Indiana LMFT Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

Licensure as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in Indiana is regulated by the Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board, housed within the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA). The state uses a two-step pathway:

1. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate (LMFTA) – where you complete your practicum and begin post‑degree experience.
2. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) – full, independent license after specific clinical and supervision hour requirements are met.

Below is a step‑by‑step guide focused on the hours and the exact categories of experience the Board requires.

---

1. Educational foundation (Form III – graduate coursework)

To be eligible for LMFTA and eventually LMFT, the Board requires a:

• Master’s or doctoral degree “in an area of marriage and family therapy, or in a related area as determined by the board” from an eligible postsecondary institution. (in.gov)

All required coursework must be completed through postsecondary academic courses; certifications cannot substitute for degree coursework. (in.gov)

---

2. Pre‑degree practicum / internship hours (Form P)

Indiana treats practicum as a distinct, supervised clinical experience in a marriage and family counseling setting. For both LMFTA and LMFT, the same practicum standard applies. (in.gov)

Required practicum structure

The Board’s instructions state that you must complete at least one:

“supervised practicum, internship, or field experience in a marriage and family counseling setting, which must include a minimum of three hundred (300) hours.” (in.gov)

Those 300 hours of marriage and family therapy services must:

1. Be completed in no less than twelve (12) months of clinical practice. (in.gov)
2. Be broken down as follows: (in.gov)
   • 300 hours must be client contact hours (face‑to‑face marriage and family therapy services).
   • At least 100 of those hours must be “relational hours”—clients seen in a relational context (e.g., couples, families) under the supervision of a licensed marriage and family therapist with at least five years of experience or another supervisor the Board approves.
   • 100 hours of supervision from an LMFT with at least five years’ experience; these supervision hours may be individual, group, or a combination.

In Board terminology here, note the key phrases:

• “client contact hours” – your direct, face‑to‑face clinical work with clients.
• “relational hours” – direct client contact specifically involving relational work (e.g., couples and families).
• “supervision” – formal meetings with a qualified supervisor reviewing your clinical work.

---

3. Step one license: LMFT Associate (LMFTA)

After your degree and practicum, you apply for Marriage and Family Therapist Associate (LMFTA). This license is explicitly for “individuals to obtain post degree experience and supervision” and can only be renewed twice. (in.gov)

Key Board expectations for associates:

• If you are working in Indiana, your post‑degree hours must be obtained under the LMFTA license, and you are expected to hold the associate license for two years while accumulating those hours. (in.gov)
• While practicing as an LMFTA in Indiana, you must be supervised by a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with at least five (5) years of experience or an equivalent Board‑approved supervisor. (in.gov)

The associate stage is where you earn the post‑degree clinical and supervision hours required for the full LMFT license.

---

4. Post‑degree supervised clinical experience (Form II)

For full LMFT licensure (master’s level with two years of experience), the Board requires a specific amount and type of clinical work after graduation, documented on Form II – Verification of Experience. (in.gov)

Total amount and timeframe

The Board’s LMFT instructions specify that applicants must have:

• At least two (2) years (twenty‑four months) of supervised clinical experience in the field of marriage and family therapy. (in.gov)

Within that two‑year period, your work must include:

• 1,000 hours of post‑degree clinical experience. (in.gov)

AAMFT’s summary for Indiana clarifies that these are 1,000 hours of client contact as a marriage and family therapist, consistent with Board language about clinical experience. (aamft.org)

Required case mix

The Board further requires that during this two‑year supervised period:

• At least 50% of your clients must be receiving marriage and family therapy services. (in.gov)

In other words:

• 1,000 hours = post‑degree clinical (client contact) hours,
• With ≥50% of those clients in MFT‑focused services (couples, families, or individuals seen explicitly in a marriage/family therapy context).

---

5. Post‑degree supervision requirements (Form I)

In addition to the clinical hours themselves, Indiana separately tracks supervision hours. These are documented on Form I – Verification of Supervision. (in.gov)

Amount of supervision and timeframe

The Board states that applicants must show they have completed: (in.gov)

• Two (2) years of supervision acquired during the 1,000 hours of post‑graduate clinical experience.
• Supervision must occur over no less than twenty‑four (24) months.
• At least 200 hours of supervision, of which:
  • 100 hours must be individual supervision, and
  • Up to 100 hours may be in group supervision.

