Counselors in Massachusetts who have completed their licensure are known as Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs). The premier professional organization for LMHCs in the state is the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association, a state chapter of the American Mental Health Counselors Association, formed in 1981.

Licensure for LMHCs in Massachusetts is overseen by the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions, which is within the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Below, we break down the current Massachusetts LMHC licensure requirements, including education, supervised experience, examination, fees, and renewal, along with salary information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as scholarships and loan repayment programs available to aspiring LMHCs in the state.

Licensure as a mental health counselor in Massachusetts requires a master’s degree of at least 60 semester credit hours, or 80 quarter credit hours, in mental health counseling or a related field for applicants who started their degree after July 1, 2017.

Applicants must complete at least one graduate-level course of at least three semester credit hours or four quarter credit hours in each required content area, and each course may satisfy only one requirement.

In addition to the required coursework, Massachusetts LMHC applicants must complete both a practicum and an internship as part of their graduate degree program. The practicum must be a distinctly defined, pre-internship, supervised curricular experience of at least 100 clock hours. It must include a minimum of 40 hours of direct client contact experience and at least 25 hours of supervisory contact hours.” 

The internship must be a distinctly defined, post-practicum, supervised curricular clinical field experience of at least 600 clock hours. It must include a minimum of 240 hours of direct client contact and at least 45 hours of supervisory contact. Both the practicum and internship are pre-master’s clinical field experience requirements and are separate from the post-master’s supervised clinical experience required for LMHC licensure in Massachusetts.

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In Massachusetts, LMHC applicants must complete a minimum of two years of full-time or part-time equivalent post-master’s supervised clinical experience totaling 3,360 hours. Of those 3,360 hours, at least 960 must be direct client contact experience, and no more than 250 of those direct client contact hours may be group client contact experience. Applicants must also complete at least 130 total supervisory contact hours with an approved supervisor, including at least 75 hours of individual supervision. These requirements are set by the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions and reflected in the state’s current LMHC application guide. 

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Mental health counselor licensure in Massachusetts requires a passing score on the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Exam (NCMHCE), which tests knowledge of assessment, diagnosis, counseling, psychotherapy, administration, consultation, and supervision. It consists of 11 clinical mental health counseling cases and assesses clinical problem-solving ability by testing the identification, analysis, and treatment of cases. It is an NBCC examination administered through the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE), with testing delivered by Pearson VUE.

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LMHCs in Massachusetts can expect to pay the following fees for their application, renewal, and examination:

LMHC Application: $117

LMHC License Renewal: $155

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LMHC licenses in Massachusetts expire on December 31 of every odd-numbered year. To renew, licensees must pay the required renewal fee and complete 30 hours of approved continuing education by December 31 of each odd-numbered year.

LMHCs in Massachusetts must complete at least 30 hours of continuing education (CE) in professional counseling during the two-year renewal period to successfully renew their licenses. The number of CE hours may be prorated for first-time licensees. Up to 50 percent of those hours may be obtained via online or home study, and all continuing education must be approved by a Board-recognized entity, such as the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association (MaMHCA) or the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).

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The following types of counselors in Massachusetts can expect to earn the corresponding average hourly and average annual wages, according to May 2024 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

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The following scholarships and loan repayment programs are available to aspiring LMHCs in Massachusetts:

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*Licensure information, including requirements, salaries, renewals, scholarships, and fees were retrieved as of March 2026. Information may have changed since; check with the state’s board of licensing for more information.

Last Updated: March 2026