 2026. The board decides; if your situation is unusual, confirm with them.