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

Licensure as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in West Virginia is regulated by the West Virginia Board of Examiners in Counseling under Chapter 30, Article 31 of the West Virginia Code and Title 27, Series 27‑08 of the West Virginia Code of State Rules. The current Marriage and Family Therapist Licensing Rule (27‑08) was last made effective April 19, 2024. (code.wvlegislature.gov)

What follows is a step‑by‑step outline of what the Board itself requires, with the Board’s wording highlighted where it matters for hours and supervision.

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1. Licensure structure in West Virginia

West Virginia uses a two‑step model for MFT licensure:

1. Provisional Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist – obtained after meeting education and exam requirements; required before counting any supervised post‑graduate hours. (law.cornell.edu)
2. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) – full, independent license after all supervised experience requirements are completed and approved.

It is unlawful to practice or offer to practice marriage and family therapy in West Virginia, or use the LMFT title, without a license under Article 31. (code.wvlegislature.gov)

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2. Educational requirements (graduate degree + practicum)

2.1 Degree and accreditation

Under §27‑8‑6, the Board requires: (law.cornell.edu)

• A master’s or doctoral degree that meets West Virginia Code §30‑31‑9, and
• The degree must be from a program accredited by COAMFTE, CACREP, NCACS, SACS, or a comparable accrediting body as determined by the Board.

The program must include at least 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of graduate coursework in specified MFT content areas (marriage and family studies, systems theory, research, ethics, human growth and development, appraisal, etiology/assessment/diagnosis/treatment planning, and practicum). (law.cornell.edu)

Applicants with “other graduate degrees in a mental health field” must document that their degree plus additional coursework is equivalent to an MFT degree as defined in §27‑8‑6.1. (law.cornell.edu)

2.2 Practicum / clinical field experience

The Board’s licensing rule explicitly requires a substantial supervised practicum:

• Minimum duration: “a minimum of twelve months supervised clinical practicum”.
• Direct client contact: 300 hours of direct contact with individuals, couples, and/or families.
• Couples/families requirement: At least 50% of those 300 direct hours (i.e., at least 150 hours) must be “with couples and families present.” (law.cornell.edu)

These practicum hours are pre‑degree and are part of your educational program, but a portion of them can later be credited toward the post‑graduate supervised experience (see Section 4).

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3. National MFT examination

Under §27‑8‑6.3, applicants must provide verification that they have obtained a successful score on “a certification examination in marriage and family therapy approved by the Board.” (law.cornell.edu)

In practice, the Board uses the National Examination in Marital and Family Therapy administered by the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB). A passing score is valid for five years from the date of the exam. (law.cornell.edu)

You may file a licensure application before passing the exam, but you must ultimately submit verification of a passing score. (law.cornell.edu)

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4. Application to the Board and provisional license

4.1 Licensure application content

§27‑8‑3 sets out what must be in your licensure application before the Board will consider you for licensure as a marriage and family therapist. In summary, you must submit, in a Board‑designated format: (law.cornell.edu)

• A completed application (dated within 6 months).
• A notarized affidavit allowing the Board to verify your information.
• Non‑refundable application fee, payable to the WV Board of Examiners in Counseling (WVBEC).
• Official graduate transcripts sent directly from the institution.
• Two professional recommendation forms from master’s or doctoral‑level licensed MFTs, LPCs, psychologists, social workers, or psychiatrists (not from temporary licensees).
• Three personal reference letters attesting to good moral character.
• A supervisor’s registration contract on a Board form, showing a proposed supervisor who meets §27‑8‑6.2.f requirements.
• Verification‑of‑supervision forms documenting supervised therapy experience (for those with prior supervision, e.g., from another jurisdiction).

Incomplete applications are voided if deficiencies are not corrected within 30 days; supervision documentation older than three years may not be counted, and only up to 500 supervision hours from another state may be considered. (law.cornell.edu)

4.2 Provisional license is required before counting hours

Under §27‑8‑7: (law.cornell.edu)

• “An applicant shall obtain a provisional license before the applicant begins his or her supervisory experience. Hours obtained by an unlicensed person in any setting shall not count toward the supervised experience requirements.”
• The Board issues a provisional license only after:
  • A licensure application is on file.
  • All licensure requirements (including academic requirements in §27‑8‑6 and the approved exam in §27‑8‑6.3) are met.
  • The applicant signs a statement confirming they have read and understand the MFT Code of Ethics and Board rules.

Supervision while provisionally licensed must be continuous; interruptions over six weeks must be reported within 30 days. Changes in supervisor or job must be approved in advance, or hours during the gap will not count. Provisionally licensed MFTs may not operate a private practice or work as contract labor; they may practice only as part of their supervised licensure requirement. A provisional license is valid for 36 months, renewable once for an additional 24 months. (law.cornell.edu)

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5. Post‑graduate supervised marriage and family therapy experience

The heart of LMFT licensure in West Virginia is the supervised post‑graduate work experience defined in §27‑8‑6.2. The rule uses specific language that is important for planning your hours.

5.1 Total supervised experience hours

§27‑8‑6.2 states: (law.cornell.edu)

• With a master’s degree:
  • You must complete a minimum of 3,000 hours of supervised marriage and family therapy experience after earning the degree.
• With a doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy:
  • You must complete a minimum of 1,500 hours of supervised marriage and family therapy experience after earning the doctorate.

The Board may not credit more than 1,500 hours of experience in any 12‑month period, and the minimum time frames are: (law.cornell.edu)

• Master’s‑level experience: “obtained in not less than two years.”
• Doctoral‑level experience: “obtained in not less than one year.”

