What Counts as Non-Direct (Non-Clinical) Hours
The BBS divides your supervised experience into two buckets: direct client contact and everything else. That "everything else" is what most associates call non-direct hours — the BBS's own term is non-clinical experience. It covers the real work of being a clinician that happens away from the therapy room. Per the BBS, non-clinical experience includes:
- ✓Writing progress notes, process notes, and other clinical documentation
- ✓Writing clinical reports
- ✓Administering, scoring, and evaluating psychological tests
- ✓Client-centered advocacy
- ✓Attending workshops, seminars, conferences, and trainings
- ✓Direct supervisor contact (your individual, triadic, and group supervision)
The simplest test: if you are not face-to-face with a client, the hour is almost certainly non-direct. Supervision is the one that surprises people most — your supervision hours are non-clinical, not direct.
What Does Not Count as Non-Direct Hours
Non-clinical does not mean "anything you do at work." The BBS recognizes specific categories of non-clinical experience (above). Activities outside those categories — and outside your supervised, registered experience — generally do not count toward your hours at all.
- ✗General administrative or clerical work unrelated to client care
- ✗Your own personal therapy
- ✗Commuting and travel time
- ✗Any hours earned while your registration was lapsed or before you were eligible to count hours
When in doubt, ask your supervisor and check the BBS FAQ. The exclusions above reflect common-sense limits, but the authoritative list of what qualifies is on the BBS website. If an activity is not clearly clinical or one of the recognized non-clinical categories, do not assume it counts.
How Many Non-Direct Hours You Can Count
Non-clinical hours are capped. They count toward your 3,000 total, but only up to a ceiling — and your direct client hours have to make up the rest. The cap depends on your license.
LMFT & LPCC: 1,250 cap
Non-clinical experience is capped at 1,250 of the 3,000 total hours. That leaves a minimum of 1,750 direct client contact hours.
LCSW: 1,000 cap
Non-clinical experience is capped at 1,000 of the 3,000 total hours. That leaves at least 2,000 direct clinical hours, which must include 750 hours of face-to-face psychotherapy.
Hours above the cap simply do not count. If an LMFT associate logs 1,400 non-clinical hours, only 1,250 of them count toward the 3,000 — and the remaining 1,750 must still come from direct client contact. This is why front-loading paperwork, testing, and workshops early can backfire: you can hit the non-clinical ceiling long before you reach your direct-hour minimum.
Supervision lives inside the cap. Because direct supervisor contact is counted as non-clinical, every hour of supervision you log eats into the same 1,250 (or 1,000) ceiling as your notes, testing, and workshops. Plan accordingly.
How Non-Direct Hours Fit the BBS A/B/C Structure
On the BBS weekly log, your hours are organized into columns. Direct client contact goes in the direct column; non-direct hours are the non-clinical ("B") portion; and the weekly total adds the two together. Your supervision is recorded as sub-items within the non-clinical column.
| Column | What It Covers | Min / Max |
|---|---|---|
| A | Direct client contact (face-to-face counseling and psychotherapy) | Min 1,750 hrs (LMFT/LPCC) |
| B | Non-clinical / non-direct (notes, reports, testing, advocacy, workshops, supervision) | Max 1,250 hrs (LMFT/LPCC) |
| B1 | Individual or triadic supervision (subset of B) | - |
| B2 | Group supervision (subset of B) | - |
| C | Weekly total = A + B | Max 40 / week |
For the full walkthrough of how the columns combine — and the most common double-counting mistake — see our guide on how to track LMFT supervised hours.
Non-direct = Column B. Everything that isn't face-to-face client contact lands in the non-clinical column, including your supervision. Column C is always A + B; never add the B1/B2 supervision sub-rows on top of B.
Non-Clinical Caps by License Type
The definition of non-clinical experience is consistent across the three BBS clinical licenses, but the cap and the corresponding direct-hour minimum differ.
| License (Associate) | Non-Clinical Cap | Direct Minimum | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| LMFT (AMFT) | 1,250 hrs | 1,750 hrs | 3,000 hrs |
| LPCC (APCC) | 1,250 hrs | 1,750 hrs | 3,000 hrs |
| LCSW (ASW) | 1,000 hrs | 2,000 hrs* | 3,000 hrs |
*LCSW direct clinical minimum of 2,000 hours must include at least 750 hours of face-to-face individual or group psychotherapy.
