Three Licenses, Two Boards
This guide covers three clinical licenses from two boards. The Nevada Board of Examiners for Marriage and Family Therapists and Clinical Professional Counselors (the MFT/CPC Board) licenses the Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) and the Clinical Professional Counselor (CPC) under NRS 641A and NAC 641A. The Nevada Board of Examiners for Social Workers (the social work board, or BESW) licenses the Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) under NRS 641B and NAC 641B.
The MFT and CPC tracks begin with an intern license: marriage and family therapist intern or clinical professional counselor intern (NRS 641A.287; 641A.288). Social work begins differently. You hold a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) license, enter a post-graduate clinical internship the social work board has approved, and use the title "intern" while you do (NAC 641B.240(2)). Each board writes its own rules, so this guide keeps them apart.
MFT, CPC and LCSW Side by Side
Every cell below traces to a statute, a rule subsection or a named board document.
| Dimension | MFT | CPC | LCSW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | MFT/CPC Board (NRS 641A; NAC 641A). | MFT/CPC Board (NRS 641A; NAC 641A). | Social work board, BESW (NRS 641B; NAC 641B). |
| Degree | Graduate degree in marriage and family therapy, psychology or social work from an accredited institution approved by the Board, or equivalent education and training (NRS 641A.287(2)). | Graduate degree in counseling which required a practicum or internship (NRS 641A.288(2)(c)). | Master's or doctoral degree in social work from a CSWE accredited (or candidate) school (NRS 641B.240(1)); a current Nevada LMSW and a passing ASWB Masters score (BESW Policy, June 2026). |
| Pre-license stage and term | Marriage and family therapist intern license, valid 3 years, renewable not more than once (NRS 641A.2872(2); NAC 641A.146(4)). | Clinical professional counselor intern license, valid 3 years, renewable not more than once (NRS 641A.2882; NAC 641A.146(4)). | Board-approved internship, "a non-renewable certification and is not a license" (BESW Infosheet); completed not earlier than 2 years or later than 3 years after approval (NAC 641B.150(1)(b)). |
| Total hours | At least 3,000 hours of supervised experience (NRS 641A.220(4)). | At least 3,000 hours of supervised experience (NRS 641A.231(4)(b)). | Not less than 3,000 hours of supervised, postgraduate, clinical social work (NAC 641B.150(1)). |
| Direct or clinical minimum | At least 1,500 hours of direct contact with clients (NAC 641A.146(5)(a)). | At least 1,500 hours of direct contact with clients (NAC 641A.146(5)(a)). | At least 2,000 psychotherapeutic hours (NAC 641B.150(4), as amended). Board finish line: 2,000 clinical, 1,000 administrative, 104 supervision (BESW Policy). |
| Supervision | At least 300 supervised hours: 160 with the primary supervisor (at least 1 hour per week) and 40 with the secondary (NAC 641A.146(5)(b); 641A.178(1)). | Same as MFT (NAC 641A.146(5)(b); 641A.178(1)). | Individual meeting at least 1 hour every week unless the Board directs otherwise, in person or, when supervising remotely, by technology (NAC 641B.160(3)(a), (4)); 104 hours (BESW Policy); group not more than 24 hours (NAC 641B.160(5)). |
| Minimum duration | At least 2 years of postgraduate experience (NRS 641A.220(4)(a)). | At least 2 years of postgraduate experience (NRS 641A.231(4)(a)). | Not earlier than 2 years after approval (NAC 641B.150(1)(b)); the Board's finish line is at least 24 months and not more than 36 months (BESW Termination Form). |
| National exam | Written exam; the Board accepts the AMFTRB national exam in lieu of it (NRS 641A.230(1), (2)). | NCMHCE (NRS 641A.231(4)(c)). | ASWB Clinical (NAC 641B.105(2)(c)), after the Masters exam. |
| Progress reports | On or before March 15 and September 15 each year (NAC 641A.146(2); 641A.178(5)). | On or before March 15 and September 15 each year (NAC 641A.146(2); 641A.178(5)). | Every 6 months and a final report (NAC 641B.160(3)(c)), due the 15th per the Reporting Months Table. |
The MFT Path: Degree to Marriage and Family Therapist
Finish the degree and line up two supervisors
The intern applicant must be at least 21, of good moral character, hold the degree in the table above and have entered into a supervision agreement with an approved supervisor (NRS 641A.287(2)). Before beginning an internship, each intern must have at least two supervisors approved by the Board, a primary and a secondary (NAC 641A.178(1)). The application includes a proposed internship plan and the supervision agreement naming the proposed supervisors (NAC 641A.156(1)(b)). See Nevada MFT intern requirements.
