MaMHCA - FAQs

MaMHCA

Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association, Inc.

General FAQs | LMHC FAQs | Continuing Education FAQs

General FAQs

What is clinical mental health counseling? +

Clinical mental health counseling describes the work of a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), including diagnosis, assessment, treatment planning, and therapeutic interventions with individuals, couples, families, and small groups.

LMHCs address mental health disorders and conditions related to grief and loss, poverty, physical pain or illness, disability, involvement with the legal system, and substance use or addiction.

What is an LMHC? What do LMHCs do (or don’t do)? +

LMHC stands for Licensed Mental Health Counselor. Requirements for licensure are defined under CMR 262.

View Massachusetts LMHC licensure regulations

LMHCs are trained to work with individuals across the lifespan in a variety of clinical environments.

What does LMHC licensure entail? +

To become licensed in Massachusetts, an LMHC must:

Graduate from a 60-credit accredited master’s program
Pass the National Clinical Mental Health Counselors Examination (NCMHCE)
Complete over 4,000 hours of supervised clinical experience

While unlicensed practice is legally possible, it offers no guarantees of education, clinical competence, or professional accountability.

What should you look for in a mental health professional? +

Always confirm that your clinician has an active license in the state where you receive treatment.

LMHCs & allied professionals:
MA EOHHS License Verification
Medical doctors:
MA Board of Registration in Medicine

How do I find a clinician? +

Insurance directories are often outdated. Reliable directories for independently licensed clinicians include:

Psychology Today
Therapy Den

LMHC FAQs

What statutes and regulations govern LMHCs in Massachusetts? +

The Massachusetts General Law 262 CMR 2 governs LMHC licensure and professional practice in the Commonwealth.

Which board oversees LMHC licensure in Massachusetts? +

The Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions oversees LMHC licensure under the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

LMHCs may also interact with the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission in certain circumstances.

I am a recent graduate. How do I learn more about getting licensed? +

Congratulations on completing the first step toward independent licensure.

Begin by reviewing MGL CMR 262 2 and explore MaMHCA resources for students and new professionals.

I’m licensed in another state, but I want to get licensed in Massachusetts. How do I do that? +

The At the time of this writing, Massachusetts does not at present have reciprocity with other states for LMHCs, nor is it part of the Counseling Compact. Please see the MGL CMR 262 2 to learn about requirements you will need to meet to attain licensure. You can also take part in one of our license application support clinics.

How can I find a contract supervisor? +

If you are looking for a supervisor to meet licensure requirements as an LMHC, make sure a potential supervisor satisfies the requirements for an Approved Supervisor in the definitions section of the MGL CMR 262 2. An easier way to go about this is to search for a certified supervisor via our directory then use our supervision forms can help you guarantee compliance for your supervision contract.

Continuing Education FAQs

License renewal is based on completion of required continuing education units (CEUs) during each renewal cycle, including any prorated requirements outlined in the Guidelines.

LMHC licenses renew on December 31 of odd-numbered years, following a biennial cycle.

For example, the current cycle runs from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2025.

CE requirements are prorated based on when you received your confirmatory email from the Board.

Jan 1 – Jun 30 (even year): 22.5 CEUs
Jul 1 – Dec 1 (even year): 15 CEUs
Jan 1 – Jun 30 (odd year): 7.5 CEUs
Jul 1 – Dec 1 (odd year): 0 CEUs

At a minimum, the training must be clinically relevant to professional mental health counseling practice.

Yes. All CEUs may be completed online.

CEUs may be approved by MaMHCA or the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).

No. Categories used in previous renewal cycles are no longer used to distinguish educational content.

No. This policy changed in 2023. All CEUs may now be obtained in any format.

Live virtual workshops—such as those offered by MaMHCA—are considered synchronous and count as “in person.”

No. Continuing education credits may not be carried over from one renewal cycle to the next.

Submit a Retroactive Certification Application, your certificate of completion, and the required payment as outlined on the form.

Maintain copies of all certificates for at least 10 years.

Keep two backups (physical and electronic, or two electronic—local and cloud). Complete evaluations immediately if required to receive credit.

The Licensing Board conducts random audits and may request proof of compliance for up to two prior renewal cycles.

Failure to comply can result in license suspension and a permanent notation on your license.

I Did One of These. Can I use it?

