Couch Commons

Massachusetts license verification

MA license lookup: check a Massachusetts therapist's license

To verify a therapist's license in Massachusetts, use Check a Health License, the Department of Public Health's verification site for licenses issued by its Bureau of Health Professions Licensure (BHPL). The boards for social workers, psychologists, and allied mental health professions are all searchable there, and the Department says it considers the information primary source verification. A matching record supports the license status on the date checked; it does not prove availability, fees, insurance coverage, or fit.

Process reviewed by Matthew Sexton, LCSW ·Open the official Check a Health License

Official MA therapist license lookup: step by step

  1. Open Check a Health License and choose Lookup a License.
  2. Search by licensee name or by license number. The state suggests searching by license number or last name, spelled as it appears on the license.
  3. Narrow by board and license type. Social workers are under the Board of Registration of Social Workers; mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists are under the Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions; psychologists are under the Board of Registration of Psychologists.
  4. Match the license type to the clinician's claim. An LICSW, LCSW, LSW, and LSWA are different social work licenses, and a Licensed Supervised Mental Health Counselor is not a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.
  5. Read the status as shown and record the date of the lookup. If the search is hard to use, the state's help desk is (617) 973-0800.

Official source: Check a Health License, maintained byMassachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Health Professions Licensure.

What to match in the state record

  • Licensee name
  • License number
  • License board
  • License type
  • License status
  • Lookup date

Match the person, profession, and jurisdiction together. A similar name, a practice record, or a credential from another state is not the same evidence.

Several boards, one lookup

The Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions covers behavior analysis, educational psychology, marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, and rehabilitation counseling. Social workers and psychologists have their own boards. All three appear in the same Check a Health License search.

Massachusetts is not listed in the Counseling Compact

As of September 24, 2026, the Counseling Compact's member map does not list Massachusetts. The compact says privileges are live only for licensees in Arizona, Minnesota, and Ohio. A Massachusetts license record does not answer whether a counselor may practise in another state.

How Couch Commons uses the result

Couch Commons records the license number, issuing state, profession, source, status, and date checked, and a public profile shows them as a dated receipt. Joining starts a membership and onboarding; it does not purchase verification or placement in the directory.

If the official source cannot give a clear match, we ask it again every day. Until it matches the official record, the clinician does not receive a license-check receipt.Read the complete verification method.

Questions about Massachusetts therapist license verification

Where do I check a therapist's license in Massachusetts?

Use Check a Health License at checkahealthlicense.mass.gov. It covers licenses issued by the Department of Public Health's Bureau of Health Professions Licensure, including social workers, psychologists, mental health counselors, and marriage and family therapists.

How do I verify an LICSW or LMHC in Massachusetts?

Search the clinician's name or license number and pick the license type: Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) under the social work board, or Licensed Mental Health Counselor under the allied mental health board.

Is Massachusetts in the Counseling Compact?

The Counseling Compact's member map does not list Massachusetts as of September 24, 2026. Privileges are live only in Arizona, Minnesota, and Ohio.

Does a Massachusetts license record mean the therapist has openings?

No. License status and appointment availability are separate facts. Availability should carry its own confirmation date.