Hold the intern license before the hours start
An intern must obtain the license "before beginning the supervised experience" (NRS 641A.287(1)). It is valid for 3 years and may be renewed not more than once (NRS 641A.2872(2)); the Board will grant one 3-year renewal (NAC 641A.146(4)). The Board's internship application page gives $150 for the application and $60 for issuance (NAC 641A.105).
Build the hours in three buckets
NAC 641A.146(5) sets at least 1,500 hours of direct contact with clients, at least 300 supervised hours (at least 160 with the primary supervisor, at least 40 with the secondary), and at least 1,200 hours of related work in addition to those. Related work may consist of not more than 500 graduate-program client contact, 600 leading group psychotherapy or process groups, 200 teaching, 150 personal therapy from a licensed professional who is not your approved supervisor, and 200 approved training. As arithmetic, not a stated total: 1,500 + 300 + 1,200 = 3,000.
Meet supervision and reporting
The primary supervisor meets with the intern for at least 160 hours, including at least 1 hour per week, and documents any variation (NAC 641A.178(1)). Reports are due on or before March 15 and September 15 each year, and failure to file can cost the license (NAC 641A.146(2), (3)). See Nevada MFT and CPC intern supervision and the Nevada six-month internship report.
Pass the national exam
The Board accepts a passing grade on the national examination sponsored by AMFTRB in lieu of its own written exam (NRS 641A.230(1), (2)). The Board's internship exam page says interns are eligible after their intern license has been issued and before the end of their internship (Board internship exam page).
Apply for the full license
The same application filed for the intern license is used for the MFT license (NAC 641A.065(6)). The full license requires at least 3,000 hours of supervised experience including 1,500 direct contact hours, plus at least 2 years of postgraduate experience (NRS 641A.220(4)).
The intern shall not engage in the practice of marriage and family therapy independently (NRS 641A.2874(2)). Interns also give each client the supervisor's name (NRS 641A.2876).
The CPC Path: Degree to Clinical Professional Counselor
Nevada's counselor license is the Clinical Professional Counselor, abbreviated CPC. The protected-title list in NRS 641A.430 includes "clinical professional counselor, clinical professional counselor intern." Related reading: CPC vs LPC in Nevada.
Finish a counseling degree and line up two supervisors
The degree must be in counseling and must have required a practicum or internship (NRS 641A.288(2)(c)). The supervisor rule is the same as for MFT: at least two Board-approved supervisors before the internship begins (NAC 641A.178(1)). See Nevada CPC intern requirements.
Hold the clinical professional counselor intern license
The license is required before supervised experience starts (NRS 641A.288(1)). Its term and one-time renewal match the MFT intern license (NRS 641A.2882; NAC 641A.146(4)).
Build the same three buckets
NAC 641A.146(5) applies the same 1,500 direct contact, 300 supervised and 1,200 related-work hours. The statute separately lists at least 100 hours of counseling under the direct supervision of an approved supervisor, with at least 1 hour per week for each work setting (NRS 641A.231(4)(b)(2)). Track the NAC figures as an intern, since they are the larger minimums.
Meet supervision and reporting
The reporting dates and the primary and secondary supervisor minimums are the same as for MFT: March 15 and September 15, with 160 and 40 hours (NAC 641A.146(2); 641A.178(1), (5)).
Pass the NCMHCE and apply
The exam is the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NRS 641A.231(4)(c)), taken after the intern license is issued and before the internship ends (Board internship exam page). The full license requires at least 3,000 hours, 1,500 of them direct contact, and at least 2 years of postgraduate experience (NRS 641A.231(4)).
The LCSW Path: LMSW to Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Earn the MSW, the LMSW and the Masters exam score
Intern means a current Nevada LMSW who has passed the ASWB Masters exam (BESW Clinical Internship Program Policy, June 2026). The degree rule is in NRS 641B.240(1).
Get the internship approved first
The program must be approved before you begin it (NAC 641B.150(1)(a)). The application has two parts: you complete Part 1 and your clinical supervisor completes Part 2, the supervision contract, and the application is not complete until both are approved (BESW Policy). The Board will not approve a site that solely provides virtual treatment (BESW Policy). See Nevada LCSW internship.
Complete the hours in the Board's categories
NAC 641B.150(1) requires 3,000 hours, at least 2,000 of them psychotherapeutic, (NAC 641B.150(4), as amended by R103-23). Unless the Board approves otherwise, psychotherapeutic hours are accepted toward the 2,000 at an average of up to 32 hours per week and not more than 416 hours in each quarter. The Board lists the finish line as 2,000 clinical hours, 1,000 administrative hours and 104 supervision hours, over at least 24 months and not more than 36 months, and the total workweek, including supervision, is capped at 40 hours (BESW Policy; Termination Form; Infosheet).