5.2 How many hours must be direct client contact?

The rule then distinguishes direct therapy hours from the remainder of supervised experience. Under §27‑8‑6.2.d: (law.cornell.edu)

• At least 50% of the supervised marriage and family therapy experience must be in the “direct provision of therapy to individuals, couples, or families.”

That means, in practice:

• Master’s route (3,000 total supervised MFT hours):
  • At least 1,500 hours must be direct client therapy.
• Doctoral route (1,500 total supervised MFT hours):
  • At least 750 hours must be direct client therapy.

The Board further specifies that applicants are expected to apply systemic theories with all clients and “make every effort to work with as many couples and families as possible.” At least 50% of the direct therapy hours must be with couples and families present. (law.cornell.edu)

Functionally, that breaks down as:

• Master’s‑level applicant (3,000 total hours):
  • 1,500 hours minimum direct therapy to individuals, couples, or families.
  • At least 750 of those direct hours involving couples and families present.
• Doctoral‑level applicant (1,500 total hours):
  • 750 hours minimum direct therapy.
  • At least 375 of those with couples and families present.

The remaining hours (up to 50%) may include other professional activities in an MFT role (documentation, case consultation, indirect services) so long as they are within supervised MFT practice accepted by the Board.

5.3 How much of your practicum can count toward the 3,000 hours?

§27‑8‑6.2.a allows some education‑based practicum/internship hours to count toward the supervised experience:

• The Board may grant up to 600 hours of credit toward the 3,000‑hour requirement for work completed in your master’s practicum and internship.
• The credentialing committee decides how many hours are accepted; no practicum credit is applied toward the 1,500‑hour doctoral requirement. (law.cornell.edu)

5.4 Supervision requirements and supervisor qualifications

West Virginia’s rule is very specific about supervision:

• You remain under professional supervision until licensed and “may not be called a licensed marriage and family therapist” or represented as one until you are duly licensed. (law.cornell.edu)
• Supervision ratio: A minimum of one hour of direct individual supervision for every 20 hours of practice is required, unless the supervisor requires more. (law.cornell.edu)
• If the supervisor is not a full‑time employee in your agency, supervision must occur at least twice per calendar month, while still meeting the 1:20 ratio; the supervisor must be “reasonably available” by telephone. A supervisor may supervise no more than four individual applicants. (law.cornell.edu)
• Supervision may be conducted in person or via secured, encrypted telecommunication. (law.cornell.edu)

Supervisor qualifications (§27‑8‑6.2.g–h): (law.cornell.edu)

• The supervisor must be pre‑approved by the Board.
• Must be:
  • A licensed marriage and family therapist or licensed professional counselor,
  • Licensed for at least two years, and
  • With five years of therapy/counseling experience.
• Must document:
  • Current license status.
  • Completion of Board‑approved training in therapy/counseling supervision, either:
    • A one‑semester graduate course in MFT clinical supervision, or
    • A 30‑hour continuing‑education course in clinical supervision.
• Alternatively, any licensed mental health professional who is designated as an AAMFT Approved Supervisor before providing supervision may serve, in lieu of the above criteria.

All supervised experience must be documented on Board‑provided verification forms. (law.cornell.edu)

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6. From provisional license to full LMFT

Once you have:

1. Completed the education and practicum requirements;
2. Passed the Board‑approved MFT exam within the five‑year validity period;
3. Held a provisional license during all supervised post‑graduate practice; and
4. Completed and documented the required supervised marriage and family therapy experience (with the correct breakdown of total hours, direct therapy hours, and couple/family hours, within the required time frames and supervision ratios),

you may be approved for issuance of a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) license under §27‑8‑8. (law.cornell.edu)

Only at that point may you lawfully use the title “Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist” in West Virginia.

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7. Renewal and continuing education (briefly)

LMFT renewal and continuing education are governed by Series 27‑10 (Marriage and Family Therapist License Renewal and Continuing Professional Education Requirements) and Board policy. The Board and AAMFT summarize the current standard as: (law.cornell.edu)

• Licenses must be renewed on the Board’s schedule.
• 35 hours of approved continuing education every two years are required to maintain the license, with content relevant to MFT practice and in accordance with Board rules and the AAMFT Code of Ethics.

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Practical hour summary at a glance

Putting the Board’s rules into the kind of breakdown you asked for:

Educational practicum (pre‑degree, required for eligibility)

• 300 hours minimum direct client contact in a 12‑month supervised clinical practicum.
• At least 150 hours of that direct contact must be with couples and families present. (law.cornell.edu)

Post‑graduate supervised experience (provisional LMFT stage)

If you hold a qualifying master’s degree:

• 3,000 hours total supervised marriage and family therapy experience after the degree, over at least 2 years, with no more than 1,500 hours credited in any 12‑month period.
• At least 1,500 of those hours must be direct provision of therapy to individuals, couples, or families.
• At least 750 of those direct hours must be with couples and families present.
• Supervision: Minimum 1 hour of individual supervision per 20 hours of practice, at least twice monthly if supervisor is off‑site.
• Credit for practicum: Up to 600 hours of your graduate practicum/internship may be credited toward the 3,000 hours, at the Board’s discretion. (law.cornell.edu)

If you hold a qualifying doctoral degree in MFT:

• 1,500 hours total supervised marriage and family therapy experience after the doctorate, over at least 1 year, with the same cap of 1,500 hours per 12‑month period.
• At least 750 hours must be direct therapy,
• At least 375 of those direct hours must be with couples and families present.
• Same supervision ratio and supervisor qualifications as for master’s‑level applicants. (law.cornell.edu)

All these requirements must be met under the oversight of the West Virginia Board of Examiners in Counseling before you can receive full LMFT licensure.