Clinical Supervision Requirements in Georgia

Licensing Board Overview

Georgia licenses counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists through the Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists. The board operates under the Georgia Secretary of State's office, and applications are filed online through the GOALS portal.

Georgia uses a tiered licensing system. Counselors start as an APC (Associate Professional Counselor) before qualifying for LPC. Social workers move from LMSW to LCSW. Marriage and family therapists move from AMFT to LMFT. Each transition requires a defined period of supervised experience. For counseling, Georgia also requires a supervisor credential that goes beyond simply holding the relevant license.

LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor

Georgia's LPC is the independent counseling license. You start as an APC (Associate Professional Counselor) and work under supervision.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: Since 2022, the statute requires 2 years of post-degree experience under direction and supervision. Board rule defines one year of directed experience as at least 1,000 hours acquired in no less than 12 months. Confirm the total with the board
• Supervision hours: At least 35 hours of supervision in each 12-month period of directed experience (Rule 135-5-.02). The rule in force sets no individual-only requirement
• Timeline: All experience and supervision must be completed within the 60 months (5 years) before your application
• Steady accrual: Board Policy VII expects hours to be obtained every month and spread evenly across each month
• Direct service: The rule in force sets no minimum share of direct client contact
• APC license: The APC license allows practice only under direction and supervision, for at most 5 years

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an active Georgia LPC license (or other qualifying license such as LCSW, LMFT, psychologist, or psychiatrist per Rule 135-5-.02). The rule says a minimum of two years of the supervision must come from an LPC, so confirm with the board how much supervision other license types can provide
• For supervision entered into after September 30, 2018, an LPC supervisor must hold the NBCC ACS (Approved Clinical Supervisor) credential or the CPCS (Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor) credential. The board may approve a substantially similar supervisor
• What matters is when the supervision relationship began, not when the supervisor was approved

LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Georgia's LCSW requires post-master's supervised clinical experience. Social workers usually practice as an LMSW while working toward LCSW.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 3,000 hours of post-master's clinical social work experience (Rule 135-5-.04)
• Supervision hours: 120 hours of supervision
• Individual supervision: No more than 50% of supervision may be group, so at least 50% must be individual (one supervisor with one or two supervisees)
• LCSW supervisor share: At least 50% of the supervision must be provided by a licensed clinical social worker
• Timeline: Must be completed within a 3-to-9-year window (36 to 108 months)
• Clinical focus: Experience must involve clinical social work practice under supervision

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an active Georgia LCSW license (or other qualifying license such as LPC, LMFT, psychologist, or psychiatrist per Rule 135-5-.04)
• A minimum of 2 years and 2,000 clock hours of practice post-licensure

LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Georgia's LMFT requires post-master's supervised experience in marriage and family therapy. You start as an AMFT.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: On the AMFT path, at least 1,500 hours of direct clinical experience (reduced from 2,000 by HB 76, effective July 1, 2023). The non-AMFT master's path requires 1,800 hours. Board rule 135-5-.06 still prints the older figures
• What counts: Direct clinical experience includes client contact as therapist or co-therapist, supervision, case staffing, and case consultation (Rule 135-5-.06)
• Supervision hours: 100 hours on the AMFT path, with at least 50 hours individual and no more than 50 hours group. The non-AMFT master's path requires 200 hours
• Client mix: The board's experience verification form asks for typical weekly hours with individuals and with couples or families
• Timeline: At least 2 years and no more than 5 years. The AMFT license itself is valid for at most 5 years

Supervisor Qualifications

• An LMFT, LPC, LCSW, psychiatrist, or psychologist licensed and in good standing for at least 3 years
• Or an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, a Georgia Board Approved MFT Supervisor, or a person in supervision-of-supervision toward either designation
• No supervision CE requirement applies, except the telemental-health CE described below

Georgia-Specific Details

Tiered Licensing System

Counselors and marriage and family therapists need an associate-level license before they can begin accruing supervised experience toward the independent license. You have to apply for and receive your APC or AMFT first, and the board must approve your supervision contract. For AMFT, hours obtained without board approval do not count. For social work, the LMSW's first two years of practice must be under direction and supervision, but the rules do not name the LMSW license as a condition for LCSW hours. Plan for processing time when setting your supervision timeline.

Supervisor Credential Requirements for Counseling

Georgia added a significant requirement in 2018 for counseling supervisors. For supervision entered into after September 30, 2018, LPC supervisors must hold the NBCC ACS or CPCS credential. This goes beyond what most states require. If you're a supervisee looking for a supervisor, make sure your prospective supervisor holds the appropriate credential. If you're a supervisor, check with the board on current credentialing pathways.

60-Month Window for LPC

Georgia requires that all supervised experience for LPC be completed within 60 months of your application date. If your experience is older than that, it may not qualify. This is important for people who took breaks or worked part-time.

Directors and Supervisors Are Different Roles

Georgia separates direction from supervision. Your work hours are verified by a Director, the employer or administrative superior at each agency, who does not have to be a clinician. Each clinical supervisor verifies only the supervision they provided. More than one supervisor is allowed for APC and AMFT, with a separate contract affidavit for each site and supervisor.