Meet weekly supervision and file reports
Except as subsection 4 allows for remote supervision, the supervisor meets with the intern individually in person at least 1 hour every week (NAC 641B.160(3)(a)); a supervisor using technology to supervise remotely must hold weekly meetings in person or by that technology (NAC 641B.160(4), as amended by R103-23). Progress reports are due every 6 months plus a final report, on the 15th per the Reporting Months Table (NAC 641B.160(3)(c)). The intern uploads them in the Board's portal (BESW Infosheet).
Request exam approval and pass the Clinical exam
The exam approval request opens at 1,000 clinical, 500 administrative and 50 supervision hours, and approval is good for nine months (BESW Policy; Infosheet). The Policy says the intern must pass before completing both the hours and the 24-month minimum. The exam is the ASWB Clinical exam (NAC 641B.105(2)(c)).
The full requirements are in Nevada LCSW requirements. You remain under supervision until the LCSW is issued (BESW Infosheet).
How to Choose Between the Tracks
The rules differ in ways you can check before you enrol or apply. Use these differences, not job titles, to decide.
- Degree. MFT takes a degree in marriage and family therapy, psychology or social work; CPC takes a counseling degree with a practicum or internship; LCSW takes a master's or doctoral degree in social work (NRS 641A.287(2); 641A.288(2)(c); 641B.240(1)).
- Time frame. The MFT and CPC intern license runs 3 years with one 3-year renewal (NRS 641A.2872(2)). The LCSW internship runs 2 to 3 years from approval, with a good-cause extension (NAC 641B.150(1)(b)).
- Supervisor structure. MFT and CPC need a primary and at least one secondary supervisor (NAC 641A.178(1)). The LCSW internship names one clinical supervisor in the contract, with at least 1,000 hours supervised by an LCSW (BESW Policy; NAC 641B.150(5), as amended).
- Setting. MFT and CPC interns may practice privately only at facilities with a listed licensed professional available to consult, unless the Board allows an exception in extenuating circumstances (NAC 641A.196(1), (4)). For social work, practice not under an approved agency's supervision does not qualify (NAC 641B.150(7)(e), as amended). A social work intern may not hold an internship in another jurisdiction or practice outside Nevada (NAC 641B.150(2), as amended).
- Exams. MFT and CPC each take one national exam. Social work takes the ASWB Masters exam before the internship and the Clinical exam during it, passed before both the hours and the 24-month minimum are complete (BESW Clinical Internship Program Policy, June 2026; NAC 641B.105(2)(c)).
Endorsement and Renewal
A licensed MFT or CPC from another jurisdiction applies by endorsement if they hold a corresponding valid and unrestricted license in the District of Columbia or any state or territory (NRS 641A.242(1)). See Nevada license by endorsement.
Full MFT and CPC licenses expire January 1 of each even-numbered year and need 40 continuing education hours per licensing period, prorated for the first period (NRS 641A.235(2); NAC 641A.131(1), (2)). Social work licenses renew annually (NRS 641B.280). See Nevada license renewal and CE requirements.
Common Mistakes Across the Three Nevada Tracks
Carrying one board's rule onto the other
The March 15 and September 15 reports, the primary and secondary supervisors and the 3-year intern license belong to the MFT/CPC Board (NAC 641A.146; 641A.178). The weekly individual-supervision hour, the 40-hour week and the 24-hour group cap belong to the social work board (NAC 641B.160; BESW Infosheet). The MFT/CPC Board requires the primary supervisor to meet at least 1 hour per week (NAC 641A.178(1)) but publishes no individual/group split or group cap.
Treating the social work internship as a license
The internship certification is "not a license" and is linked to your LMSW, which "must always remain 'current'" (BESW Infosheet). The Infosheet also says hours worked while the LMSW is delinquent cannot be counted.
Adding the three LCSW categories into one new total
The Infosheet says "it is not 3000 hours in total, it is 2000 / 1000 / 104 hours" and that the Board will not move hours from one category to another. NAC 641B.150(1) states the 3,000 figure.
Starting MFT or CPC hours before the intern license
The license is required "before beginning the supervised experience" (NRS 641A.287(1); 641A.288(1)). The Board may approve credit for experience gained before you applied for the intern license, not more than 750 hours of direct contact and 150 supervised hours, if requested with the application (NAC 641A.146(6), (8)).
Misreading who cannot supervise you
For MFT and CPC, a supervisor must "Have never professionally provided mental health therapy to the intern" (NAC 641A.182(3)(d)). For social work, a supervisor shall not reside with, be intimate with or be related to the intern, have had the intern as a client, or have had the intern as a supervisor (NAC 641B.155(3)).
Merging the two social work time frames
The 2-to-3-year window runs from Board approval of the program (NAC 641B.150(1)(b)). The 24-to-36 months is the Board's practice-months wording on the Termination Form.
