Maryland LCMFT Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

Maryland’s Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist (LCMFT) credential is regulated by the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists under COMAR 10.58.08. The pathway is essentially:

1. Complete an approved MFT graduate program.
2. Obtain a Licensed Graduate Marriage and Family Therapist (LGMFT) license.
3. Accrue required supervised clinical experience hours under approved supervision.
4. Pass the national MFT exam and the Maryland law/regulations exam.
5. Apply to upgrade to LCMFT.

The sections below walk through these steps with the board’s own terminology and hour breakdowns.

---

1. Credentials Involved: LGMFT and LCMFT

Maryland issues two marriage and family therapy licenses: the Licensed Graduate Marriage and Family Therapist (LGMFT) and the Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist (LCMFT).(health.maryland.gov)

You must first qualify as an LGMFT, practice under supervision, and then upgrade to LCMFT once the supervised clinical experience requirements are met.

Key points about LGMFT status:

• LGMFTs must practice under the supervision of a Board‑approved marriage and family therapy supervisor.(regs.maryland.gov)
• An LGMFT may not practice independently and may not provide supervision to others.(regs.maryland.gov)
• The LGMFT license initially expires 2 years after issuance; extensions can be granted in 2‑year increments, up to a maximum of 6 years to finish the clinical hours.(regs.maryland.gov)

---

2. Educational Foundation

Graduate degree requirements

To be eligible for LGMFT (and ultimately LCMFT), the Board requires:

• A master’s degree in a marriage and family therapy field with at least 60 graduate semester credits (or 90 quarter credits), or
• A doctoral degree in a marriage and family therapy field with at least 90 graduate semester credits (or 135 quarter credits).(regs.maryland.gov)

The degree must be from an accredited institution and in a “marriage and family therapy field” as defined in COMAR 10.58.08.02 (e.g., marriage and family therapy, couple and family therapy, or another related mental health field with a substantial MFT emphasis, subject to Board approval).(regs.maryland.gov)

Required coursework and practicum

Of the required graduate credits, at least 45 semester credits (or 68 quarter credits) must cover defined content areas, including:(regs.maryland.gov)

• Analysis of family systems (3 courses, with coverage of key MFT theory and practice areas).
• A formal supervised clinical internship/practicum that includes:
  • At least 60 hours of supervision by a Board‑approved supervisor, and
  • 300 hours of direct client contact with couples, families, and individuals,
    • At least 100 of those 300 hours must be relational therapy (work with couples or families).(regs.maryland.gov)

These practicum hours are pre‑licensure training and do not substitute for the post‑degree supervised clinical experience required for LCMFT, but they are mandatory for initial LGMFT eligibility.

---

3. Step One After Graduation: Obtain the LGMFT License

After the qualifying degree and coursework are completed, you apply to the Board for the LGMFT license.(health.maryland.gov)

In LGMFT status, you may begin accumulating the supervised clinical experience that counts toward LCMFT, but only under a Board‑approved marriage and family therapy supervisor (see supervisor types below).

---

4. Core Requirement for LCMFT: Supervised Clinical Experience

Maryland’s clinical experience requirement is centered on 2 years and 2,000 hours of supervised clinical experience in marriage and family therapy after the master’s (or qualifying doctoral) degree.(law.cornell.edu)

The Board’s regulations describe this in two linked ways:

• You must complete “a minimum of 2 years and 2,000 hours of clinical experience in marriage and family therapy,” and
• That experience must consist of “a minimum of 2,000 hours of supervised clinical experience” as an LGMFT under a Board‑approved supervisor.(regs.maryland.gov)

In practice, this means 2,000 total hours that are both clinical and supervised, not 4,000 separate hours.

4.1. Total hours and clinical vs. supervision hours

Within the 2,000 supervised clinical hours, you must meet three separate breakdowns:

1. Direct vs. indirect clinical services (clinical activity composition).
2. Client contact vs. supervision hours (service vs. oversight).
3. Supervisor type (who is allowed to supervise how much).

(a) Direct and indirect clinical marriage and family therapy services

COMAR 10.58.08.05 requires that within the 2,000 clinical hours:(regs.maryland.gov)

• At least 1,000 hours must be direct clinical marriage and family therapy services.
• Up to 1,000 hours may be indirect clinical marriage and family therapy services.

The Board defines these terms explicitly:(regs.maryland.gov)

• “Direct clinical marriage and family therapy services” = face‑to‑face provision of clinical MFT services to clients and significant others, such as:

  • Individual, couple, family, or group counseling,
  • Evaluation, intake/assessment, diagnosis,
  • Treatment planning with a client,
  • Crisis management or intervention.

• “Indirect clinical marriage and family therapy services” = case‑management and professional‑development activities related to client care, such as:

  • Referrals and non–face‑to‑face intake or assessment,
  • Receiving supervision,
  • Consultation with other professionals,
  • Treatment planning with other professionals,
  • Case staffing, staff meetings,
  • Related trainings and seminars,
  • Record‑keeping, report writing, case notes,
  • Case management, program development, and other clinical administrative duties.

So, to satisfy this portion, your log over at least two post‑degree years must show:

• 1,000+ hours doing direct, face‑to‑face clinical work with individuals, couples, or families.
• 0–1,000 hours doing indirect MFT tasks as defined above.

(b) Face‑to‑face client contact hours and clinical supervision hours

The Board further requires:(health.maryland.gov)

• “Client contact hour” = at least 45 minutes of direct session time with a client present.
• “Face‑to‑face clinical supervision hour” = at least 45 minutes of direct supervision time with the supervisee present.

