Florida Counseling Licensure & Supervision Roadmap

Florida licenses mental health counselors as Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs) through a structured pathway that includes intern registration, supervised post-master’s experience, and examination.

Candidates must earn a qualifying 60-semester-hour master’s degree from an accredited program, register as a Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern, complete at least 2 years of supervised post-master’s experience (including 1,500 hours of face-to-face psychotherapy and 100 hours of supervision over no fewer than 100 weeks), and pass a board-designated theory and practice examination.

Florida Counseling Licensure & Supervision Quick Summary

Requirement	Florida
Official Licensing Board	Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling
Full Clinical License Title	Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
Initial/Associate License Title	Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern
Total Supervised Hours Required	3,000
Minimum Direct Client Contact Hours	1,500 hours face-to-face psychotherapy
Required National Exam(s)	National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE)
State Jurisprudence Exam Required?	No

The Path to Licensure in Florida

Step 1: Complete a Qualifying Graduate Degree

Degree Level Required

• Earned master’s degree.
  

Credit Hour Requirement

• At least 60 semester hours (or 80 quarter hours).
  

Accreditation Requirement

• Beginning July 1, 2025, the master’s degree must be from a program accredited by:
  
  • CACREP,
    
  • MPCAC, or
    
  • An equivalent accrediting body recognized in statute.

Prospective applicants can explore Florida counseling degrees to find relevant programs, including CACREP-accredited online counseling programs.

Graduate Clinical Training

• Graduate programs must include supervised clinical training:

Practicum

• Minimum 100 hours
  

Internship

• Minimum 600 hours

Step 2: Register as a Mental Health Counselor Intern

Before beginning post-graduate supervised experience, applicants must register as a:

• Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern
• Supervised hours do not count until the intern registration is approved.

Background Check Requirement

Applicants must complete criminal background screening under Florida Statutes §456.

Step 3: Establish Supervision with a Qualified Supervisor

Before hours begin:

• A Qualified Supervisor must be registered with the Board.
  

Supervised experience must occur under the approved supervisor.

Hours obtained before intern registration or supervisor approval do not count.

Qualified Supervisor Requirements

Supervision must be provided by a Board-approved Qualified Supervisor.

Qualified supervisors may include:

• Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC)
  
• Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW)
  
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT)
  
• Psychologists
  
• Psychiatrists
  

Supervisors must meet board experience requirements and complete supervisor training.

Step 4: Complete Supervised Clinical Experience

Applicants must complete:

Total Supervised Experience

• 3,000 hours of supervised counseling experience
  

Direct Client Contact

• 1,500 hours must be face-to-face psychotherapy with clients
  

Remaining hours may include other counseling-related activities such as:

• Case documentation
  
• Treatment planning
  
• Consultation
  
• Other clinical duties

Minimum Timeframe

Supervised experience must occur over at least two years.

Supervision Requirements

Minimum Supervision Hours

• 100 hours of supervision
  

Supervision Frequency

• At least 1 hour of supervision every two weeks
  

Minimum Supervision Period

• Supervision must occur over at least 100 weeks

Tele-Supervision

• Supervision may occur through interactive electronic communication when allowed by board rules.
• Telephone-only supervision does not qualify.

Documentation Requirements

Interns must maintain documentation verifying:

• Total supervised hours
  
• Direct client psychotherapy hours
  
• Supervision hours
  
• Supervisor verification
  

These records must be submitted to the Board when applying for LMHC licensure.

Examination Requirement

Applicants must pass:

National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE). New applicants must pass the NCMHCE, not the NCE counseling exam. 

Practice Rights During Intern Registration

Registered Mental Health Counselor Interns:

• May provide counseling only under supervision
  
• May not practice independently
  
• Must follow supervision requirements established by the Board.

*Sponsored Counseling Programs

Supervision & Ethics in Florida

Who Qualifies as a Supervisor in Florida?

Supervision must be provided by:

• A licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) or the equivalent,
  
• Who is designated by the Board as a Qualified Supervisor.
  

To be designated a Qualified Supervisor for mental health counseling interns, the individual must have:

• 5 years of clinical experience (with a board-described breakdown), and
  
• Specified supervision training and/or credential options as required by rule.
  

Can Associates Practice Independently in Florida?

No. A Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern must remain under supervision while practicing under intern status and may not practice independently.

What Are the Required Supervision Ratios?

• At least 100 hours of supervision.
  
• No fewer than 100 weeks of supervision.
  
• At least 1 hour of supervision every two weeks.
  
• 1,500 hours of face-to-face psychotherapy required for credited experience.
  

Tele-Supervision Rules

• Supervision may use face-to-face electronic methods.
  
• Telephone-only supervision is not permitted.
  
• At least 50% of required supervision interactions must be conducted in person.
  
• At least one in-person meeting must occur before using online/interactive methods.
  

What Documentation Is Required?

• A supervision log must be maintained by both the intern and the supervisor.
  
• Supervision includes:
  
  • The intern apprising the supervisor of diagnosis and treatment,
    
  • Case discussion,
    
  • Supervisor oversight and guidance,
    
  • Supervisor evaluation of intern performance.
    

Failure to properly document supervision may prevent hours from being credited.

Common Licensure Pitfalls in Florida

Pro Tip

Track the major supervision requirements carefully:

• 3,000 supervised hours
  
• 1,500 psychotherapy hours
  
• 100 supervision hours
  
• Minimum two years of experience
  

Maintain supervision at least every two weeks.

Warning

• Hours obtained before intern registration will not count.
  
• Supervision must be provided by a Board-approved Qualified Supervisor.
  
• Failure to meet supervision frequency requirements may delay licensure approval.

Frequently Asked Questions About Counseling Licensure in Florida

Can Registered Interns Practice Independently?

No.

Registered Mental Health Counselor Interns must practice under supervision.

How Long Does It Take to Become an LMHC?

Applicants must complete:

• 3,000 supervised hours, and
  
• At least two years of supervised experience.

Does Florida Require CACREP?

Beginning July 1, 2025, applicants must graduate from a CACREP-accredited program, MPCAC-accredited program, or another board-recognized equivalent program accreditation.

List of Programs