Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What qualifications are required for licensure?

A.
An applicant for licensure must meet all the following criteria:

• Has earned a masters degree in Counseling from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, which includes a minimum of 48 semester hours, or a graduate degree in a related field supplemented with courses that the Board determines to be substantially equivalent, or holds a masters degree in counseling or a related field in which the applicant was enrolled in the graduate program prior to July 1, 1994.
• Has no less than two years of post-masters counseling experience in a professional setting, including a minimum of 2,000 hours of supervised professional practice as defined by the Board. The supervised experience, also, must include at least 100 hours of face-to-face individual supervision or group supervision. At least three quarters of the clinical supervision must be individual, with only one quarter counted for group supervision. Only 750 supervised professional practice hours will be accepted from pre-masters counseling experience.
• Supervisors must be Licensed Professional Counselors with at least five years of counseling experience that includes a minimum of two years licensed experience. Other credentialed mental health professionals will be considered by the Board on a case-by-case basis but must also have at least five years of counseling experience that includes a minimum of two years licensed experience
• Passes an examination as adopted by the Board.
• Submits an acceptable Professional Disclosure Statement.
• Submits a complete application to the Board for review.

Q. What examination is required?

A .

• The Board has contracted with the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) to administer the National Counselor Examination (NCE) as the examination required for licensure in North Carolina. The Board does not endorse any examination study course or preparation material. Any questions regarding study courses or preparation material should be addressed to:

National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC)

3-D Terrace Way

Greensboro , NC 27403

(336) 547-0607

www.nbcc.org

If you are a current National Certified Counselor, you may use the enclosed Request for Verification of National Counselor Examination Score form to request that NBCC send your score to NCBLPC. If you have not previously taken the NCE, and the Board determines that you are eligible to take the exam, you will be provided with a North Carolina Licensure Examination Registration form. You must have submitted an application and have been determined to meet the educational requirements for licensure in North Carolina in order to be eligible to take the NCE through the NCBLPC.

• Currently the NCMHCE and CRC examinations are also accepted by the Board in lieu of the NCE. Arrangements for taking these examinations must be made with the originating agency and cannot be arranged through this Board.

Q. How long do I have to complete the application process?

A .

From the date your completed application is received by the Board, you will have a maximum period of two years to meet any remaining requirements determined by the Board to be necessary to complete the requirements for licensure. Exceptions will be granted only for military deployment as required by federal law. Depending on the number and nature of any remaining requirements, you may be given less than two years to meet them, as determined by the Board. If you do not meet the Board's requirements within the time given, not to exceed two years, you will be required to reapply in full for licensure.

Q. How long is the license valid?

A.

The license is valid from its date of issuance until the second June 30 following that date. It must be renewed at that time and every two years thereafter. You must earn 40 documented hours of continuing professional education during each two-year (biennial) renewal period. If your initial license is issued for a period less that 2 full years, you must earn 30 documented hours of continuing professionals education during your initial licensure period. It is extremely important that you inform the Board of any address or name change as soon as that change occurs. If the Board office is not able to contact you, your license may lapse and you will not be able to legally practice Counseling in the state of North Carolina.

Q. What are the costs of licensure?

A .

Application packet fee ( if to be mailed ) - $5

Application processing fee - $100*

• Non-refundable fee
• Must be submitted with application or application will be returned
• *If $5.00 Application Packet Fee was paid, return the receipt with your application and only pay $95.00

Biennial Renewal Fee $100

Fees not associated with NCBLPC

Notary Fees - determined by notary

Examination Fees - Paid to examining body, not NCBLPC

NBCC Score Reporting Fee - paid to NBCC

Q. What if I am denied for exceeding the two year limit or if I fail the NCE twice?

A .

If your application is denied for exceeding the two year time limit or for failing the NCE twice, you must re-apply for licensure. This means you must complete and re-submit an application to the NCBLPC including the $100 application fee and a cover letter stating that you were previously denied for licensure due to time or NCE failure. The cover letter allows the NCBLPC staff to access your previous file.

Q. What if I am licensed in another state?

A.

