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 is also a member of the Counseling Compact, which allows compact-eligible LPCs to practice across member states. This is worth knowing if you or your supervisees plan to practice in multiple states after licensure.

LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor

Virginia's LPC requires post-graduate supervised residency in professional counseling. The state uses the term "residency" for the supervised experience period.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Direct client contact: Typically 2,000 hours of direct client contact during residency (confirm current requirements with your licensing board)
• Supervision hours: Typically 200 hours of face-to-face supervision (confirm current requirements with your licensing board)
• Individual supervision: At least 100 hours must be individual supervision
• Duration: Minimum 21 months of residency
• Part-time: Part-time practice is allowed. The 21-month minimum still applies regardless of hours per week.

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an active Virginia LPC license (or equivalent out-of-state license with board approval)
• Must be a board-approved supervisor
• Completion of supervision training as specified by the Board of Counseling
• Must enter into a supervisory contract with the resident

LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Virginia's LCSW requires post-master's supervised clinical social work experience under a board-approved supervisor.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: Typically 3,000 hours of post-master's supervised clinical social work experience (confirm current requirements with your licensing board)
• Supervision hours: Typically 100 hours of face-to-face supervision (confirm current requirements with your licensing board)
• Duration: Minimum 2 years
• Clinical focus: Experience must include clinical social work activities: psychosocial assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and direct clinical intervention

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an active Virginia LCSW license
• Board-approved supervisor status
• Supervision training as specified by the Board of Social Work
• Must maintain oversight and availability for the supervisee 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.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Direct client contact: Typically 2,000 hours of direct client contact (confirm current requirements with your licensing board)
• Relational hours: At least 1,000 of those hours must involve couples, families, or relational therapy
• Supervision hours: Typically 200 hours of face-to-face supervision (confirm current requirements with your licensing board)
• Individual supervision: At least 100 hours must be individual
• Duration: Minimum 21 months of residency

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an active Virginia LMFT license (or equivalent with board approval)
• Board-approved supervisor status
• AAMFT Approved Supervisor designation is commonly accepted
• Must enter into a supervisory contract with the resident

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 registers with the board before beginning.

Counseling Compact

Virginia is a member of the Counseling Compact, an interstate agreement that allows eligible LPCs to practice in other compact member states without obtaining a separate license. This doesn't affect supervision requirements, but it's good to know. Supervisees nearing the end of their residency should be aware that compact eligibility may open up practice opportunities in other states.

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

• Supervisory contract must be in place before the residency or supervised experience begins
• Resident must register with the appropriate board before starting
• Supervision logs documenting each supervision meeting (date, duration, format, topics)
• Hour tracking with breakdowns by direct client contact vs. other professional activities
• Supervisor verification and attestation at completion
• Retain all records for the duration specified by the board (typically at least 5 years)

Virtual Supervision in Virginia

Virginia permits virtual supervision conducted via real-time videoconferencing. The Board of Counseling has acknowledged that face-to-face supervision may include technology-assisted methods as long as both parties can see and hear each other in real time. Asynchronous communication (email, text) does not count as face-to-face supervision. 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 license in the jurisdiction where supervision occurs
• Clinical experience: A minimum of 2 years of post-licensure clinical experience, per 18VAC115-20-52(C)
• Supervision training: Must complete either 3 graduate credit hours in supervision or 20 continuing education hours in supervision
• No separate designation: Virginia does not issue a separate supervisor credential for LPCs. Any LPC meeting the experience and training requirements may supervise residents
• Supervisee limits: Maximum 6 residents in group supervision. 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 preceding registration as a supervisor
• Board registration required: Must register with the Board of Social Work as a supervisor ($50 fee). This is a formal registration, unlike LPC and LMFT which require no separate designation
• 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
• No separate designation: Virginia does not require a separate supervisor credential for LMFTs
• 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

• Residency system: Virginia uses a "Resident" designation for pre-licensed professionals (e.g., "Resident in Counseling"). The residency period requires a minimum of 21 months (LPC/LMFT) or 2 years (LCSW) of supervised clinical work
• 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: Generally, the supervisor must hold the same license type the supervisee is pursuing, but at least partial same-discipline supervision is required (100 of 200 hours for LPC/LMFT)

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: hours tracked by category, signatures captured digitally, and the full history exportable when it's time to submit to DHP. No more scrambling through spreadsheets or paper logs at the end of a residency.