Counseling Degrees & Licenses in Massachusetts
Counseling Schools Search
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According to Resources To Recover, Massachusetts is the third most densely populated state in the nation with a population of nearly seven million people. They say that close to 4 percent of the adults in Massachusetts live with serious mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression.
Just over half of the adults with mental illness in Massachusetts receive any form of treatment, even though according to Mental Health America, Massachusetts is ranked second out of the 50 states and Washington DC for providing access to mental health services.
Massachusetts closely regulates the people who receive counseling degrees and licenses. Public mental health services in Massachusetts are administered and provided by the Department of Mental Health. A separate agency, the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, oversees substance use and addiction treatment services in Massachusetts.
In Massachusetts, marriage therapists and mental health counselors must have master’s degrees to practice in the state. For those who have decided that a career in the mental health field is their calling, the first step is to achieve a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college. Massachusetts requires a 60-credit master’s degree from a regionally accredited graduate program in mental health counseling or a related field.
The state also requires that licensees accrue 3,360 hours of supervised post-master’s work in the mental health counseling field and a passing score on the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination followed by applying for the LMHC License through the state of Massachusetts. Note that the state of Massachusetts requirements on counseling degrees and licenses do not accept more than 35 hours per week for 48 weeks a year. Thus, licensees cannot count more than 35 hours per week even if they worked more than one job simultaneously.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides data for long-term career outlooks, and counseling careers are growing faster than most. The base employment for marriage and family therapists was 65,300 in May 2021. Those openings are expected to grow by 9,100 nationally between 2021 and 2031. The BLS also predicts that job openings for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors will grow 22 percent nationally from 2021 to 2031. This rate of growth is considered to be much faster than the average projected growth for all occupations during the same period (5 percent). And within that growth rate is also higher-than-average growth for specialized mental health careers.
For example, the BLS career outlook for rehabilitation counselors, who help people with physical, mental, developmental, or emotional disabilities, is an 11 percent rate of growth (2021-2031). School and career counselor jobs are expected to increase by 10 percent.
Read on to discover the many schools offering programs for accredited counseling degrees and licensure in Massachusetts.
Featured Counseling Programs | ||
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Grand Canyon University | Graduate Certificate - Christian Counseling | Program Website |
Grand Canyon University | MS - Clinical Mental Health Counseling | Program Website |
Grand Canyon University | MS - Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Childhood and Adolescence Disorders | Program Website |
Northwestern University | Online MA - Counseling | Program Website |
Northwestern University | Online MA - Counseling: Child and Adolescent Emphasis | Program Website |
Lamar University | M.Ed. - Clinical Mental Health Counseling | Program Website |
Lamar University | M.Ed. - Counseling & Development - Marriage, Couple & Family Counseling | Program Website |
Lamar University | M.Ed. - Counseling & Development - Professional School Counseling | Program Website |
Southern New Hampshire University | Online BA in Psychology - Addictions | Program Website |
Southern New Hampshire University | Online BA in Psychology - Mental Health | Program Website |
Arizona State University | Addiction and Substance-Use Related Disorders (Graduate Certificate) | Program Website |
Arizona State University | Behavioral Health - Clinical (DBH) | Program Website |
Arizona State University | Counseling and Applied Psychological Science (BS) | Program Website |
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Accredited Counseling Degree Programs in Massachusetts
Assumption University is a small private, Roman Catholic university with an enrollment of about 2,000 students. Assumption offers online and in-person classes for some of its programs.
Their rehabilitation program is both in-person and online, conferring either a master of arts or a certificate of advanced graduate study (CAGS). The school counseling program is available as an online program, conferring the same degree options. The master of arts in clinical counseling psychology is a 60-credit, in-person program.
Notably, Assumption’s clinical counseling psychology program has the only master of arts (MA) offering a fully integrated curriculum based on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in the United States. This on-campus program includes courses such as abnormal psychology; developmental psychology; ethical principles for counselors; cultural competencies in counseling; group approaches to counseling and psychotherapy; and cognitive assessment and psychotherapy.
The 60-credit rehabilitation counseling program includes courses such as introduction to developmental disabilities; substance abuse and addictive disorders in rehabilitation; rehabilitation research and program evaluation; foundations of the rehabilitation counseling profession; introduction to medical rehabilitation; vocational evaluation and career planning; and principles of psychiatric rehabilitation.