The NCBLPC has no reciprocal agreement with any other state counselor licensing boards.  If you hold an active license in another state and wish to become licensed in North Carolina, you must submit an application packet in full and pay the application fee.  If the requirements for the state in which you are licensed meet or exceed those of North Carolina, verification of your active counseling license with no disciplinary action can be used to document your supervised counseling experience, counselor education, and exam score.  Additional information is provided in the instructions for preparing the application. Counselors who are licensed in another state in which the requirements meet or exceed those of North Carolina must still submit at least 3 Professional References and a Professional Disclosure Statement.

Q. What are the steps in the application process?

A.

• The first step in the application process is the completion of the application. All areas of the application must be completed! This completed application must be sent to the Board office with at least three references , a check, money order, or credit card for $100 (or $95 and receipt if you paid $5 for the packet), a professional disclosure statement for review, and a stamped self-addressed envelope . Official transcripts must be sent directly from the schools. Other items that may need to be sent to the Board office if applicable are: verification of a license in another state, official copy of NCE scores, documentation of supervised professional practice as required. Applications not meeting this standard of completion will be returned to the applicant. Hint: arrange to have your transcripts sent to the Board office prior to completing the application and make sure the school lists any aliases on the transcript (married name, etc.)
• When your completed initial application packet (application, transcripts, professional disclosure statement, references) is received in the Board office it undergoes an initial review to determine eligibility to take the NCE. If you have already taken the NCE, your application will move to the next step. If you qualify to take the NCE by meeting the educational requirements set by the Board, you will receive a letter and registration form authorizing you to take the NCE. If you do not meet the educational requirements as set by the Board, your application will be reviewed at the next scheduled Board meeting.
• After the initial review, a letter will be sent to you describing any remaining requirements needed to qualify for licensure as a Professional Counselor.
• From this point on, the Board office compiles and verifies all information received for applicants. It is the applicant’s responsibility to insure that all materials have reached the Board office .
• When the applicant has provided the Board with all materials required, the Board will do one final review at its next scheduled meeting and, if the Board feels that the candidate has met all requirements, will license the candidate as a Professional Counselor.
• Applicants may not use the term “LPC” until they have received notice from the Board stating that they may do so.

Q. What form do I use to report supervised hours completed as part of my practicum or internship?

A.
The Professional Reference & Verification of Supervision Form is used to report qualified hours completed before an application is sent to the board. Please use this form to report hours from your practicum and internship.

Q. Why does supervised professional practice require on-site, case-by-case supervision?

A.
The people who wrote the LPC licensing law and the legislators who passed the law did not intend for people right out of graduate school to work as counselors with no more than one hour of supervision for every 40 hours worked. The law included a list of exempt sites where people could work without licenses; exempt sites are places where licensure applicants may get supervised practice. On-site supervision is provided at all the listed exempt sites and that is why they are exempt; on-site supervision helps protect clients (and employers) from errors in judgment made by inexperienced counselors.

Q. How can I qualify as a supervisor if I have the right credentials and more than five years of experience, but I was licensed less than five years ago?

A.
Since you do not have five years of post-licensure experience, send documentation of five of your years of experience when you apply for approval. This is board policy at the present time. Please be aware that the board has changed this policy to require two years of post-licensure experience.

Q: Can I take the NCE before I apply for a license?

A.
There are three ways to register for the NCE exam.

1. Take the exam through your graduate program if this option is offered at your school.

2. Register with NBCC to become a National Certified Counselor after meeting the other requirements for NCC status.

3. Apply for licensure, have your application reviewed, and receive an exam eligibility letter along with a registration form if your education meets NC standards.

Q. Does my supervisor for licensure have to work at the same place I work?

A.
No. While exempt sites where applicants can work to get their hours for licensure must have on-site supervision, supervisors for licensure do not have to be on-site, but they do have to be board-approved in advance. Many applicants choose a supervisor for licensure who is not their on-site supervisor. Applicants working in private practice which is not listed in the law as an exempt site must have a qualified on-site supervisor in order to be in compliance with the law.