For the full requirement breakdowns, see our LPCC hour tracking guide and LCSW hour tracking guide.
Non-Direct vs Direct Hours: The Key Difference
Direct hours are face-to-face client contact — the actual therapy, counseling, and treatment you provide. Non-direct hours are the supervised work that supports that care but doesn't involve sitting with a client.
Direct (face-to-face)
- - Individual counseling and psychotherapy
- - Group counseling and psychotherapy
- - Couples and family sessions
- - Treatment with children
Non-direct (non-clinical)
- - Progress notes and clinical reports
- - Psychological testing
- - Client-centered advocacy
- - Workshops, seminars, trainings
- - Supervision contact
Because the direct minimum is a floor and the non-direct total is a ceiling, the two categories pull in opposite directions. Track them separately from day one — the BBS does not allow retroactive reclassification. For the supervision rules specifically, see our BBS supervision requirements guide.
See How Your Non-Direct Hours Add Up
Not sure whether you're on track within the non-clinical cap? Use our free California hours calculator to model your direct and non-direct totals against the BBS requirements.
Calculate your BBS hours
Free, no signup. Or start tracking automatically — HourJourney enforces the non-clinical cap, the 40-hour weekly cap, and every BBS rule for you.
FAQ: Non-Direct (Non-Clinical) Hours
What are non-direct hours under the California BBS?+
Non-direct hours — the BBS calls them non-clinical experience — are supervised activities that are NOT face-to-face client contact. They include writing progress notes and clinical reports, administering and scoring psychological tests, client-centered advocacy, attending workshops, seminars, conferences, and trainings, and direct supervisor contact itself.
Does supervision count as non-direct hours?+
Yes. Direct supervisor contact (your individual, triadic, and group supervision) is counted within the non-clinical category, not as direct client contact. It therefore counts against your non-clinical cap — 1,250 hours for LMFT and LPCC, or 1,000 hours for LCSW.
How many non-direct hours can I count toward licensure?+
For LMFT and LPCC, non-clinical experience is capped at 1,250 of the 3,000 total hours. For LCSW, it is capped at 1,000 of the 3,000. Hours above the cap do not count, so your direct client hours must make up the balance: at least 1,750 direct for LMFT/LPCC, and at least 2,000 direct (including 750 psychotherapy) for LCSW.
Do writing progress notes and clinical reports count as non-direct hours?+
Yes. Writing progress and process notes and preparing clinical reports are listed by the BBS as non-clinical experience. They count toward your hours but fall under the non-clinical cap, not toward your direct client contact requirement.
Do workshops and trainings count as non-direct hours?+
Yes. Attending workshops, seminars, conferences, and trainings is a recognized non-clinical activity under the BBS. Like all non-clinical experience, these hours count toward the non-clinical cap (1,250 for LMFT/LPCC, 1,000 for LCSW), not toward direct client contact.
What does not count as non-direct hours?+
Activities outside your supervised experience generally do not count — for example commuting, your own personal therapy, and general administrative work unrelated to client care. Only the non-clinical categories the BBS recognizes (notes and reports, psychological testing, client-centered advocacy, workshops and trainings, and supervisor contact) count, and only while you are properly registered and supervised. When in doubt, verify on bbs.ca.gov.
Related guides
How to Track LMFT Supervised Hours in California
The A/B/C category system, weekly caps, and multi-site logging.
California LMFT Hours Requirements: The Complete 2026 Guide
Every hour minimum, maximum, and deadline in plain English.
How to Track LPCC Hours in California
APCC hour tracking, the 1,250 non-clinical cap, and Form 37A-638.
How to Track LCSW Hours in California
ASW hours, the 1,000 non-clinical cap, and the 750 psychotherapy subset.
BBS Supervision Requirements in California
Supervision ratios, weeks, and how supervision counts as non-clinical.
California LMFT Hours Calculator
Model your direct and non-direct totals against BBS requirements.
Requirements reflect BBS guidance current as of 2025-2026. Always verify at bbs.ca.gov. This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice.