Counselors in Texas who have obtained their state licensure are know as Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs).
Those in the supervision portion of the licensure process in Texas are referred to as Licensed Professional Counselors Interns (LPCIs).
The Texas Board of Examiners are responsible for administering licensure for LPC in Texas. This includes providing comprehensive continuing education programs, maintaining the statutes and rules related to counselor licensure and generally guiding counselor practice in the state.
Texas’ licensure requirements for counselors are examined further in this post. Licensure information includes the level of education & supervision required, professional fees, examination and renewal procedures, and more. There’s a lot of scholarship and loan repayment opportunities available to people with a LPC in the state.
Counselor Education in Texas
A master’s or doctoral degree in counseling, psychology, or a related field is usually what Texas requires from individuals who want to practice licensure. Counseling-related fields include psychology, psychiatry, social work, and marriage and family therapy.
Grad degrees are in particular are between 24 and 48 semester hours long, with a program content including coursework in all of the following areas:
- Growth and development for normal humans
- Behavior of abnormal human
- Assessment process
- Theories of Counseling
- Counseling process or techniques
- Research techniques
- Career and lifestyle development
Internship Requirements
Texas licenses private practice counselors through an experience called a practicum. The work includes a supervised internship of one to six months. This is in addition to the coursework listed above and the required license exam. The LPC practicum in Texas is a required course of study for the program and it should consist of at least 300 hours, with a minimum of 100 hours of direct client contact. This is distinct from post-graduate supervision, which is also necessary for licensure.
Supervision Hours
An online post-graduate experience in professional counseling under supervision which is often referred to as supervision.
LPCs are required to complete a minimum of 3,000 hours of supervision with a supervisor in the field within 18 months. If they fail to do so, they will face disciplinary action.
Examinations
To be licensed in Texas, a finalist for licensure must meet the following requirements:
The NCE is a 200-question, multiple-choice examination for counselors. It assesses knowledge, skills, and abilities in counseling services.
A comprehensive exam that anyone working in Texas can take to demonstrate familiarity with professional counselors. It is available online through the Board’s website.
LPC Licensure Fees
There are a couple of different types of fees that you can expect to pay when going through the process of getting licensed. The following information outlines these expected cost breakdowns.
LPC License and Application: $190
License Renewal of LPC: $106
Application out of the state: $200
Jurisprudence Exam in : $40
LPC License Renewal
Texas LPC licenses expire every two years. License renewal requires the payment of appropriate fees and completion of continuing education, followed by successful passage of the Texas Jurisprudence Exam.
Continuing Education
LPCs must complete 24 hours of continuing education every two years to maintain their license. 4 hours of this must apply to ethics.
