How
to become a Licensed Professional Counselor in North
Carolina
1. Apply by Requesting
an Application
NCBLPC
P. O. Box 1369
Garner, NC 27529-1369
Upon completion of your graduate
degree in Counseling, send a letter to NCBLPC
requesting an application packet. Be sure to enclose
a check for $5 (which reduces your application
fee to $95 upon return of the completed application).
Pay Online at www.ncblpc.org
2. Request
3 Letters of Recommendation
Request three letters of recommendation
using the forms supplied in the application packet.
Each envelope must have a signature across the
seal. It is returned to the applicant to be submitted
with the application packet.
3. Log Your
Work Under Clinical Supervision
Clinical supervision is required
as part of the licensure process. Secure a clinical
supervisor (must be approved by Board) to provide
1 hour of clinical supervision per 40 hours of
clinical work. Practicum and Internship hours
will apply toward the recommended hours.
4. Request
Transcripts
Send requested transcripts from
your college or university directly to NCBLPC.
5.
Take the Exam!
Graduate students, visit www.nbcc.org
to determine eligibility to take the National
Counselor Examination (NCE). Graduates and state-to-state
transfers, contact NCBLPC.
Upon successful completion of the
NCE, mail a check along with the preprinted form
(found in your application packet) to NBCC requesting
that official documentation of scores be mailed
directly to NCBLPC.
North Carolina Board for Licensed
Professional Counselors
Requirements for Licensure in North Carolina
The following information is adapted
from the NCBLPC.org website:
Master’s Degree from a regionally
accredited college or university, with a minimum
of 48 semester hours, or a graduate degree in a
related field supplemented with substantially equivalent
courses, or a Master’s Degree in counseling
or related field in which the applicant was enrolled
in the graduate program prior to July 1, 1994.
No less than two years of Master’s
and post-Master’s counseling experience in
a professional setting, with a minimum of 2,000
hours of supervised professional practice as defined
by NCBLPC. The supervised experience also must include
at least 100 hours of individual (face-to-face)
supervision or group supervision. At least one quarter
of supervised experience must be group supervision.
Supervised by a Licensed Professional
Counselor with at least five years of counseling
experience. Other credentialed mental health professionals
will be considered by the Board on a case-by-case
basis.
Pass the National Counselor Examination.
Submit an acceptable Professional
Disclosure Statement.
Submit a complete application
to NCBLPC for review.
What is the NCBLPC?
The North Carolina Board of Licensed
Professional Counselors (NCBLPC or the "Board"),
which is appointed by the Governor, is empowered by
the LPC Act to carry out the provisions of the Act,
which include, among others, examining and passing
on the qualifications of applicants, issuing licenses
and license renewals, adopting ethical standards and
examination materials, establishing standards for
continuing professional counselor education, and conducting
investigations and hearings as necessary to enforce
the LPC Act.
Licensed Professional Counselors
Association of North Carolina
LPCANC is a service and advocacy organization,
separate and distinct from the NCBLPC.
Services & Programs
LPCANC provides continuing education,
a forum for professional networking, colleague
support, and legislative advocacy for Licensed
Professional Counselors.
In order to contribute to the continuing
education and professional development of LPCs,
LPCANC holds an annual conference, hosts regional
workshops throughout the year, and strives to
collaborate with university counselor education
graduate programs in NC.
A Brief History
In 1995, a group of licensed counselors
met in Raleigh, North Carolina for the purpose
of starting a professional association. Licensure
for counselors was relatively new in North Carolina
(1993: House Bill 218, Article 24) and with the
vastly changing landscape of how mental health
care was to be managed in coming years, this group
of counselors felt they needed an association
that exclusively represented the interests of
licensed professional counselors. The Licensed
Professional Counselors Association of North Carolina
was chartered in the Fall of 1995.
LPCANC Mission Statement
The Licensed Professional Counselors
Association of North Carolina (LPCANC) is dedicated
to action and results for Licensed Professional
Counselors.
LPCANC serves Licensed Professional
Counselors through advocacy, marketing and professional
development and by responding to the needs of
the mental health profession and the community
at large.
LPCANC adheres to the definition
of professional counseling as it is written in
the North Carolina General Statute 90-330: “Professional
Counseling is defined as assisting individuals,
groups, and families through a combination of
clinical mental health and human development principles,
methods, diagnostic procedures, treatment plans
and other psychotherapeutic techniques.”
Committees of LPCANC
Bylaws
Conference
Counselor Assistance Network
Cultural Diversity
Ethics
Finance
Marketing and Media
Membership
Nominations & Awards
Professional Development
Public Policy and Professional
Issues
University Relations
The Professional Development Committee,
the University Relations Committee, and the Membership
Committee of the LPCANC have developed this brochure
to assist you in becoming a Licensed Professional
Counselor.