Activity	Can it be used for CEUs?	Caveats	What You Will Need
Supervision and/or consultation	Up to 7.5 hours total per cycle (7.5 hours maximum can come from the combination of supervision/consultation, authored publications, and dissertations)	1) Credit available for supervisees only. 2) Credit not available for supervisors. 3) All supervisors must meet the qualified supervision requirements in Board regulations 262 CMR 2.00.	1) A letter from the individual who has provided you with the supervision verifying your participation. 2) The letter must contain the name of the supervisor, site where the supervision was provided, the start and end dates of the period in which the supervision occurred, and the total number of participation hours. 3) If you have taken supervision for academic credit, you should list it under course work. This kind of supervision must also appear on your transcript or grade report.
Authored publications	Up to 7.5 hours total per cycle (7.5 hours maximum can come from the combination of supervision/consultation, authored publications, and dissertations)	1) Publication must be an article in a refereed journal, a chapter in an edited book, a published book, or a commercially published professionally related work. 2) Published work must be primarily focused on one of the main areas of study in mental health counseling.	1) The publication date 2) The title of the publication 3) The name of the publisher or name of the journal
Dissertations	Up to 7.5 hours total per cycle (7.5 hours maximum can come from the combination of supervision/consultation, authored publications, and dissertations)	Work must be primarily focused on one of the main areas of study in mental health counseling.	1) A list of the dates for which credit was granted by your college for work done toward the completion of your dissertation. 2) The title of your dissertation and the name of your college or university. 3) A copy of your transcript or grade report documenting dissertation credit.
Teaching	Yes	Instructors may obtain credit for the first presentation of approved MAMHCA programs or academic courses that meet criteria for approved CE programs.	1) Content of program or course must reflect clear, clinical mental health counseling content Instructors must provide documentation of the program presentation.2) Instructors may receive the same number of CE hours that are available to participants and apply them to their total CE requirement.

A Table Describing The Main Areas of Mental Health Counselor Study

Counseling theory	Includes studies of basic theories, principles and techniques of counseling and their application to professional counseling settings.
Human growth and development	Includes studies that provide a broad understanding of the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels, normal and abnormal human behavior, personality theory, life span theory and learning theory within cultural contexts.
Social and cultural foundations	Includes studies that provide a broad understanding of societal changes and trends; human roles; societal subgroups; social mores and interaction patterns; multi-cultural and pluralistic trends; differing lifestyles and spiritual systems; and major societal concerns including stress, person abuse, substance abuse, discrimination and methods for alleviating these concerns.
The Helping Relationship	Includes studies that provide a broad understanding of philosophic bases of helping processes; counseling techniques and their applications; basic and advanced helping skills; consultation and theories and their application; client and helper self-understanding; alternative mind/body therapies; and self-development; and facilitation of client or change.
Group dynamics, group process, group counseling	Includes studies that provided a broad understanding of group development, dynamics and counseling theories; group leadership styles; basic and advanced group counseling methods and skills; and other group approaches.
Appraisal of individuals	Includes studies that provide a broad understanding of group and individual educational and psychometric theories and approaches to appraisal; data and information gathering methods; validity and reliability; psychometric statistics; psychopharmacology; factors influencing appraisal; use of appraisal results in helping processes; administration and interpretation of tests and inventories to assess abilities, interests and career options.
Research and evaluation	Studies that provide a broad understanding of types of research; basic statistics; research-report development; research implementation; program evaluation; needs assessments; publication of research information; and ethical and legal considerations.
Clinical services in mental health counseling	Courses related to assessment and treatment procedures in mental health counseling, psychopharmacology, addictions and chemical dependence, abuse (sexual, emotional and domestic violence).
Lifestyle and career development	Includes studies that provide a broad understanding of career developmental theories; occupational and educational information sources and systems; career and leisure counseling, guidance and education; lifestyle and career decision-making; career development program planning, resource and effectiveness evaluation.
Psychopathology	The study of pathological mental conditions. The nature of disease, its causes, processes, development and consequences. The functional manifestations of mental illness.
Law and ethics in clinical practice	The application of ethical and legal standards in clinical practice.
Spirituality	Includes spirituality and/or religion as they impact the mental health of clients (e.g., existential and transpersonal issues, hospice work, end of life decisions).
Professional orientation	Includes studies that provide a broad understanding of professional roles and functions; professional goals and objectives; professional organizations and associations; professional history and trends; ethical and legal standards; professional preparation standards; and professional credentialing.
Mental health counselors and the mental health care system	Includes mental health service delivery, mental health institutions and the role of counselors in the mental health care system.

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