Clinical Supervision Requirements in Virginia

Licensing Board Overview

Virginia licenses mental health professionals through two separate boards under the Department of Health Professions (DHP). The Board of Counseling handles LPC and LMFT licensing. The Board of Social Work handles LCSW licensing. Both boards have their own regulations, though the overall framework is similar.

Virginia has enacted the Counseling Compact and the Social Work Licensure Compact, but neither is operational for Virginia yet. Compact privileges are not available today, so plan on a separate license for each state where you practice.

LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor

Virginia's LPC requires a post-graduate supervised residency in professional counseling. The resident holds a temporary "Resident in Counseling" license, and hours only count while that license is active. The residency rules changed on December 18, 2025 (see below).

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Direct client contact: 2,000 hours of face-to-face client contact providing clinical counseling services (18VAC115-20-52)
• Supervision hours: 200 hours of in-person supervision
• Individual supervision: At least 100 hours must be individual. Group supervision can make up no more than half
• Supervision ratio: At least 1 and no more than 4 hours of supervision per 40 hours of work experience (direct plus indirect)
• Recency: At least 1,000 face-to-face hours and 100 supervision hours must fall within the 2 years before you apply
• Duration: Minimum 21 months of residency. There is no longer a maximum
• Part-time: Part-time practice is allowed. The 21-month minimum still applies regardless of hours per week.

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an active, unrestricted LPC or LMFT license in the jurisdiction where supervision is provided. At least 100 of the 200 hours must come from an LPC
• LCSWs and clinical psychologists cannot supervise counseling residents
• Completion of supervision training as specified by the Board of Counseling
• Must have a signed supervisory contract with the resident for each supervisor and worksite

LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Virginia's LCSW requires post-master's supervised experience under a board-approved Registration of Supervision. During that period the candidate is a "Supervisee in Social Work," not a resident. Experience without prior written board approval is not accepted.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 3,000 hours of post-master's experience in clinical and ancillary services (18VAC140-20-50)
• Direct client contact: At least 1,380 of those hours must be face-to-face client contact
• Supervision hours: 100 hours of face-to-face supervision, with no more than 50 in group
• Supervision ratio: 1 to 4 hours of supervision per 40 hours of work experience
• Duration: Minimum 2 years and maximum 4 consecutive years. A 12-month extension can be requested
• Ancillary services: Currently case management, recordkeeping, referral and coordination. The definition changes on December 2, 2026

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an active, unrestricted LCSW license in the jurisdiction where services are rendered
• The Board approves the supervisee's Registration of Supervision, which names the supervisor
• Supervision training as specified by the Board of Social Work
• Must be available on a regular schedule and document the supervisee's competencies throughout the experience period

LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Virginia's LMFT is overseen by the Board of Counseling and requires a supervised residency in marriage and family therapy. The resident holds a temporary "Resident in Marriage and Family Therapy" license.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Direct client contact: 2,000 hours of face-to-face client contact in clinical marriage and family services (18VAC115-50-60)
• Couples and families: At least 1,000 of those hours must be face-to-face client contact with couples or families or both
• Supervision hours: 200 hours of supervision, at 1 to 4 hours per 40 hours of supervised work experience
• Individual supervision: At least 100 hours must be individual
• Recency: At least 1,000 face-to-face hours (500 of them with couples or families) and 100 supervision hours within the 2 years before you apply
• Duration: Minimum 21 months of residency

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an active, unrestricted LMFT or LPC license. At least 100 of the 200 hours must come from an LMFT
• Supervision training: graduate credits in supervision or 20 CE hours (AAMFT Approved Supervisor status is not a Virginia requirement)
• Must not have a relationship with the resident that compromises objectivity
• Must have a signed supervisory contract with the resident for each supervisor and worksite

Virginia-Specific Details

Residency Model

Virginia uses the term "residency" for the supervised experience period for LPC and LMFT. This is not a medical residency. It refers to the post-graduate supervised practice period that must be completed before the board will grant an independent license. The resident must hold a temporary resident license before counting any hours. Use the full title "Resident in Counseling" or "Resident in Marriage and Family Therapy"; the Board warns that designations like "LPC-R" may violate state law.

December 2025 Residency Changes

On December 18, 2025, the Board of Counseling removed the 3,400-hour total, the 4-year maximum, ancillary-hour tracking, internship carry-over, and the 6-year exam limit. It added the 2-year recency rule described above. Residents approved before that date may meet either all of the old rules or all of the new ones, whichever is less burdensome. Mixing the two is not allowed.

Pending Changes

• Social Work, effective December 2, 2026: a final rule redefines "ancillary services" and requires supervisors to clarify the billing fee for supervision
• Social Work, proposed: LCSW candidates would hold an LMSW license during supervision, the 4-year maximum would go, and new recency rules and semi-annual evaluations would be added
• Counseling, proposed: LPC supervisors would have to deliver final reports and evaluations to the resident within 30 days of the end of supervision

Interstate Compacts

Virginia enacted the Counseling Compact in 2023 (effective January 1, 2024) and the Social Work Licensure Compact in 2024. The Board of Counseling says the Counseling Compact is not yet operational for Virginia, and the Social Work compact is not yet issuing multistate licenses. Neither compact changes supervision requirements. Check each board's compact page before relying on either one.

Two Separate Boards

Counselors and MFTs fall under the Board of Counseling. Social workers fall under the Board of Social Work. Both boards are part of DHP, but they have different regulations, forms, and application processes. If you supervise across disciplines, you'll need to be familiar with both sets of rules.

Documentation Requirements

• Before hours count: Counseling and MFT residents need an active resident license and a signed contract for each supervisor and worksite. Social Work candidates need a board-approved Registration of Supervision
• Quarterly Evaluations (Counseling and MFT): Each supervisor completes one every 3 months until licensure, signed by resident and supervisor. Copies of all of them go in with the exam application
• Verification forms: Each supervisor completes a separate Verification of Supervision (Counseling) or Verification of Clinical Supervision (Social Work). Both require a notarized supervisor signature
• Supervision Summary Form (Counseling and MFT): Lists each supervisor's hours and any hours duplicated under another supervisor
• Termination of Supervision: Both boards have a form to send when a supervision relationship ends
• Logs: Counseling rules require supervision to be regular and documented but set no log format. The Social Work handbook says supervisee and supervisor must keep supervision logs, and the board offers a weekly log template
• Retention: Social Work supervisors keep documentation of which clients were the subject of supervision for 5 years after supervision ends. Counseling residents keep their evaluation and verification forms until licensed

Virtual Supervision in Virginia

The two boards treat virtual supervision differently. The Board of Counseling allows supervision through secured technology that provides real-time, visual contact, so video counts and audio-only does not. The Board of Social Work has counted real-time telephone or audio-only supervision as face-to-face since March 18, 2021. Neither board counts email or text, since supervision must be real-time. Document the modality used for each supervision meeting in your log.

Key Virginia Board Contact Information

• Virginia Board of Counseling (LPC, LMFT): dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Counseling
• Virginia Board of Social Work (LCSW): dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/SocialWork

How to Become a Clinical Supervisor in Virginia

Virginia regulates mental health licensure through two boards under the Department of Health Professions (DHP): the Board of Counseling (LPC and LMFT) and the Board of Social Work (LCSW). Supervisor requirements differ by discipline. Always verify current standards with the relevant board.

Becoming an LPC Supervisor in Virginia

• Licensure: Must hold an active, unrestricted LPC or LMFT license in the jurisdiction where supervision is provided
• Clinical experience: A minimum of 2 years of post-licensure clinical experience, per 18VAC115-20-52(C)
• Supervision training: Must complete either 3 semester (or 4.0 quarter) graduate credit hours in supervision or 20 continuing education hours in supervision
• Approved Supervisor Registry: Virginia issues no separate supervisor title for LPCs. The Board keeps an Approved Supervisor Registry that supervisors join through the Board-Approved Supervisor Application. If a supervisor is not listed, the resident submits the supervisor's training certificate with the resident license application
• Supervisee limits: Group supervision is limited to six persons. No more than half of the 200 required supervision hours may be group
• Same-discipline requirement: At least 100 of the 200 required supervision hours must be provided by a licensed professional counselor

Becoming an LCSW Supervisor in Virginia

• Licensure: Must hold an active, unrestricted LCSW license in the jurisdiction where clinical services are rendered
• Clinical experience: A minimum of 2 years of post-licensure clinical social work experience, per 18VAC140-20-50(B)
• Supervision training (initial): Must complete either 3 graduate credit hours in supervision or 14 continuing education hours in supervision
• Ongoing training: Must complete 7 CE hours in supervision within the 5 years immediately preceding the supervisee's registration of supervision
• Registry is optional: Supervisors are not required to register with the Board, though it is recommended. A registry supervisor can be added without prior Board approval. A supervisor who is not on the registry needs Board approval of the supervisee's registration ($50) or add/change request ($25) before hours count. Those fees are paid by the supervisee
• No supervisor title: Social Work has no supervisor designation, and the Board warns that using "LCSW-S" could be a violation
• Supervisee limits: Maximum 6 persons in group supervision (unless the Board approves a higher number in advance). No more than 50 of 100 total supervision hours may be group

Becoming an LMFT Supervisor in Virginia

• Licensure: Must hold an active, unrestricted LMFT or LPC license in the jurisdiction where supervision is provided
• Clinical experience: A minimum of 2 years of post-licensure marriage and family therapy experience, per 18VAC115-50-60(C)
• Supervision training: Must complete either 3 graduate credit hours (or 4.0 quarter hours) of graduate-level coursework in supervision, or 20 CE hours in supervision
• Approved Supervisor Registry: No separate supervisor title is issued. The Board of Counseling's registry and supervisor application cover LMFT supervisors too
• Supervisee limits: Maximum 6 residents in group supervision. No more than 100 of 200 total supervision hours may be group
• Same-discipline requirement: At least 100 of 200 supervision hours must be provided by a licensed marriage and family therapist

Virginia-Specific Considerations

• Supervised-stage titles: LPC and LMFT candidates are residents ("Resident in Counseling" or "Resident in Marriage and Family Therapy") with a minimum residency of 21 months. LCSW candidates are a "Supervisee in Social Work" and complete 2 to 4 years of supervised experience
• Two boards: LPC and LMFT fall under the Board of Counseling, while LCSW falls under the Board of Social Work. Each has slightly different supervisor training requirements (14 CE hours for LCSW vs. 20 for LPC/LMFT)
• Cross-discipline: LPCs and LMFTs may supervise each other's residents, but at least 100 of 200 hours must come from the supervisee's own discipline. LCSWs and psychologists may not supervise counseling residents. LCSW candidates must be supervised by LCSWs
• Multiple supervisors: Counseling residents can have several supervisors at once. Each one needs a contract and completes their own evaluations and verification form for the hours they supervised

How Guidara Helps Virginia Supervisors

Virginia's 21-month minimum residency period means supervisors and supervisees are documenting together for close to two years at a minimum. Guidara keeps that record organized from the first supervision meeting to the last: hour logs by category, signed supervision notes, and timesheets. When it's time for quarterly evaluations or the final verification, you can export PDF records to work from while completing the board's forms. The forms themselves, and the notary, stay with you and the board.