You can change supervisors without losing your hours
Yes. Colorado’s LPC and MFT rules both say supervised practice may involve more than one supervisor, and DORA’s forms are set up for that, with a separate form for each supervisor. You can change supervisors when your work changes or the fit isn’t there. Your main job is protecting the hours you’ve already earned. Colorado LPC Supervision, part of My Denver Therapy, takes on LPCCs, MFTCs and ADDCs partway through their hours, along with candidates who want to add a second supervisor.
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Is it okay to want a different supervisor?
Yes. You’ll work with this person for two years or more, and your caseload will change during that time. The supervisor who was right when you graduated may not be the right one now, and wanting something different doesn’t mean they did anything wrong. Colorado’s counselor rule describes supervision as “a source of knowledge, expertise, and more advanced skills to the person being supervised.” It also says a supervisor needs clinical experience and competence adequate to direct the services you provide. Those are fair standards to hold up against what you’re getting.
What are good reasons to switch supervisors?
Candidates usually start looking for one of these reasons:
- Your caseload has moved toward work your supervisor doesn’t do much of, such as trauma, couples or addiction.
- You want to build a private practice and need someone who’s done it.
- You’ve started bringing cases your supervisor doesn’t have much to add to.
- Meetings keep getting canceled, or nobody’s tracking your hours.
- Your supervisor is also your boss, and you want somewhere to talk freely.
- You changed jobs, or your supervisor retired, moved or stopped supervising.
- The schedule or the cost no longer works.
Should your supervisor be a generalist or a specialist?
That depends on your caseload. A supervisor with broad experience can be a great fit when you’re seeing a wide mix of clients and still working out what you like. If most of your week is one kind of work, you’ll likely get more from someone who does that work every week. Either way, ask what they’ve treated in the past year.
What if you feel as experienced as your supervisor?
It happens, and it’s worth paying attention to. Colorado sets a floor for professional counselors who supervise: three years or 3,000 hours of post-graduate clinical experience, plus one qualifying credential. One of those credentials is six clock-hours of supervision training. Someone can meet that floor and still be early in their own career, so it’s fair to ask for details:
- How long have you been seeing clients, and how many do you see now?
- Have you treated the kinds of clients I’m seeing?
- What settings have you worked in?
- How many supervisees have you taken through licensure?
- How do you meet the board’s supervisor requirements?
- How will we track my hours?
A newer supervisor can still be a strong one. You’re looking for someone who has more to offer on the work in front of you.
Do you need to tell DORA you're changing supervisors?
DORA’s forms pages for professional counselors, marriage and family therapists and addiction counselors don’t list a change-of-supervisor form. Some other states require one, so you may have read about it elsewhere. In Colorado, each supervisor shows up on the verification paperwork you submit when you apply for your license.
How do you protect the hours you've already earned?
Each supervisor verifies only the hours they directed, so wrap up that paperwork before you move on.
| License | DORA form | What DORA asks for |
|---|---|---|
| LPC | Post-Degree Experience and Supervision Form | One form for each supervisor and place of employment |
| LMFT | Post-Degree Experience and Supervision Form | One form for each supervisor and place of employment |
| LAC | Work Verification Form | All hours for each supervisor consolidated on one form signed by that supervisor; monthly signed forms are strongly recommended for your records |
Before your last meeting, work through these steps:
- Compare your log with your supervisor’s records. The rule requires supervisors to keep the exact number of practice and supervision hours.
- Write down your supervisor’s license number, issue date and expiration date, since the form asks for them.
- Plan to have the form signed at or after your final date. Signatures can’t be dated before your last date of experience.
- Check that every field is complete. DORA wants original signatures, and your supervisor has to initial any corrections.
- Keep your originals. You’ll upload the forms when you apply.
Your supervisor signs that form under penalty of perjury, so give them your log early and leave time for questions.
How do you avoid a gap in supervision?
Line up your new supervisor before your last meeting with your current one. DORA’s LPC and MFT forms say experience and supervision must be done concurrently, so hours you practice with no supervisor in place may not count.
- Verify your new supervisor’s qualifications. DORA’s LPC form says that’s solely your responsibility, and you can use its license lookup.
- Sign a new supervision contract before you start.
- Set a start date that overlaps with or directly follows your last meeting.
- Walk your new supervisor through your caseload. The rule says your supervisor needs sufficient knowledge of all clients they’re supervising.
- Update your disclosure statement if it names your supervisor, and talk with your new supervisor about how to let clients know.
How do you tell your supervisor you're leaving?
Keep it short and focused on what you need. Check your contract for a notice period first. Colorado’s rule requires supervisors to give adequate notice when ending supervision, and the rules we reviewed don’t set a notice period for supervisees. You could say something like this:
“I’ve appreciated our work together. My caseload has shifted toward trauma, and I’ve decided to finish my hours with someone who does more of that work. My last meeting would be [date]. Can we go over my hours and get my DORA form completed?”
What if your supervisor is also your boss?
You may not have to change anything at work. The rule treats clinical supervision and administrative supervision as separate roles, and you can have more than one supervisor. Many candidates keep their job and add an outside supervisor. Check your employer’s policy before you discuss agency clients outside your workplace.
What if a former supervisor won't sign your form?
Send a written request with your log and the completed form. The rules we reviewed don’t spell out what happens when a supervisor refuses or can’t be reached, so contact DORA early and keep every record you have. That’s a good reason to get signatures before you leave, and to keep your own monthly log from the start. If you’re leaving because of misconduct, talk it over with someone you trust. DORA also takes complaints.
Who can you switch to at Colorado LPC Supervision?
All of our supervisors are working therapists at My Denver Therapy, one of the largest therapy practices in Colorado. We’ve helped hundreds of candidates become licensed, and we’ll match you by license type, specialty and schedule.
- Courtneyrose Chung, LPC, LMFT, LAC, AAMFT-approved supervisor, supervises LPCCs, MFTCs and ADDCs. She works with acute and complex trauma.
- Allie Evans, LMFT, AAMFT-approved supervisor, supervises LPCCs and MFTCs online. She works with trauma and young adults.
- Leigh Anne Hague, LPC, supervises LPCCs. She sees children, teens, adults and couples.
- John Hague, LPC, supervises LPCCs. He has more than 10 years of experience with couples, men and adolescents.
Individual supervision is $150 per supervision hour. Online group supervision is $50 per supervision hour, in groups of 10 or fewer. You don’t have to move everything at once. Some candidates keep their individual supervisor and try one of our groups first.
Common questions about switching supervisors
Will you lose your hours if you switch?
Switching doesn’t erase hours by itself. Each qualified supervisor signs for the hours they directed, and DORA reviews those forms when you apply.
Can you have two supervisors at the same time?
Yes. The LPC and MFT rules say supervised practice may involve more than one supervisor. Each one needs to qualify and keep records of the hours they supervised.
Is there a minimum amount of time you have to stay with a supervisor?
The rules we reviewed don’t set one. Check your contract for any notice period or cancellation terms.
Can addiction counselor candidates change supervisors?
DORA’s Work Verification Form is set up for more than one, since it asks you to consolidate hours for each supervisor on one form. The form also has specific requirements for who can verify hours toward each credential.
Ready to find a supervisor who fits?
Tell us your license type, the clients you’re seeing now and what’s missing from your current supervision. We’ll match you with a supervisor, and they’ll reach out directly.
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This page explains Colorado’s rules as of November 2026. DORA decides every application, so check the current rules before relying on them.