Q. Will any of my work experience count toward licensure?

A.
There is no provision in our law for counting work experience, unless your employment situation fits all criteria for supervised professional practice. To count, your work would have had to be post-masters practice of counseling in a professional setting, with supervision of the type and amount required by law, and your masters degree would have to meet licensure requirements. For more details, look on our website under FORMS for the Professional Reference & Verification of Supervision Form.

Q. How can I find out if my graduate school is regionally accredited?

A.
NCBLPC uses the 2006 Higher Education Directory by Higher Education Publications. The Higher Education Directory ® replaced the Education Directory, Colleges and Universities published by the U.S. Department of Education and last issued in 1984. It is the only "official" listing of institutions that offer degrees whose accreditations are recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council of Higher Education Accreditation. Ask a librarian to help you gain access to this directory.

Q. If I have met all educational requirements, passed the NCE, and done most of my supervised practice hours, can I open my own practice if I have supervision?

A.
Since our licensure law was passed in 1994, it has not been possible in NC for unlicensed counselors to work independently or as sub-contractors. The law says that one cannot hold oneself out to the public as a counselor or charge for services until one is licensed, because counseling licensure requires post-masters supervision and supervised practice is a critically important part of a competent counselor's training and preparation. The LPC board expanded the definition of supervised professional practice two years ago to include private practices. Until the board clarified this definition, a license was required to work in a private counseling practice. The expanded definition says a supervised professional practice is one where there is on-site, case-by-case supervision, the same type of supervision provided by the other exempt sites. And because the law says one cannot offer their services to the public or charge for services until licensed, unlicensed counselors do have to be employees.

Q. Because of a disability, I need accommodations for the NCE administration. How can I get the accommodations I need?

A.
The board uses the accommodations approved for use in public schools, which are listed below. A letter from an MD or other licensed professional working within the area of their field of expertise is required to document your disability; the letter should provide a diagnosis or a detailed description of your disability. NCBLPC will recommend appropriate accommodations to NBCC.

Individual Administration

Large Print

Dictated Responses

Braille

Small Group Administration

Extended Time

Interpreter for Instructions

Read/Reread/Simplify/Clarify Instructions Computer/Machine Response

Q. Since I cannot write LPC after my name until I have a license, and NC does not have provisional licensing for counselors, what can I write after my name if I am a licensure applicant?

A.
If you have sent in your application, you can write "LPC Applicant." If you have received a letter from the board that says you are "Board Eligible," you can write "Board Eligible" after your name. The board has written to NCDMH and NCDMA to say that "Board Eligible" status for LPCs is equivalent to "Provisionally Licensed" for other mental health professionals.

Q. I am getting my supervised practice hours in an exempt setting but my job title is not "counselor" or "therapist." How can I be sure the board will consider this work "counseling?"

A.
Please send a copy of your job description and ask your on-site supervisor to write a letter describing in detail what you actually do at work. The board will use these documents to decide if your job fits the definition of "practice of counseling" in our law and advise you in writing of our decision.

Q. Are LPCs allowed to do assessments?

A.
Being an LPC does not qualify a person to administer any particular tests. If you read the NCLPC educational requirements, you will see that only one course in appraisal is required for licensure; acceptable courses must only "provide a broad understanding of group and individual and evaluation methods...." Courses vary greatly in content and depth, so the board cannot assume that one course prepares an LPC to do anything in particular in the area of testing. While many LPCs get a lot of training in appraisal and become highly qualified, their LPC licenses are not evidence of their training or qualifications. The NC Psychology Act says: "Nothing in this Article shall be construed to prevent qualified members of other professional groups from rendering services consistent with their professional training...." If an LPC gets sufficient training to become a 'qualified member of another professional group,' the Psychology Act does not prevent them from testing, and the carefully worded phrase "assessment of personal characteristics" in our law leaves the door open for LPCs to do testing of whatever type they are qualified to do because of training received over and above coursework required for licensure. If an LPC was taken to court on a testing qualifications issue, it would be up to the LPC to document qualifications, and up to the lawyers to debate the meaning of the wording in our law. The board would be unable to intervene, as we are neither qualified nor authorized to decide who is qualified to give a test. The board has only the authority to administer and enforce the licensing law.