MFT Licensure in Texas: What LMFT-Associates Need to Know About Supervision

Texas is one of the most specific states in the country when it comes to supervisor credentialing requirements — and it is the one that most frequently catches pre-licensed MFTs off guard.

If you are a Texas LMFT-Associate, or planning to become one, there is a requirement you need to understand before you start accumulating supervision hours: Texas requires your supervisor to hold a TSBEMFT Approved Supervisor credential, issued by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists. This is a state-specific credential that goes beyond AAMFT Approved Supervisor status — and not every AAMFT Approved Supervisor holds it.

Starting supervision with a supervisor who does not hold the TSBEMFT credential can mean hours that do not count toward your Texas license. That is a problem worth preventing.

Pre-licensed title: LMFT-Associate Total supervised hours required: 3,000 Minimum supervision hours: 200 Licensing board: Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists (TSBEMFT) Board phone: (512) 834-6657 Board email: [email protected]

Texas requires 3,000 total supervised clinical hours, with a minimum of 200 of those hours in direct supervision. The 200-hour supervision minimum is one of the higher requirements among the states I am licensed in — only Illinois matches it.

This is the piece that distinguishes Texas from every other state in my licensed states.

Most states require that your supervisor hold an active license in the state where you are getting licensed, and many prefer or require AAMFT Approved Supervisor status. Texas does both of those things — and adds a third requirement: your supervisor must hold a TSBEMFT Approved Supervisor credential, issued directly by the Texas board.

The TSBEMFT Approved Supervisor credential requires:

• An active Texas LMFT license
• Completion of a TSBEMFT-approved supervisor training program
• Submission of an application and approval by the board

AAMFT Approved Supervisor status does not automatically satisfy this requirement. A supervisor can hold the AAMFT credential without having applied for or received the TSBEMFT credential. Before you begin supervision, verify that your supervisor holds both.

I hold both credentials: AAMFT Approved Supervisor and TSBEMFT Approved Supervisor (effective December 4, 2024). Your hours with me will be fully recognized by the Texas board.

Before you begin accumulating hours with any Texas supervisor, confirm the following:

1. Active Texas LMFT license. Your supervisor must hold a current, active LMFT license issued by TSBEMFT. You can verify license status on the TSBEMFT license verification page.

2. TSBEMFT Approved Supervisor credential. Ask directly. Do not assume that AAMFT Approved Supervisor status is sufficient — it is not in Texas. Ask your prospective supervisor to confirm they hold the TSBEMFT credential and when it was issued.

3. A supervision contract. Texas requires a written supervision contract. Your supervisor should provide one before your first session. It should specify the supervision format, frequency, documentation process, and the supervisor's TSBEMFT credential information.

4. Documentation format. Texas has specific requirements for how supervision hours are logged and attested. Your supervisor should be familiar with the TSBEMFT's documentation requirements and prepared to complete the necessary forms when you apply for full licensure.

Three thousand supervised hours is a significant commitment — typically two to three years of full-time pre-licensed work, or longer if you are working part-time. The 200-hour supervision minimum means you will be meeting with your supervisor regularly throughout that period.

That length of time is worth thinking about when you choose a supervisor. You are not just choosing someone to sign off on your hours. You are choosing someone you will spend years in a professional relationship with — someone whose clinical thinking will shape yours, whose feedback will influence how you develop as a therapist, and whose understanding of your identity and clinical context will either support or constrain your growth.

For queer and trans LMFT-Associates in Texas, that choice is especially consequential. Texas has a large and growing LGBTQ+ community, and the clinical needs of queer and trans clients are complex. You deserve supervision that prepares you for that work — not supervision that asks you to leave your identity at the door.

Telehealth supervision is accepted by TSBEMFT for pre-licensed MFTs. Your supervisor does not need to be physically located in Texas — they need to hold an active Texas LMFT license and the TSBEMFT Approved Supervisor credential.

This matters for queer and trans LMFT-Associates in Texas, where affirming supervision can be geographically scarce. Telehealth removes that barrier without compromising the validity of your hours.

For more on how telehealth supervision works and what to verify before you start, see Telehealth supervision for MFTs: does it count for licensure hours?

I hold an active Texas LMFT license and the TSBEMFT Approved Supervisor credential. I offer individual supervision, group supervision, and direct observation hours entirely via telehealth — meeting TSBEMFT requirements while centering your full identity in the supervisory relationship.

If you are a Texas LMFT-Associate looking for supervision that takes both your licensure requirements and your clinical identity seriously, schedule a free consultation.

For the full breakdown of Texas MFT licensure requirements, see the Texas supervision page.

Mx. Love C. Dialogos is an LMFT, AAMFT Approved Supervisor, and TSBEMFT Approved Supervisor licensed in Texas and nine other states. Verify AAMFT credential.