Licensure by Endorsement

The North Carolina Board of Licensed Professional Counselors is pleased to offer current licensees from
other states the option to apply for licensure in North Carolina through an endorsement process.

NC Existing Rule

21 NCAC 53 .0304 APPLICANTS LICENSED IN OTHER STATES

If a candidate is licensed to practice counseling by a Board in another state, the applicant must apply for licensure with the North Carolina Board. The Board shall consider the application in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 90•336 and G.S. 90•337.

History Note: Authority G.S. 90•334; 90•337; 1993 S.L. c. 514, s. 5;
Temporary Rule Eff. February 21, 1984, for a Period of 120 Days to Expire on June 19, 1984;
Eff. July 1, 1984;
Amended Eff. July 1, 2006; July 1, 1994.

Administrative Guidelines

If a candidate is licensed to practice counseling by a Board in another state, the applicant must apply for
licensure with the North Carolina Board. The Board shall consider the application for “licensed professional counselor” in accordance with the following provisions: provisions of G.S. 90•336 and G.S. 90•337.

(1) Has earned a master’s degree in counseling or a related field from a regionally accredited institution of higher education and has one of the following:

a.A minimum of 48 semester hours or 72 quarter credit hours of graduate training as defined by the Board, if the applicant enrolled in the master’s program before July 1, 2009;

b.A minimum of 54 semester hours or 81 quarter credit hours of graduate training as defined by the Board, if the applicant enrolled in the master’s program before July 1, 2013, but after June 30, 2009;

c.A minimum of 60 semester hours or 90 quarter credit hours of graduate training as defined by the Board, if the applicant enrolled in the master’s program after June 30, 2013.

(2)An applicant who holds a masters degree from a college or university accredited by one of the regional accrediting associations or from a college or university determined by the Board to have standards substantially equivalent to a regionally accredited institution, provided the applicant was enrolled in the masters program prior to July 1, 1994 shall be exempt from the academic qualifications required by this Article for licensed professional counselor.

(3)Has passed an examination in accordance with rules adopted by the Board.

(4)Has one of the following:

a.At least five years of full•time licensed professional counseling experience, including a minimum of 2,500 hours of direct client contact within ten years directly prior to application;

b.At least eight years of part•time licensed professional counseling experience, including a minimum of 2,500 hours of direct client contact within ten years directly prior to application; or

c.A combination of full•time and part•time professional counseling experience, including a minimum of 2,500 hours of direct client contact within ten years directly prior to application as determined by the Board.

(4)Has had an active, unrestricted license in good standing as a licensed professional counselor in another state for a minimum of two years directly prior to application.

(5)If disciplinary action has occurred prior to application, each case will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

Application Process

Must complete all requirements before license can be issued. (G.S. 90-336)
Application for Endorsement PDF
Education (Rule .0701)
Exam (Rule .0305)
Professional Disclosure Statement (Rule .0204) Verification of Professional Counseling Experience Verification of Active, Unrestricted License
• This is requested through current state licensure board.

Application Requirements: (G.S. 90-336; Rules .0301, .0308, .0309, and .0501)

•I. General Information

•II. Credentials

•III. Legal & Ethics History

•IV. Education

•V. References

•VI. Professional Counseling Experience

•VII. Graduate Courses

•VIII. Photo and Application Validation

Educational Requirements: (G.S. 90-336; Rules .0302 and .0206)
•Must be documented by an official transcript from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

•Master’s Degree hour requirements:

o     If enrolled prior to July 1, 2009 applicants will need 48 Semester Hours or 72 Quarter Hours

o     If enrolled prior to July 1, 2013 but after June 30, 2009 applicants will need 54 Semester Hours or 81 Quarter Hours

o     If enrolled after June 30, 2013 applicants will need 60 Semester Hours or 90 Quarter Hours

•  Graduate course work in 9 areas of study – 3 semester hours or 5 quarter hours per course area of study
Orientation to the Counseling Profession  Counseling Theories &Techniques
Research  Appraisal
Career, Vocational, Lifestyle Development  Group Work
Human Growth & Development  Practicum/Internship **
Social & Cultural Foundations

•Professional Orientation and Identity to the Counseling Profession shall provide an understanding of all aspects of functioning as a professional counselor, including a history of the counseling profession, various roles contemporary counselors have in our society, membership in professional counseling associations, self-care strategies appropriate to the counselor role, ethical conduct, standards of preparation, credentialing processes, and counseling supervision models, practices, and processes. This coursework shall increase knowledge of the evolution of the counseling profession and the role it has played in setting standards, advocating for a professional identity, and promoting licensure and accreditation for the profession. In addition, the coursework will highlight the importance of social justice and advocacy.  Finally, this course will include the counselors’ roles and responsibilities as members of an interdisciplinary emergency management response team during a local, regional, or national crisis, disaster or other trauma-causing event.

•Research shall include studies that provide a broad understanding of the importance of research

in advancing the counseling profession.  Included in this coursework shall be study of research methodology, statistical methods, the use of research to inform evidence-based practice; and ethical and culturally relevant strategies for interpreting and reporting the results of research and/or program evaluation studies. In addition, the coursework will provide principles, models, and applications of needs assessment, program evaluation, and the use of findings to effect program modification.

