West-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 8 of the West Virginia Code of State Rules (27CSR8). The current Marriage and Family Therapist Licensing Rule (27CSR8) took effect April 14, 2026. (apps.sos.wv.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.

---

1. Licensure structure in West Virginia

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

1. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist-Associate (LMFTA): obtained after meeting education and exam requirements; required before counting any supervised post‑graduate hours. Until April 2026 this credential was called the provisional license (Provisionally Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist). (apps.sos.wv.gov)
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)

---

2. Educational requirements (graduate degree + practicum)

2.1 Degree and accreditation

Under §27‑8‑6, the Board requires: (apps.sos.wv.gov)

• 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, with at least one three‑hour graduate course in each of eight MFT areas (including marriage and family studies, systems theory, research, ethics, human development, assessment/diagnosis/treatment, and practicum). (apps.sos.wv.gov)

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. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

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." (apps.sos.wv.gov)

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 5).

---

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." (apps.sos.wv.gov)

Under §27‑8‑4, the required exam is the Examination in Marital and Family Therapy offered by the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB), or an exam approved by the Board. A passing score is valid for five years from the date of the exam. You may make three attempts within a twelve‑month period without extra Board permission; after three failures you must reapply. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

You may file a licensure application before passing the exam; you then take the exam once the Board determines you are eligible. You must pass it before the associate license is issued. (apps.sos.wv.gov) While you test, statute allows a one‑time temporary permit valid for up to six months (not renewable, $50 fee); hours supervised by an approved supervisor under the permit count toward licensure. (code.wvlegislature.gov)

---

4. Application to the Board and associate 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: (apps.sos.wv.gov)

• A completed application (dated within 6 months).
• Non‑refundable application fee, payable to the WV Board of Examiners in Counseling (WVBEC).
• Official graduate transcripts sent directly from the institution or a clearinghouse.
• 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 §27‑8‑6.2.1.f requirements.
• Verification‑of‑supervision forms documenting supervised therapy experience (quarterly reports, the supervisor's midpoint and final verification and assessment form, or SVA).

Supervision documentation three years old or older is not counted, and only up to 500 supervision hours from another state may be considered, with proof provided at the time of application. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

4.2 Associate license is required before counting hours

Under §27‑8‑7: (apps.sos.wv.gov)

• "An applicant shall obtain a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist‑Associate license before the applicant begins the supervisory experience. Hours obtained by an unlicensed person in any setting shall not count toward the supervised experience requirements."
• The Board issues the associate 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 AAMFT Code of Ethics and Board rules.

Supervision while holding the associate license must be continuous; interruptions over six weeks must be reported in writing within 30 days. Changes in supervisor or job must be approved in advance, or hours during the gap will not count. Associates may not own, operate, or work as an independent contractor (1099) of a private practice; they may practice only as part of their supervised licensure requirement. An associate license is valid for 36 months, renewable once for an additional 24 months by written request and a fee equal to the initial application fee. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

---

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: (apps.sos.wv.gov)

• 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 (unlike the LPC rule, the 2026 LMFT rule keeps this cap), and the minimum time frames are: (apps.sos.wv.gov)

• Master's‑level experience: "obtained in no less than two (2) years."
• Doctoral‑level experience: "obtained in no less than one (1) 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 §27‑8‑6.2.1.c: (apps.sos.wv.gov)

• At least 50% of the supervised marriage and family therapy experience must be in the "direct provision of therapy to individuals, couples, and/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. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

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 rule's wording ties the couples/families share to "the 1500 hours" of direct therapy, so doctoral applicants should confirm their exact couples/families target with the Board.

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?

§27‑8‑6.2.1 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. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

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 licensed. (apps.sos.wv.gov)
• Supervision ratio: A minimum of one hour of direct individual supervision for every 20 hours of practice is required, unless the supervisor requires more. (apps.sos.wv.gov)
• If the supervisor is not a full‑time employee of your practice or agency, supervision must occur at least twice in each calendar month, while still meeting the 1:20 ratio; the supervisor must be "reasonably available" for consultation. A supervisor may supervise no more than four individual applicants, or up to eight in total with prior Board approval. (apps.sos.wv.gov)
• Supervision may be conducted in person or via secured, encrypted telecommunication. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

Supervisor qualifications (§27‑8‑6.2.1.f–g): (apps.sos.wv.gov)

• 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.
  • Completion of the Board's jurisprudence exam (new in the 2026 rule).
  • A statement of their therapy philosophy, supervision experience and therapy experience, a stable employment history, and the skills to address the core areas of practice and the AAMFT Code of Ethics.
• Alternatively, any licensed mental health professional who is designated as an AAMFT Approved Supervisor before providing supervision may serve, in lieu of the training requirement above.

All supervised experience must be documented on Board‑provided verification forms, and your supervisor (ALPS) must endorse your completion; if they do not, more supervision may be required. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

---

6. From associate 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 an associate license (LMFTA) 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. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

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

---

7. Renewal and continuing education (briefly)

LMFT renewal and continuing education are governed by W. Va. Code §30‑31‑10 and the Board's marriage and family therapist renewal and continuing education rule (Title 27, Series 10). The current standard is: (code.wvlegislature.gov)

• 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.

---

Practical hour summary at a glance

Putting the Board's rules into a quick breakdown:

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. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

Post‑graduate supervised experience (LMFTA 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 direct individual supervision per 20 hours of practice, at least twice monthly if the supervisor is not a full‑time employee of your practice or agency.
• 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. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

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. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

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.