How to Become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Massachusetts
Massachusetts keeps its counseling licensure focused on a single independent credential: the Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). It's issued by the Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions, part of the Department of Public Health's Division of Professional Licensure.
Step 1: Earn a Qualifying Master's Degree
You need a master's degree in mental health counseling or a related field that meets Board requirements, either CACREP-accredited or equivalent. Your program must include at least one graduate-level course of at least three semester (or four quarter) credit hours in each required content area, with each course satisfying only one requirement. You must complete at least 60 semester hours of qualifying coursework before you can begin accruing post-degree supervised hours.
Step 2: Complete Your Supervised Experience
Massachusetts requires the equivalent of two years of full-time post-degree supervised practice, totaling at least 3,360 hours, with no fewer than 960 hours of direct client contact. The Board credits no more than 250 of those direct-contact hours to group service. You'll also need at least 50 hours of supervision from a professional holding LMHC or Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC) status; pre-master's supervision may count toward this minimum.
Step 3: Pass the NCMHCE
Massachusetts requires the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination, administered by NBCC through Pearson VUE. Exam scores expire after 5 years unless you already hold an LMHC license in another state.
Step 4: Apply for Your LMHC License
Apply online through the Health Professions Licensing Portal (ePlace) with the following ready to upload:
A head-and-shoulders photograph
Completed Pre-Master's Degree Experience and Education Form
Completed Post-Master's Clinical Experience Form
Your NCMHCE score report
A notarized Criminal Offender Record Information Form
A certificate showing completion of the state's free online domestic and sexual violence training (chapter260training.org)
The non-refundable application fee is $117. Have your graduate school send an official transcript directly to the Board as well.
Renewing Your License
Massachusetts LMHC licenses renew every two years and require at least 30 hours of continuing education, up to 50 percent of which may be completed online or through home study.
Apply for Your License
Start or continue your application directly with Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions, the official licensing authority. Applications submitted anywhere else won't be processed.
A Note on Accuracy
This post reflects information from the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions and its published LMHC Application Guide. Licensing rules, fees, and statutes change. Verify current requirements directly at mass.gov before making any licensure decision.
Massachusetts skips the associate/provisional license tier most states use, which simplifies the credential picture but means all 3,360 hours happen before you're independently licensed, so plan your post-degree employment setting accordingly.
Comments