Courses in the 60-credit school counseling program include fundamentals of school counseling; cultural responsiveness in counseling; family counseling, collaboration and engagement; vocational, career & college counseling; developmental psychopathology; and behavioral assessment and intervention.
- Location: Worcester, Massachusetts
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE); rehabilitation counseling program (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)); clinical counseling psychology program (Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC))
- Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, full- or part-time, two or three years
- Estimated Tuition: $817 per credit, $2,451 per three-credit course
Boston University – School of Medicine
Graduate Medical Sciences (GMS) is the center of graduate education in biomedical sciences at Boston University School of Medicine. Students benefit from the school’s collaboration with the Boston Medical Center.
The master of arts in mental health counseling and behavioral medicine is a two-year, full-time, in-person program and is the only accredited program housed in a medical school. The program requires a semester-long clinical practicum and a year-long internship that culminates in the graduate being eligible for mental health counseling licensure in Massachusetts and in some other states.
This 60-credit program includes counseling techniques; psychopathology; theory & practice of child & adolescent counseling; neuroscience for mental health professionals; psychopharmacology; psychological trauma across the lifespan; behavioral medicine & applied health psychology; marriage & family counseling; and career & vocational counseling.
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
- Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, two years
- Estimated Tuition: $63,798, approximate tuition per year for a full-time student
Bridgewater State University is a public university and is the largest of nine state universities in Massachusetts. The school offers several counseling degree program options. Students can choose from the following:
- A master of education in counseling with a concentration in mental health counseling
- A master of education, dual license concentration in counseling and mental health counseling
- A master of education in counseling with a concentration in school counseling
- A master of education in counseling with a concentration in student affairs counseling
- A counseling and school counseling post-master’s option
Bridgewater’s graduate programs are designed for working students, with classes and faculty office hours held at night. Students can take up to two classes at Bridgewater before formally applying to the graduate programs.
The CACREp-accredited mental health counseling concentration comprises 60 credits and can be completed in just two years. Courses include counseling theories and techniques; multicultural counseling; introduction to career counseling; marital and family therapy; crisis and trauma counseling; applied counseling: adolescent-adult; substance use and addiction disorders; theories of psychological development; and psychopathology. Students will also be able to pursue elective coursework, fieldwork, and internship experiences at clinical sites throughout southeastern Massachusetts.
- Location: Bridgewater, Massachusetts
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
- Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits or 66 credits for the dual licensure, two years
- Estimated Tuition: $488.50 per credit
Springfield College is a private college in Springfield, Massachusetts. The college calls itself the birthplace of basketball, stating that the sport was invented there in 1891 by a student. Springfield’s Department of Counseling offers master’s degree concentrations in clinical mental health counseling, school counseling, and rehabilitation counseling. Springfield’s rehabilitation counseling program is the only concentration that is CACREP-accredited.
Ranked at #19 among the best rehabilitation counseling programs in the nation by the U.S. News & World Report, the rehabilitation counseling concentration comprises 60 credits. It includes a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship. Courses include foundations of rehabilitation counseling; theories of counseling; medical & psychosocial aspects; case management & rehab planning; psychopathology; vocational rehab & job placement; trauma & crisis; and counseling skill development.
- Location: Springfield, Massachusetts; Boston, Massachusetts
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE); rehabilitation counseling (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP))
- Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, two to three years
- Estimated Tuition: $1,178 per credit
University of Massachusetts Boston
The University of Massachusetts Boston is a public research university in Boston, Massachusetts, and they pride themselves on being the third most diverse university in the United States. Undergraduate students studying human services, psychology, social psychology, sociology, or criminal justice can save time and money by starting work toward a master of science in rehabilitation counseling while still an undergraduate.
The rehabilitation counseling program allows students to choose either the clinical rehabilitation counseling track (prepares graduates to work with people with mental health disabilities, as well as other disabilities) or the vocational rehabilitation counseling track (prepares graduates to work in the federal or state vocational rehabilitation system and in community rehabilitation programs). Courses in this program are primarily online, except for the one-week intensive program on the UMass Boston campus.
The curriculum of the rehabilitation counseling program includes courses such as foundations of rehabilitation; medical, psychological, & educational aspects of disabilities; case management and planning in rehabilitation; vocational rehabilitation and placement; psychiatric rehabilitation; and motivational interviewing.
The on-campus master of education in mental health counseling program meets the educational requirements for licensure as Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The online mental health counseling program requires the completion of two in-person two-week intensive residency courses completed during the first summer semester.
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE); mental health counseling (Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC); rehabilitation counseling (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP))
- Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, two to three years
- Estimated Tuition: Online courses ($575 per credit); on-campus courses (MA resident: $630.51 per credit; out-of-state: $1,504.39 per credit)
Lesley University is a private university with programs focusing on education, counseling, and the visual arts. Lesley’s counseling program includes clinical mental health counseling; a holistic clinical mental health counseling program that incorporates spiritual interconnectedness; a clinical mental health counseling program with a concentration in school and community counseling; and a clinical mental health counseling program with a concentration in trauma studies. In addition, the school also has a counseling psychology program with a school counseling specialization.
The master of arts program in clinical mental health counseling comprises 60 credits and is offered in Cambridge and off-campus sites in Massachusetts. Students in this program can choose either the one-internship option, where they will engage in 700 hours of supervised internship/field experience in a clinical setting over two semesters or the two-internship option, where they will engage in 1,300 hours of supervised internships/field experiences in clinical or school settings over four semesters.
The curriculum includes courses such as psychopathology; group dynamics for counselors and consultants; developmental psychology across the lifespan; clinical skills and the counseling process; vocational development and career counseling; orientation to professional counseling and psychology; theories of counseling and psychotherapy; and theories of holistic counseling and psychotherapy.
- Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
- Expected Time to Completion: clinical mental health counseling program (60 credits); counseling psychology program (48 credits); two to three years
- Estimated Tuition: clinical mental health counseling program ($78,000); counseling psychology program ($62,400)
William James College, formerly known as Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, is a private college of psychology. The school offers an on-campus and an online master of arts in clinical mental health counseling. They offer an area of emphasis in couples and family therapy for students interested in pursuing licensure as a marriage and family therapist. Other concentration options include forensic and correctional counseling; health and behavioral medicine; and substance use and addictions. The program can be completed full-time in five semesters (two years, including the summer session) or part-time in three years.
Online students attend asynchronous courses lasting seven weeks each. There are two required residencies for the online program. This 60-credit program combines synchronous and asynchronous courses with on-campus residencies and in-person field education over the summer to provide students the flexibility of an online program and the benefits of in-person experiences.
The curriculum includes courses such as theories of counseling and psychotherapy; psychological assessment for counselors; psychopathology; substance use and addiction evaluation and treatment; introduction to family therapy; group counseling and psychotherapy; and career counseling.
- Location: Newton, Massachusetts
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
- Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, two or three years, full-time or part-time
- Estimated Tuition: $1,245 per credit
Westfield State University is a public university founded in 1838 as the first public co-educational college in America to admit any students without barriers to race, gender, or economic class. Among the graduate degrees that Westfield offers are a master of arts in forensic mental health counseling; a master of arts in mental health counseling; a master of arts in school counseling, initial; and a master of arts in school adjustment counseling. Courses are offered during the evenings and/or late afternoon to accommodate working students.
The forensic mental health counseling program is designed to prepare graduates to work with the offender population. The school counseling, initial degree program is formerly known as school guidance counseling. While that program is a more traditional overall school counseling program, the school adjustment counseling prepares students to work more specifically within the fields of individual and small group counseling such as lunch groups or social skills groups; mediation and conflict resolution for students, parents, and school staff; bullying prevention, crisis intervention, and transitional services.
Completing the master of arts degree in mental health counseling is the starting step toward fulfillment of a mental health counselor license (LMHC) in Massachusetts. This program consists of 36 credits of core courses, 12 elective credits related to mental health counseling, and 12 internship credits (600 hours).
Classes include theories of counseling; ethics and standards in the mental health profession; evidence-based therapies in mental health counseling; counseling diverse populations; advanced counseling with supervision; principles of family counseling; and crisis intervention in schools and communities.
- Location: Westfield, Massachusetts
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
- Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, three years
- Estimated Tuition: $398 per credit
Regis is a coed, Catholic university in Weston, Massachusetts, 12 miles west of Boston. Its master of arts degree in counseling has concentration options in clinical mental health counseling and addictions counseling. Once students complete Regis’s counseling program, pass the national exam, and complete the required supervised training hours, students are eligible for independent licensure designations of Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) or Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).
