How do you become a counseling site supervisor?
The short answer
Under the 2024 CACREP standards, a counseling site supervisor holds at least a master’s degree, preferably in counseling, an active license or certification where the student is placed (LPC, LMHC or your state’s equivalent), at least two years of post-master’s experience in the student’s practice area, and training in counseling supervision. Students complete a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship with real clients, in person or by telehealth where the program accepts it.
- 100practicum hours, at least 40 of them direct service
- 600internship hours, at least 240 of them direct service
- 8 weeksthe shortest practicum term under CACREP 2024
- 2 yearspost-master’s experience a site supervisor needs
What counseling students practice with you
Counseling students in clinical mental health, school, and marriage and family programs build their skills with real clients:
- Intake assessments and treatment planning.
- Individual, group, couples and family counseling.
- Documentation and case conceptualization.
- Crisis assessment and referral.
- Telehealth counseling sessions, where the program accepts them.
Site supervisor qualifications under CACREP 2024
- At least a master’s degree, preferably in counseling or a related profession.
- Active certifications or licenses in the state or region where the student is placed.
- At least two years of post-master’s professional experience in the student’s specialized practice area.
- Relevant training for in-person or distance counseling supervision, and in the technology used for supervision.
- Knowledge of the program’s expectations, requirements and evaluation procedures.
How supervision runs
Students receive individual or triadic supervision averaging one hour a week and group supervision averaging an hour and a half a week, provided by program faculty or, for individual and triadic supervision, by a site supervisor working with the faculty. The practicum runs over a full academic term of at least eight weeks, then the 600-hour internship follows, each counted on its own.
Supervising counseling students with Preceptorate
Supervise in your practice or agency, by telehealth sessions where the program accepts them, or both. You see the hours and the pay before you accept, our team completes the program’s forms and schedules the evaluations, and you are paid per block of hours at the rate you set.
Sources
- CACREP 2024 Standards, Section 4: Professional Practice
- 45 CFR 164.501: definition of health care operations
Checked October 30, 2026. Schools build on these standards with their own guidelines, and our team tells you exactly what your student’s school asks.