Track Your Hours From Day One
- ✓Log hours by week
- ✓Running totals kept per supervisor
- ✓Running totals by category
- ✓An export history
Built for pre-licensed clinicians.
Related Nevada Licensure Guides
Nevada MFT Intern Requirements
The MFT-Intern track under NRS 641A and NAC 641A.
Nevada CPC Intern Requirements
The CPC-Intern track under NRS 641A and NAC 641A.
Nevada LCSW Requirements
The LMSW internship to LCSW track under NRS 641B and NAC 641B.
Nevada MFT and CPC Intern Supervision
Supervisor eligibility and supervision minimums under NAC 641A.
Nevada LCSW Internship
The social work board's post-graduate clinical internship.
Nevada License by Endorsement
Applying with a license from another jurisdiction.
Nevada License Renewal and CE Requirements
Renewal cycles and continuing education for the Nevada boards.
All Nevada Guides
Every Nevada licensure guide in one place.
FAQ: How to Become a Therapist in Nevada
What does therapist mean as a Nevada license?▾
Nevada has no single 'therapist' license. This guide covers three clinical licenses from two boards: Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) and Clinical Professional Counselor (CPC), both issued by the Nevada Board of Examiners for Marriage and Family Therapists and Clinical Professional Counselors under NRS 641A, and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), issued by the Nevada Board of Examiners for Social Workers under NRS 641B (NRS 641A.220; NRS 641A.231; NRS 641B.240).
How do I become a counselor in Nevada?▾
Nevada's counselor license is the Clinical Professional Counselor (CPC). You need a graduate degree in counseling that required a practicum or internship, then a clinical professional counselor intern license before supervised experience starts (NRS 641A.288(1), (2)(c)). The full license requires at least 3,000 hours of supervised experience including 1,500 hours of direct contact with clients, at least 2 years of postgraduate experience, and a pass on the NCMHCE (NRS 641A.231(4)).
How do I become a social worker therapist in Nevada?▾
The clinical route is the LCSW. You hold a current Nevada LMSW license and a passing ASWB Masters score, get a post-graduate clinical internship approved before you start, complete 3,000 hours of supervised postgraduate clinical social work, and pass the ASWB Clinical exam (NAC 641B.150(1); NAC 641B.105(2)(c); BESW Clinical Internship Program Policy, June 2026). The internship certification is not a license (BESW Post-Graduate Internship Infosheet).
How many supervised hours do the MFT and CPC licenses need?▾
Both need at least 3,000 hours of supervised experience, of which at least 1,500 are direct contact with clients, plus at least 2 years of postgraduate experience (NRS 641A.220(4); NRS 641A.231(4)). NAC 641A.146(5) builds this from 1,500 direct contact hours, at least 300 supervised hours (at least 160 with the primary supervisor and 40 with the secondary), and at least 1,200 related-work hours. The 3,000 sum is arithmetic, not a stated total.
How long does each Nevada track take?▾
The minimum for MFT and CPC is 2 years of postgraduate experience (NRS 641A.220(4)(a); NRS 641A.231(4)(a)), and the intern license is valid for 3 years and renewable not more than once (NRS 641A.2872(2); NAC 641A.146(4)). The LCSW internship must be completed not earlier than 2 years or later than 3 years after the Board approves the program, with a good-cause extension (NAC 641B.150(1)(b)).
Can a Nevada MFT-Intern or CPC-Intern practice independently?▾
No. An MFT intern and a CPC intern each "Shall not engage in the practice" of their profession "independently" (NRS 641A.2874(2); NRS 641A.2884(2)). Interns also tell each client they hold an intern license, that they practice under supervision, and the supervisor's name (NRS 641A.2876; NRS 641A.2886).
Which national exams do the three Nevada tracks use?▾
MFT requires a passing written exam, and the Board accepts a passing grade on the national examination sponsored by the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards in lieu of it (NRS 641A.230(1), (2)). CPC uses the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination from the National Board for Certified Counselors (NRS 641A.231(4)(c)). Social work uses the ASWB Masters exam before the internship and the ASWB Clinical exam during it, passed before both the hours and the 24-month minimum are complete (BESW Clinical Internship Program Policy, June 2026; NAC 641B.105(2)(c)).
Requirements verified against NRS 641A and NAC 641A, NRS 641B and NAC 641B read with LCB regulation R103-23, and the Nevada Board of Examiners for Social Workers Clinical Internship Program Policy (amended June 2026), as published October 2026. Statutes, rules and fees can change. Confirm current requirements with the Nevada MFT/CPC Board or the Nevada Board of Examiners for Social Workers before making decisions about your licensure path. This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice.