Requirements for LMHC Applicants

• Graduation from a master's or doctoral level educational program in mental health counseling or a related discipline from a college or university approved by the secretary based upon nationally recognized standards. An “approved educational program” means any college or university accredited by a national or regional accrediting body recognized by the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation, at the time the applicant completed the required education.

• Successful completion of an approved examination (i.e., NBCC’s National Counselor Examination for Licensure (NCE) or National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE)).

• Successful completion of a supervised experience requirement. This experience requirement must consist of a minimum of thirty-six months full-time counseling or three thousand hours of postgraduate mental health counseling under the supervision of a qualified licensed mental health counselor in an approved setting. The three thousand hours of required experience includes a minimum of one hundred hours spent in immediate supervision with a qualified licensed mental health counselor, and includes a minimum of one thousand two hundred hours of direct counseling with individuals, couples, families, or groups.

▪ Supervision may also be provided by an “equally qualified licensed mental health practitioner” (i.e., an individual licensed as a mental health counselor, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed clinical social worker, licensed psychologist, licensed psychiatrist, or licensed psychiatric nurse).

▪ An “approved setting” includes facilities, agencies or private practice where an applicant works with individuals, families, couples or groups under the supervision of an approved supervisor.

▪ “Immediate supervision” is defined as a meeting with an approved supervisor, involving one supervisor and no more than two supervisees

• Successful completion of continuing education requirements of thirty-six hours, with six in professional ethics.

• Applicants must also complete four clock hours of AIDS education as required in WAC 246-12, Part 8.
 

Requirements of an “Approved Supervisor” for Mental Health Licensure

• Must hold a license without restrictions that has been in good standing for at least two years.

• Must not be a blood or legal relative or cohabitant of the supervisee.

• Must not be the supervisee’s peer (i.e., function as a peer in the same agency).

• Must not have acted as the supervisee’s therapist within the past two years.

• Must have completed a minimum of fifteen clock hours of training in clinical supervision obtained through a supervision course or continuing education credits on supervision, or supervision of supervision.

• Must have twenty-five hours of experience in supervision of clinical practice.

• Must attest to having thorough knowledge of a supervisee’s practice activities including: recordkeeping, financial management, ethics of clinical practice, and the backup plan for coverage.