The Board web text contains a typographical error (“at least one hundred (200) hours of supervision”), but the intended standard—and the one confirmed by AAMFT’s Indiana summary—is 200 total supervision hours, with at least 100 individual. (in.gov)

Who can supervise

The supervision must be provided and signed off by one of the following, as listed in the Board’s LMFT instructions: (in.gov)

• A licensed marriage and family therapist with at least five (5) years of experience; or
• An AAMFT Approved Supervisor; or
• An AAMFT Approved Supervisor Candidate; or
• A supervisor who:
  • holds at least a master’s degree in a mental health field,
  • has five (5) years of post‑master’s professional practice experience, and
  • is supervising within their scope of experience and training.

Supervision hours must be clearly documented and signed by your previous or current supervisor(s) on Form I. (in.gov)

---

6. Examination requirement

Both LMFTA and LMFT licenses require passing the national examination approved by the Board:

• The Board uses the Association of Marital & Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) national MFT exam.
• For LMFTA: You either take the exam as part of the associate application process or submit an official score report if already taken. (in.gov)
• For LMFT: You must have an official AMFTRB score report sent directly to the Indiana PLA as part of your LMFT application. (in.gov)

---

7. How the hours fit together

Putting the Board’s categories and numbers into one view:

A. Pre‑degree practicum (Form P)

• 300 total hours of marriage and family therapy services, across ≥12 months:
  • 300 client contact hours (all hours are direct client contact).
  • Within those, ≥100 relational hours (couples/family work).
• 100 hours of supervision from an LMFT with ≥5 years’ experience (individual and/or group). (in.gov)

B. Post‑degree clinical experience (Form II)

• 2 years (≥24 months) of supervised clinical experience in the field of marriage and family therapy.
• Within that period:
  • 1,000 hours of post‑degree clinical (client contact) experience as an MFT.
  • At least 50% of clients must be receiving marriage and family therapy services. (in.gov)

C. Post‑degree supervision (Form I)

• 2 years (≥24 months) of supervision associated with the post‑degree clinical work.
• 200 hours of supervision, including:
  • 100 hours of individual supervision, and
  • Up to 100 hours of group supervision.
• Supervision must be from a Board‑qualified supervisor (LMFT with ≥5 years, AAMFT supervisor, AAMFT supervisor candidate, or other approved master’s‑level mental health professional with ≥5 years’ post‑master’s experience). (in.gov)

---

8. Additional regulatory notes

A few Board points that often affect planning:

• License used while accruing hours: If you are working in Indiana, the Board specifies that your post‑degree hours must be earned under the LMFTA license. (in.gov)
• Time limits on the associate license: The LMFTA license “may only be renewed twice,” effectively giving you a limited window to complete your post‑degree clinical and supervision requirements. (in.gov)
• Scope and diagnosis: The Board notes that those licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist may diagnose, provided they meet the Board’s educational and experience requirements; “diagnosis” here does not include physical diagnosis. (in.gov)

---

Concise summary of hours, in Board language

To become a fully licensed LMFT in Indiana under the Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board, you must complete:

1. Practicum / internship (pre‑degree)

   • 300 hours in a marriage and family counseling setting, all as client contact hours, including at least 100 relational hours, plus 100 hours of supervision by an experienced LMFT. (in.gov)

2. Post‑degree supervised clinical experience (as LMFTA)

   • Two years (24+ months) of supervised clinical experience in MFT,
   • Including 1,000 hours of post‑degree clinical (client contact) experience, with at least 50% of clients receiving marriage and family therapy services. (in.gov)

3. Post‑degree supervision

   • Two years (24+ months) of supervision during those 1,000 hours,
   • 200 hours of supervision total, of which 100 hours must be individual supervision and the remainder may be group, all from a Board‑qualified supervisor. (in.gov)

These are the hour‑based requirements as articulated in the Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board’s application instructions and related guidance.