For LCMFT eligibility, within the supervised experience you must have:

• At least 1,000 hours of face‑to‑face client contact (these also count as direct clinical hours).(health.maryland.gov)
• At least 100 hours of face‑to‑face clinical supervision, which must be completed within 2 years of the awarding of the master’s degree, and must include:
  • Minimum 50 hours of individual face‑to‑face clinical supervision, and
  • Maximum 50 hours of face‑to‑face group clinical supervision.(regs.maryland.gov)

These 100 supervision hours are part of your overall supervised experience requirement, not additional beyond the 2,000 hours.

(c) Who may supervise you (80/20 rule)

COMAR 10.58.08.05 and 10.58.15 establish an 80/20 supervision rule for the 2,000 supervised hours:(regs.maryland.gov)

• At least 80% of your supervised clinical hours (direct + indirect) must be under a supervisor who is:

  • A Board‑approved marriage and family therapy supervisor, and
  • A licensed clinical marriage and family therapist (LCMFT).

• No more than 20% of your supervised clinical hours may be under a Board‑approved supervisor who is another type of licensed mental health provider, such as:

  • Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC),
  • Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC),
  • Licensed Clinical Professional Art Therapist (LCPAT),
  • Or another licensed mental health provider permitted under COMAR,

  provided that the supervisor:

  • Has at least 5 years of experience delivering marriage and family therapy services, and
  • Has been approved by the Board as a marriage and family therapy supervisor.(regs.maryland.gov)

In addition, COMAR defines a “Board‑approved marriage and family therapy supervisor” to include:(regs.maryland.gov)

• An American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)–approved supervisor (or supervisor‑in‑training/candidate) who is also Board‑approved.
• A licensed clinical MFT who meets Board criteria and has been approved as a supervisor.
• Certain other Board‑approved licensed clinicians whose health occupation includes diagnosis and treatment of psychological/mental conditions.

---

5. Timing and License Limits While Accruing Hours

Key timing points drawn from COMAR and Board guidance:(regs.maryland.gov)

• All 2,000 supervised hours must be completed after the award of your qualifying master’s (or doctoral) degree, while you hold an LGMFT or equivalent Board‑approved credential.
• The core regulations state the 100 hours of face‑to‑face clinical supervision must be accrued within 2 years of the master’s degree. In practice, applicants often continue accruing additional clinical hours under licensed‑graduate extensions, but the supervision window is more restrictive on paper.
• Your LGMFT license can be extended up to 6 total years post‑issuance if you have not finished all required hours, but you must request Board approval before the current license expires.(regs.maryland.gov)

Applicants should verify the Board’s current interpretation of the 2‑year supervision window, as individual circumstances can be evaluated, but the written regulation is as above.

---

6. Examination Requirements

To obtain the LCMFT license, you must pass two exams:(health.maryland.gov)

1. A national certification exam in marital and family therapy approved by the Board.

   • The Board identifies this as the Examination in Marital and Family Therapy developed by the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB).

2. A Maryland jurisprudence examination, which covers:

   • Health Occupations Article, Title 17, Annotated Code of Maryland, and
   • The Board’s regulations (COMAR Title 10, Subtitle 58).

Passing scores on both exams are mandatory for LCMFT licensure.

---

7. The Final Step: Application to Upgrade From LGMFT to LCMFT

Once you have:

• Completed the required graduate education and coursework,
• Held an appropriate LGMFT (or equivalent) license,
• Accrued at least 2 years and 2,000 hours of supervised clinical experience in marriage and family therapy after your degree, with:
  • 1,000+ hours of direct clinical MFT services,
  • Up to 1,000 hours of indirect MFT services,
  • 1,000+ face‑to‑face client contact hours,
  • 100 face‑to‑face supervision hours (≥50 individual, ≤50 group),
  • 80% of hours under an LCMFT supervisor and no more than 20% under other Board‑approved supervisors,

and

• Achieved passing scores on both required exams,

you submit the Board’s “Application to Transfer From LGMFT to LCMFT” (or the LCMFT application if you are applying from out of state) along with documentation of your supervised experience and supervision hours.(health.maryland.gov)

The Board then reviews the application under COMAR 10.58.08.05 and related regulations to determine eligibility for licensure as a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist in Maryland.

---

8. Concise Hour Summary (Maryland LCMFT)

For quick reference, Maryland’s supervised experience requirements for LCMFT licensure are:

• Total supervised clinical experience:

  • 2 years and 2,000 hours of supervised clinical experience in marriage and family therapy after the qualifying degree.(regs.maryland.gov)

• Within the 2,000 hours (clinical composition):(regs.maryland.gov)

  • ≥ 1,000 hours of direct clinical marriage and family therapy services (face‑to‑face client treatment).
  • ≤ 1,000 hours of indirect clinical marriage and family therapy services (case management, documentation, consultation, supervision received, etc.).

• Within the 2,000 hours (contact vs. supervision):(health.maryland.gov)

  • ≥ 1,000 face‑to‑face client contact hours (each hour = ≥45 minutes with client present).
  • 100 face‑to‑face clinical supervision hours, completed within 2 years after degree:
    • ≥ 50 hours individual supervision,
    • ≤ 50 hours group supervision (all hours face‑to‑face).

• Supervision composition (who supervises):(regs.maryland.gov)

  • ≥ 80% of supervised hours under a Board‑approved LCMFT supervisor.
  • ≤ 20% of supervised hours under another Board‑approved licensed mental health provider with at least 5 years of marriage and family therapy experience.

These figures, along with the degree, coursework, and exam requirements described above, constitute the core requirements to become licensed as an LCMFT by the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists.