Licensed professional counselors help people from all walks of life who have a variety of needs and problems.
To become a licensed professional counselor, you'll need to meet the licensure requirements for your state. This often includes a graduate degree, clinical experience, and an exam.
Keep reading to learn more about the career of a licensed professional counselor and find out what the general requirements are to become one.
What Is a Licensed Professional Counselor?
Licensed professional counselors counsel people on mental health and substance use disorders.
Many licensed professional counselors choose to specialize in a specific area of counseling. These may include:
- addiction and substance use counseling
- behavior disorder counseling
- family counseling
- marriage and couples counseling
- mental health counseling
The job duties of a licensed professional counselor can vary depending on their specialty and where they work. Job duties may include:
- assessing patient needs and progress
- creating treatment plans
- diagnosing mental illness and disorders
- documenting client visits and progress
- providing counseling and therapy services to clients
- referring clients to other resources, such as support groups, social services, or other specialists
Licensed professional counselors often work for outpatient mental health and substance abuse centers, residential facilities, or run their own private practice.
They may also work for local hospitals or individual or family service programs.
Typically, licensed professional counselors work full time, though some choose to work part time.
Those working in residential facilities may have non-standard hours, such as working nights or weekends, as those facilities often need counselors on-site 24/7.
Requirements To Become a Licensed Professional Counselor
To become a licensed professional counselor, you must meet the requirements for licensure in your state.
These requirements can vary between states, but generally, you'll need to obtain an education, gain experience, and pass the required licensure exams.
We've broken these requirements down in more detail below.
Education Requirements To Become a Licensed Professional Counselor
While the specific requirements for licensed professional counselors can vary, you'll typically need to complete a graduate program to obtain licensure.
In order to make it to the graduate program, you'll first need to complete an undergraduate program.
Undergraduate Programs
The first step to earning your license is to earn an undergraduate degree. There are two types of undergraduate degrees: associate degrees and bachelor's degrees.
Associate degrees usually take two years, while bachelor's degrees typically take four. Nearly all graduate-level programs require you to hold a bachelor's degree.
While there is generally no specific bachelor's degree you need to hold to begin a graduate program in counseling, some programs require that you've taken specific courses, especially in psychology.
As a result, many undergraduate students choose to earn their bachelor's in counseling or psychology. Other good options for majors include human services or social sciences.
Graduate Programs
To obtain your state licensure, you'll almost certainly need a graduate degree in counseling. This can be in the form of a master's degree or a doctoral degree.
Master's degrees are the most common for licensed professional counselors. These programs usually take about two years and focus entirely on counseling.
Often, programs are offered in specific areas of counseling. For example, you might choose a program in mental health counseling or in marriage and family counseling.
These programs are typically broken into two sections: classroom learning and fieldwork experience. Some programs may also include a research element.
The individual program topics will vary depending on your specialty. Some common themes in counseling programs include:
- addictions and substance abuse counseling
- child and adolescent counseling
- crisis intervention
- diagnosis and treatment planning
- professional issues and ethics in counseling
While not as common, some students opt to earn their Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in counseling. These are typically research degrees.
PhDs in this field typically focus on counselor education and supervision. Those with PhDs in counseling often work in academic settings like universities or research organizations rather than clinical settings.
You can find a full list of accredited graduate counseling programs through the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
Experience Requirements To Become a Licensed Professional Counselor
Experience requirements are one of the areas that vary the most by state, but most states require a few thousand hours of supervised experience to earn or maintain your license.
Some states require you to complete all your supervised experience before you can be eligible for licensure.
Other states will issue you your professional counselor license but require you to fulfill your supervised experience within a certain time frame.
Additionally, some states may allow you to count the fieldwork and internships you completed in your graduate program toward your requirements.
Others may only allow you to count post-graduate experience toward your hours.
The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) offers information about each state board on its website so you can check what requirements you'll need to meet.
Licensure Requirements To Become a Licensed Professional Counselor
Once you've met the education and experience requirements set by your state, you can finally pursue licensure.
Again, licensure requirements can vary. Most states require that you pass a national standardized exam for counselors.
The most commonly accepted exams are the licensing exams offered by the NBCC. There are two: the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE).
Your state may accept other exams or even have its own exam. Check your state requirements to ensure you're taking the right exams.
Certification Requirements To Become a Licensed Professional Counselor
Certification isn't typically required for licensed professional counselors, but it can boost your job prospects and your salary.
Obtaining certification is especially good if you want to prove your credentials in a specific area of counseling.
The NBCC offers several certifications in areas like mental health counseling and addiction counseling. You can also find boards that offer marriage and family or rehabilitation counseling.
Become a Licensed Professional Counselor
To become a licensed professional counselor, you'll need to fulfill your state's obligations for licensure, such as earning a master's degree, acquiring experience, and passing an exam.
With the information above, you can begin your journey toward becoming a licensed professional counselor today.
