How to verify a therapist's license in Tennessee
In Tennessee, the board that issues the license depends on the kind of therapist. This guide names each board, links to its public lookup where one could be read, and shows what Therapy Index has checked.
Which board licenses which kind of therapist
| Profession | License titles | Board | Public lookup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counseling |
| Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists | License lookup |
| Marriage and family therapy |
| Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists | License lookup |
| Social work |
| Board of Social Worker Licensure | License lookup |
| Psychology |
| Board of Examiners in Psychology | License lookup |
| Addiction counseling |
| Board of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors | License lookup |
All four Tennessee boards are supported by the Division of Health Related Boards of the Department of Health, and the lookup is the Department's licensure verification page.
Titles are written as the board writes them. For what each one means, see therapist credentials explained.
What the statuses on a lookup mean
- The Tennessee lookup page says its data comes from primary sources and is updated daily.
- It says disciplinary, practitioner profile, and abuse registry information is shown with a result when it applies.
- It says people with provisional, clinical fellow, or temporary permits are not issued license numbers or issue dates, so they are found by first and last name.
The pages Therapy Index read do not list status terms. If a status is unclear, ask the board.
What Therapy Index does in Tennessee
A check compares the listing's name and license number with the board's own published records. A checked listing shows the board's license number and the date it was checked. A listing that has not been checked shows the license number on file with the NPI registry.
- Nashville, TN: 6,924 listings. 4,166 have a license verified active with the board. 347 have associate or temporary licenses, verified active with the board. The last check was Nov 5, 2026.
If a listing is wrong
Use the report link at the bottom of the listing, or see remove or correct a listing. The licensing board, not this site, is the authority on whether someone is licensed in Tennessee.
Sources
These are the pages Therapy Index read for this guide, on Nov 11, 2026.
- Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists
- Board of Social Worker Licensure
- Board of Examiners in Psychology
- Board of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors
- Tennessee Department of Health licensure verification
- Board fact sheet on types of counseling and family therapy licensure (PDF)
- Board FAQs on temporary and associate licensure for marriage and family therapists (PDF)
- Rules 0450-01, counselors (PDF, Tennessee Secretary of State)
- Rules 0450-02, marital and family therapists (PDF, Tennessee Secretary of State)
- Rules 1365-01, social workers (PDF, Tennessee Secretary of State)
- Rules 1180-01, psychology (PDF, Tennessee Secretary of State)
- Rules 1200-30-01, alcohol and drug abuse counselors (PDF, Tennessee Secretary of State)