Hello everyone,
I recently contacted the TN LPC board and learned that during the October 2025 meeting, a “hold” was placed on applications to become an LPC-MHSP supervisor. When I asked how individuals who meet the qualifications can move forward, I was advised that when a supervisee applies for full licensure, the supervisor should submit proof of their license (verifying at least five years of licensure) along with documentation of completed supervision training. If all criteria are met, approval would be granted at that time.
I have concerns about this process. It creates a significant risk, if someone has been providing supervision under the assumption they meet criteria, but later it is determined they do not, the supervisee’s 3,000 hours could be invalidated.
I also asked when the board anticipates lifting the hold, and was told there is currently no timeline, and it is unclear if it will be lifted at all. This is concerning, as it may delay or limit qualified professionals from becoming approved supervisors, with no formal process in place to verify eligibility in advance.
Thoughts?
Agreed, this is very odd. I had a similar experience. I competed the supervisor training and reached out to the board. Same response… this is definitely a disservice for anyone that is looking for supervision in the state of Tennessee. I currently reside in Virginia and their board has better processes for listing qualified supervisors which in turn makes it easier for supervises to locate a qualified supervisor.
I received a similar email last year and have had the opportunity and request to supervise, but something in me just does not trust this process. I will copy the email I received with all of the info. And for the record, the is was from Phyllis Gilmore,.
Hello,
Your application was received and filed in your account.
During the October 4th. 2024 Board meeting, it was announced that the Board’s Administrative Office shall no longer process applications to grant the “Approved Supervisor” designation to licensees. Please note, the Approved Supervisor designation is not a requirement to qualify as an approved supervisor.
Before providing supervision, the following must be true:
Supervisors must have been licensed at least five (5) years as a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor with Mental Health Service Provider designation, Licensed Marital and Family Therapist, Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapist, Licensed Psychologist with Health Service Provider designation, Licensed Senior Psychological Examiner, Licensed Psychiatrist, or Licensed Clinical Social Worker (Rule 0450-01.10(1)(a)). These five (5) years do not include any year(s) in which you may have held a Temporary/Provisional license with your Board.
Supervisors for applicants pursuing designation as Mental Health Service Provider shall be currently Licensed Professional Counselors with Mental Health Service Provider designation or equivalent, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Licensed Psychiatrists, Licensed Senior Psychological Examiners, or Licensed Psychologists with Health Service Provider designation, who have been licensed at least five (5) years and who are in good standing with their respective licensing boards and professional associations. A Licensed Professional Counselor without Mental Health Service Provider designation shall not supervise an applicant working toward the Mental Health Service Provider designation (Rule 0450-01.10(1)(b)). These five (5) years do not include any year(s) in which you may have held a Temporary/Provisional license with your Board.
Every two (2) years, you must complete three (3) clock hours of continuing education related to counseling supervision or related supervision topics.
You understand and will adhere to all requirements of providing supervision outlined in the Boards policies, rules and regulations: https://www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/health-professional-boards/pcmft-board/pcmft-board/statutes-and-rules.html
You must provide documentation (to your supervisee) of one or more of the following having been successfully completed prior to supervision being provided:
An approved supervisor certificate from AAMFT, AAPC, NBCC, or any organization designated by the Board to provide supervisor qualification verification; OR
A transcript showing a passing grade in an academic course specific to supervision of counselors completed at an accredited college or university; OR
Submission of twelve (12) hours of continuing education proof related to counseling supervision and other related supervision topics. Contact hours must be provided by an approved professional association or approved by a counseling related credentialing organization (e.g. NBCC).
The Board will work towards creating rules which will explain the process on adding the approved supervisor designation and we will not resume offering this designation until rules on the process are in effect. Any licensee who currently holds the Approved Supervisor designation will continue to have that designation on their license.
As a Licensed Professional Counselor and CCE- approved Clinical Supervisor, I personally think we should adopt the CCE standards. I believe that our role extends far beyond simply signing off on hours; we are the primary architects of the next generation of mental health professionals. Adopting the ACS as the state standard isn’t just about adding initials to a signature—it’s about a fundamental commitment to the safety and growth of our field.
Here is a summary reflecting that perspective:
Why I Believe the ACS Should Be Our Standard
• Clinical Integrity is Not Accidental: I believe that being a great therapist does not automatically make one a great supervisor. The ACS ensures we are trained in the specific “art of teaching,” moving us from peer consultation to intentional, theory-based mentorship.
• A Duty to the Public: As gatekeepers, our primary responsibility is to the clients our supervisees will treat. By holding ourselves to a national standard of ethical oversight, we provide a level of protection that basic state requirements alone cannot match.
• Professionalizing the Role: I view supervision as a specialized branch of our profession. The ACS credential honors that specialization, providing us with standardized evaluation tools and contracts that turn a subjective process into an objective, professional journey.
• Strengthening the Tennessee Workforce: Especially in our rural communities, clinicians often face high-acuity cases with fewer resources. I believe that by raising the bar for supervisors, we directly improve the quality of care for every patient those clinicians see, ensuring our workforce is not just licensed, but truly prepared.
I want to respond to Ashley McGowan’s post concerning the approval process for receiving the approved supervisor designation from the Tennessee licensing board. It is true that at the present moment the board is not able to designate approved supervisors. They are aware of the problem and are working on rectifying the issue through a revision of the rules. Once the revised rules go into effect, the board will again be designating approved supervisors. Unless the wording is changed in the rule revision process, the statement in the revised rules will read: “Qualified supervisors must be designated by the Board as an approved supervisor, and their license must reflect this designation.”
At present, individuals who meet the qualifications for being approved supervisors, can serve in this capacity. However, when the revised rules go into effect, all approved supervisors will need to be so designated.
Once the Board is again designating qualified LPC-MHSPs as approved supervisors, there will be a $50.00 fee as part of the application process. This $50.00 fee is a one-time fee.
This is my understanding of where things stand on this issue. I appreciate Ashley’s concern that there needs to be a formal process in place to verify eligibility of those serving as approved supervisors. At some point, there will be a public hearing on the revised rules. All of us that are concerned about this issue need to speak up and ascertain that the revised rules give the board the permission to once again designate approved supervisors.
As someone three hours away from filing for being an LPC supervisor, I kind of appreciate the idea behind this, though maybe not the bureaucratic chaos in its execution.
In being an administrative supervisor of a clinic whose staff have outside supervision, I’ve heard third-hand experiences from supervisees. And while there is in fact a shortage of supervisors, I’ve heard horror stories of supervisors not being credentialed or licensed to provide formal supervision in spite of what they advertise.
Our board is slow. Out of the three boards I’ve worked with, and other boards friends of mine have applied to, ours is by far the slowest and the most disorganized. I could venture lots of guesses as to why this might be the case. Nevertheless, requirements to have existing and new supervisors be vetted according to national standards? Here for it. Slowness of licensure process for everyone? Not here for it.
Agreed. I had a few supervisees who lost hours because they found out that their supervisor did not meet the requirements or complete the 12 CEU hours. I make it a habit to advise all my supervisees and any that reaches out about supervision to ensure they get the documentation that their supervisor has been licensed at least 5 years consecutively without disciplinary action AND have completed the 12 hours of supervision CEUs and to get these documents upfront before proceeding. I make sure my supervisees get all that when they sign on with me, but thankfully I had applied before the hold so my documents say I’m an approved supervisor.