Licensed Professional Counselor

Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) is a licensure for mental health professionals. The exact title varies by state. Licensed Professional Counselors are one of the six types of licensed mental health professionals who provide psychotherapy in the United States. No controlled study has ever found a difference in effectiveness between therapists of different education levels or licensure.

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In the United States licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor occurs at the state level, and generally requires a master's degree in counseling or a related field. In addition to their education, LPC's must obtain supervised clinical experience and must pass a state licensing exam. LPC's are regulated by federal and state laws as well as their own code of ethics as developed by various national organizations such as the American Counseling Association.

Requirements for Professional Counselors

LPC licensure is recognized in 48 states in the United States.[1], and the requirements vary from state to state. Included below is a summary of requirements found in the state of Texas LPC board as an example.[2]

1. A master's degree or doctoral degree in counseling or a related field.
2. Academic course work in each of the following areas: normal human growth and development; abnormal human behavior; appraisal or assessment techniques; counseling theories; counseling methods or techniques (individual and group); research; lifestyle and career development; social, cultural and family issues; and professional orientation.
3. As part of the graduate program, a supervised practicum experience that is primarily counseling in nature. The practicum should be at least 300 clock-hours with at least 100 clock-hours of direct client contact. Academic credit for the practicum must appear on the applicant's transcript.
4. After completion of the graduate degree and before application, an applicant must take and pass the National Counselor Exam and the Texas Jurisprudence Exam. After receiving a temporary LPC license from the board, the applicant may begin the supervised post-graduate counseling experience (internship). 3000 clock-hours with at least 1,500 being direct client contact of internship under the supervision of a board-approved supervisor is required. The 3000 clock-hours may not be completed in a time period of less than 18 months.

Clock hours and contact hours with clients needed to obtain licensure vary by state. For example, the state of Kansas requires a total of 340 contact hours to be completed in the course of study, while the state of Missouri does not have a requirement at all.

See also

• List of counseling topics