Interstate Compacts

Georgia is a member of the Counseling Compact and began issuing privileges to practice on June 2, 2026. Georgia is also a member of the Social Work Licensure Compact (SB 195, effective July 1, 2024). There is no MFT compact.

Documentation Requirements

• APC and AMFT: a notarized Contract Affidavit, registered with and approved by the board, for each directed experience site and supervisor. To change or add a supervisor, submit a new contract within 14 days (APC) or 30 days (AMFT). There is no equivalent contract for LCSW
• Both supervisor and supervisee must keep a contemporaneous record of the date, duration, type (individual, paired, or group), and a brief summary of each supervision meeting, to be submitted to the board on request
• Hour tracking with breakdowns by direct service vs. other clinical activities
• At application, each supervisor completes a supervision verification form, and the Director at each agency completes a verification of work hours. The LPC and MFT verification forms are notarized
• All experience must be completed within the board's specified time window
• Retain all documentation until licensure is confirmed and beyond (the board may request your records)

Virtual Supervision in Georgia

Georgia allows virtual supervision. Under Rule 135-11-.01, TeleMental Health supervision may be delivered by technology-assisted media, including telephone, video, and internet. The supervisor must have 9 hours of continuing education, 3 of them on supervising telemental health, and must tell the supervisee that telemental health will be used and obtain their verbal and written consent. The older MFT forms still describe supervision as "face to face," so MFT supervisees should confirm with the board.

Key Georgia Board Contact Information

• Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists: sos.ga.gov
• Administrative Rules: rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/135

How to Become a Clinical Supervisor in Georgia

Georgia's Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists oversees supervision requirements for all three disciplines. Requirements are defined in the Board's administrative rules (Chapter 135). Always verify current standards with the board.

Becoming an LPC Supervisor in Georgia

• Licensure: Must hold an active Georgia LPC license in good standing (not an APC). LCSWs, LMFTs, psychologists, and psychiatrists may also supervise APCs, though the rule expects at least two years of supervision from an LPC
• Clinical experience: Post-licensure experience varies by degree level: 3 years for a master's degree, 2 years for a specialist degree, or 1 year for a doctoral degree, per Rule 135-5-.02(a)(5)
• Supervisor credential required: For supervision entered into after September 30, 2018, an LPC supervisor must hold the NBCC Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) credential or the Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor (CPCS) credential
• Meeting size: Individual supervision means one supervisor with up to 2 supervisees, and group supervision means up to 6. These define meeting types, not a limit on how many supervisees you can take on

Becoming an LCSW Supervisor in Georgia

• Licensure: Must hold an active Georgia LCSW license in good standing (or LPC, LMFT, licensed psychologist, or psychiatrist). At least half of the supervisee's supervision must come from an LCSW
• Clinical experience: A minimum of 2 years and 2,000 clock hours of practice post-licensure, per Rule 135-5-.04(5)(e)
• Supervision training: No specific supervisor training hours are mandated beyond licensure and clinical practice experience
• No formal supervisor designation: Georgia does not require a separate supervisor credential for LCSW supervision
• Meeting size: Individual supervision means up to 2 supervisees and group supervision up to 6. No caseload cap was found

Becoming an LMFT Supervisor in Georgia

• Licensure: On the AMFT path, any LMFT, LPC, LCSW, psychiatrist, or psychologist licensed and in good standing for at least 3 years may supervise. So may an AAMFT Approved Supervisor or a Georgia Board Approved MFT Supervisor
• Optional designation: The Board Approved Marriage and Family Therapy Supervisor designation requires 3 years of full-time post-licensure MFT practice, 180 hours of providing MFT supervision to at least 2 supervisees over 2 to 5 years, and 36 hours of supervision-of-supervision (at least 24 hours individual) from an AAMFT Approved Supervisor or Georgia Board Approved MFT Supervisor, per Rule 135-5-.06(1)(c)
• When the designation is needed: Only on the non-AMFT master's path, where 100 of the 200 supervision hours must come from an AAMFT or Georgia Board Approved supervisor
• Meeting size: Individual supervision means up to 2 supervisees and group supervision up to 6. No caseload cap was found

Georgia-Specific Considerations

• Associate-level registration: Georgia uses an associate system (APC, AMFT). APC and AMFT supervisees must hold an active associate license and a board-approved contract before accruing supervised hours
• Meeting types: All disciplines use the same definitions: individual supervision has up to 2 supervisees, and group supervision up to 6
• Cross-discipline: LCSW and LMFT supervision allow other qualifying license types (LPC, LCSW, LMFT, psychologist, psychiatrist). LPC supervision also allows them, but the rule expects at least two years of supervision from an LPC. Confirm current rules with the Composite Board
• Continuing education: All license types require 35 hours of CE per 2-year renewal cycle, including 5 hours of ethics (must be live/synchronous), per Rule 135-9-.01

How Guidara Helps Georgia Supervisors

Georgia's tiered system and strict time windows mean supervisors and supervisees need to stay on top of their documentation from day one. Guidara keeps hour logs by category with running totals, signed supervision notes for each supervision meeting, and timesheets for each supervisor, so nothing falls through the cracks over a multi-year supervisory relationship. It exports PDF records a supervisor can use when completing the board's verification forms, which still need the notarized signatures Georgia asks for.