•Career, Vocational, Lifestyle Development shall include studies that provide a broad understanding of career development theories and decision-making models as well as career and educational planning, placement, follow-up, and evaluation. The coursework will provide career, vocational, educational, occupational and labor market information resources.  The coursework will enhance student awareness of career information systems; assessment instruments and techniques, and career counseling processes, techniques, and resources, including those applicable to specific populations in a global economy.  The coursework will prepare students for career development program planning, organization, implementation, administration, and evaluation. The coursework will increase the knowledge of the interrelationships among and between work, family, and other life roles and factors, including the role of multicultural issues in career development.

•Human Growth & Development shall provide a broad understanding of human behavior, including an understanding of developmental crises, disability, psychopathology, and situational and environmental factors that affect both normal and abnormal behavior. Coursework shall contribute to the knowledge of theories of individual and family development and transitions across the life span; theories of learning and personality development, including current understandings about neurobiological behavior; theories and models of individual, cultural, couple, family, and community resilience; theories and etiology of addictions and addictive behaviors, including strategies for prevention, intervention, and treatment; and theories for facilitating optimal development and wellness over the life span. In addition, the coursework will highlight the effects of crises, disasters, and other trauma-causing events on persons of all ages.  Finally, the coursework will include a general framework for understanding exceptional abilities and strategies for differentiated interventions.

•Social & Cultural Foundations in counseling shall provide an understanding of theories of multicultural counseling, identity development, and social justice while examining multicultural and pluralistic trends, including characteristics and concerns within and among diverse groups nationally and internationally.  In addition, the coursework will emphasize the counselors’ roles in developing cultural self-awareness; promoting cultural social justice; advocating and promoting conflict resolution; appreciating other culturally supported behaviors that promote optimal wellness and growth of the human spirit, mind, or body; and eliminating biases, prejudices, and processes of intentional and unintentional oppression and discrimination. This coursework shall include study of attitudes, beliefs, understandings, and acculturative experiences, including specific experiential learning activities designed to foster students’ understanding of self and culturally diverse clients.

•Counseling Theories & Techniques shall include the study of basic counseling theories and shall provide a general knowledge of theories, their principles, and techniques for application in

counseling relationships. In addition, this coursework shall provide a broad understanding of philosophic bases of counseling processes, an orientation to wellness and prevention as desired counseling goals, essential interviewing and counseling skills, and consultation theories and their application in various professional settings. The course will also provide a systems perspective that provides an understanding of family and other systems theories and major models of family and related interventions. Finally, this coursework will include crisis intervention and suicide prevention models, including the use of psychological first aid strategies.

•Appraisal shall include studies that provide a broad understanding of historical perspectives concerning the nature and meaning of assessment as well as basic concepts of standardized and non-standardized testing and other assessment techniques. This coursework develops a knowledge of statistical concepts, an understanding of validity and reliability; social and cultural factors related to the assessment and evaluation; and ethical strategies for selecting, administering, and interpreting assessment, evaluation instruments and techniques in counseling.

•Group Work shall include studies that provide a broad understanding of group development, dynamics, methods, and counseling theories.  This coursework shall help students understand group leadership styles, basic and advanced group skills, and other aspects of group counseling and group consultation.

•Practicum and Internship experience which shall be provided in supervised graduate counseling experience in a university-approved counseling setting for at minimum one (1) semester duration and for academic credit in a regionally accredited program of study.  This graduate counseling experience shall be completed as defined in Rule .0206 of the Administrative Code. A practicum and an internship must be completed as part of the graduate course of study.

o     Shall not count toward professional counseling experience

Examination Requirements: (G.S. 90-336; Rules .0305 and .0306)
•National Exam

o     National Counselor Exam (NCE) – provided by the National Board for Certified Counselors

o     National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCMHCE) – provided by the National Board for Certified Counselors

o     Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Exam (CRC) – provided by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification

•Jurisprudence Exam (Effective July 1, 2011)

o     No Fail

o     Certificate of completion must accompany application/renewal

o     Covers the law and ethical codes that govern the LPC

Professional Disclosure Statement Requirements: (G.S. 90-343, Rule .0204)
•Must be provided to clients prior to rendering counseling services

•A signed copy must be retained in client records

•Must include all items listed in Rule .0204 – Instructions and requirements can be found under the Professional Disclosure Statement Section of the Board website.

Verification of Professional Counseling Experience:
Verification of Professional Counseling Experience Form
Has one of the following:
a.At least five years of full•time licensed professional counseling experience, including a minimum of 2,500 hours of direct client contact within ten years directly prior to application;

b.At least eight years of part•time licensed professional counseling experience, including a minimum of 2,500 hours of direct client contact within ten years directly prior to application; or

c.A combination of full•time and part•time professional counseling experience, including a minimum of 2,500 hours of direct client contact within ten years directly prior to application as determined by the Board.

Direct Counseling Experience (Rule .0205)

• Consists of live contact with individuals, groups, and families through counseling as defined in G.S. 90-330(a)(3)a thru b:
o     a. Counseling. – Assisting individuals, groups, and families through the counseling relationship by evaluating and treating mental disorders and other conditions through the use of a combination of clinical mental health and human development principles, methods, diagnostic procedures, treatment plans, and other psychotherapeutic techniques, to develop an understanding of personal problems, to define goals, and to plan action reflecting the client’s interests, abilities, aptitudes, and mental health needs as these are related to personal-social-emotional concerns, educational progress, and occupations and careers.

o     b. Appraisal Activities. – Administering and interpreting tests for assessment of personal characteristics.