Further, the addictions counseling degree option includes the recommended coursework to apply for the Licensed Addiction and Drug Counselor (LADC-I) exam for mental health addiction professionals, once fieldwork requirements are met. Regis College has applied for designation as an Addictions Education Program with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Regis’s master of arts in counseling degree meets the educational requirements to qualify students to sit for the Allied Mental Health Professional licensure exam in Massachusetts and most U.S. states. The programs are offered in flexible hybrid learning formats, as well as hands-on field experiences, for meeting the needs of working professionals and those engaging in graduate education full-time.
The program’s 60-credit curriculum includes courses such as mental health across the lifespan development; psychopathology and diagnostic assessment; treating addictions; expressive therapies and complementary treatments; gender and mental health disparities; forensic counseling; behavioral and process addictions; addictions, advocacy, and social justice; and biology, psychopharmacology, and health care collaboration.
- Location: Weston, Massachusetts
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
- Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, two years
- Estimated Tuition: $905 per credit
University of Massachusetts Online
UMassOnline is the University of Massachusetts’s online education consortium featuring certificates and degree programs from UMass Amherst, UMass Boston, UMass Dartmouth, UMass Lowell, and UMass Medical School. The school’s master of education in counseling meets the academic requirements for certification in the state of Massachusetts as a School Counselor. The University of Massachusetts Global offers an online master of arts program in marriage and family therapy.
Although the programs are online, two weeks of on-campus study are required to complete two clinical courses taught the first summer of the program, generally during the middle of July. The master of science in mental health program meets the academic requirements for mental health counseling licensure. Students can obtain additional licensure as a school adjustment counselor with an additional three credits.
UMass Boston’s Rehabilitation Counseling MS consists of two tracks: clinical rehabilitation counseling and vocational rehabilitation counseling. Both tracks in rehabilitation counseling are fully accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The program is designed for people interested in pursuing an advanced degree, national certification as a rehabilitation counselor, and partial requirements for state licensure as a rehabilitation counselor and/or mental health counselor. Rehabilitation counselors support people with disabilities to lead productive and fulfilling lives, including working at integrated and competitive jobs in their communities.
- Location: Online, with in-person campuses in Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, and Lowell, Massachusetts
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE); rehabilitation counseling program (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP))
- Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, two to three years
- Estimated Tuition: MEd in counseling, MS in mental health, and MS in rehabilitation counseling ($575 per credit); MA in marriage and family therapy ($695 per credit)
How Much Do Counselors Make in Massachusetts?
These numbers represent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from May 2022—the latest figures available as of August 2023.
Marriage and Family Therapist Salaries
United States | Massachusetts | |
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Number employed | 62,080 | 490 |
Average annual salary (mean) | $63,300 | $55,460 |
10th percentile | $36,840 | $38,680 |
25th percentile | $44,730 | $44,740 |
50th percentile (median) | $56,570 | $48,000 |
75th percentile | $75,220 | $64,840 |
90th percentile | $98,700 | $82,470 |
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor Salaries
United States | Massachusetts | |
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Number employed | 344,970 | 17,030 |
Average annual salary (mean) | $56,230 | $59,780 |
10th percentile | $34,580 | $37,490 |
25th percentile | $39,810 | $45,870 |
50th percentile (median) | $49,710 | $52,410 |
75th percentile | $64,400 | $69,580 |
90th percentile | $82,710 | $84,870 |
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor Salaries
United States | Massachusetts | |
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Number employed | 308,000 | 8,790 |
Average annual salary (mean) | $64,200 | $76,860 |
10th percentile | $38,280 | $46,450 |
25th percentile | $47,380 | $59,430 |
50th percentile (median) | $60,140 | $76,500 |
75th percentile | $76,590 | $93,570 |
90th percentile | $98,530 | $104,400 |
Rehabilitation Counselor Salaries
United States | Massachusetts | |
---|---|---|
Number employed | 82,420 | Estimate not released |
Average annual salary (mean) | $46,020 | $54,020 |
10th percentile | $29,120 | $34,120 |
25th percentile | $33,790 | $35,730 |
50th percentile (median) | $39,990 | $47,840 |
75th percentile | $53,470 | $65,690 |
90th percentile | $71,270 | $84,290 |
All Other Counselors
United States | Massachusetts | |
---|---|---|
Number employed | 37,270 | 100 |
Average annual salary (mean) | $49,770 | $60,600 |
10th percentile | $31,930 | $43,430 |
25th percentile | $36,730 | $46,050 |
50th percentile (median) | $43,390 | $59,890 |
75th percentile | $52,770 | $65,250 |
90th percentile | $75,340 | $85,200 |
Counseling Professional Associations & Resources in Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Association for Mental Health
- Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association
- Massachusetts Psychological Association
- Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership
- Massachusetts Affiliate of the National Association for Addiction Professionals
- Counseling Associates of Massachusetts & New Hampshire
- Massachusetts Psychological Association
- New England Association for College Admission Counseling
Mental Health Counseling (LMHC) Licenses in Massachusetts: Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
Licensing Authority | Eligibility & Details | Renewal Requirements |
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Massachusetts Board of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions |
Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) is the primary license issued to counselors in Massachusetts. The requirements are:
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Counseling licenses must be renewed biennially on December 31st of odd-numbered years. Renewals cost $155. Counselors must complete 30 hours of continuing education each renewal cycle. |
School Counseling Licenses in Massachusetts
Licensing Authority | Eligibility & Details | Renewal Requirements |
---|---|---|
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education |
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education issues professional support personnel licenses to school counselors. The requirements for an initial license are:
The requirements for the professional license are:
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Professional school counselor licenses issued in Massachusetts are valid for five years. The cost to renew is $25. School counselors must complete 150 professional development points (with a minimum of 15 in ESL, sheltered English Immersion or bilingual education) and another 15 in special education or diverse learning styles. Initial licenses are also valid for five years but may only be renewed at the discretion of the board. |
Substance Abuse Counseling Licenses in Massachusetts
Licensing Authority | Eligibility & Details | Renewal Requirements |
---|---|---|
Massachusetts Board of Substance Abuse Counselor Certification (MBSACC) | Certified Alcoholism Counselor (CAC), Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor, (CADC), and Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor – Advanced (CADC – II) are the three levels of substance abuse counselor certificates issued by the Massachusetts Board of Substance Abuse Counselor Certification (MBSACC). CAC certification candidates must:
CADC certification candidates must:
CADC- II certification candidates must:
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All substance abuse certificates issued by the MBSACC expire after two years. Renewals cost $100 and counselors must complete 40 hours of continuing education every two years. A minimum of 20 hours must be completed in formal courses, workshops, or classes. |
Rehabilitation Counseling Licenses in Massachusetts
Licensing Authority | Eligibility & Details | Renewal Requirements |
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Massachusetts Board of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions | Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) is the primary license issued to rehabilitation counselors in Massachusetts. The requirements are:
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Counseling licenses must be renewed biennially on December 31st of odd-numbered years. Renewals cost $155. Counselors must complete 30 hours of continuing education each renewal cycle. |
Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Licenses in Massachusetts
Licensing Authority | Eligibility & Details | Renewal Requirements |
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Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professionals |
The Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professionals licenses Assistant Applied Behavior Analysts and Applied Behavior Analysts. To qualify, Assistant Applied Behavior Analyst license applicants must:
The requirements for an Applied Behavior Analyst are:
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Both Assistant Applied Behavior Analyst and Applied Behavior Analyst licenses issued in Massachusetts expire on December 31st of odd-numbered years. The cost to renew is $155. All behavior analysts are required to complete 30 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle. |
Marriage and Family Therapy Licenses in Massachusetts
Licensing Authority | Eligibility & Details | Renewal Requirements |
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Massachusetts Board of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions |
The Massachusetts Board of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions credentials Marriage and Family Therapists. Candidates must:
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Marriage and family therapy licenses issued in Massachusetts must be renewed by December 31st of odd-numbered years. Renewals cost $155. Counselors must complete 30 hours of continuing education each renewal cycle. |
Child (Pediatric) Behavioral Therapy Licenses in Massachusetts
Licensing Authority | Eligibility & Details | Renewal Requirements |
---|---|---|
Massachusetts Board of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions |
Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) is the primary license issued to child therapists in Massachusetts. The requirements are:
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Counseling licenses must be renewed biennially on December 31st of odd-numbered years. Renewals cost $155. Counselors must complete 30 hours of continuing education each renewal cycle. |