If you want to make a difference in peoples' lives, counseling can be a rewarding career. This guide explains how to become a licensed counselor, what kind of education and degree you need, and how to earn a license.
What Is a Licensed Counselor?
Licensed counselors generally help clients solve problems, either directly addressing a specific problem or improving coping skills. In some specialties, such as career or college counseling, counselors help students or workers identify their priorities and values to make decisions.
Substance use counselors help clients to overcome a substance misuse problem. Mental health counselors may help patients with coping skills, self-esteem, and healthy thinking practices.
Types of counselors include:
- Mental health counselor
- Grief counselor (sometimes called loss counselor)
- Substance use counselor
- Rehabilitation counselor
- Career counselor
- College counselor
- Marriage and family counselor
- School counselor (sometimes called guidance counselor)
States set regulations about how to become a licensed counselor and what counselors do. Licensed counselors can specialize in various counseling or client types.
Being a licensed counselor means that you have completed the required education, passed required tests and background checks, engaged in required continuing education, and do not have any disciplinary actions against your professional record.
While there's some overlap among counselors, therapists, and psychologists, these professions require significant differences in training and licensing.
The path to becoming a licensed counselor has specific requirements for each state, and some types of counseling, especially substance use counseling, have different requirements from others.
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How to Become a Licensed Counselor
Each state has its requirements for becoming a licensed counselor and a regulatory body, typically called a board of counseling. The general requirements include completing education, supervised experience, a national examination, and a background check.
If you have a criminal conviction in your past, this does not necessarily prevent you from becoming a counselor, depending on the nature of the conviction and how long ago it was.
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1
Earn an Accredited Graduate Degree in Counseling or a Related Field
The first step in becoming a licensed counselor is earning a graduate degree, either a master's or a doctorate, from a school with an accredited counseling program.
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2
Complete Post-Graduate Supervised Experience
The next step in becoming a licensed counselor is completing supervised experience. State requirements vary, some require only a specific number of hours, while others require a certain number of face-to-face supervised hours.
In general, states typically require 2,000-3,000 supervised hours, or approximately 12-18 months. Some states require you to apply for a license, usually called an associate license, to perform supervised work. Check your state's requirements for how to become a licensed counselor for details.
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3
Pass the National Counseling Examination
The next step is passing a national counseling examination. The examination may vary by license type, but most counselors take the National Counseling Examination or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination. Check your state regulations on how to become a licensed counselor to see which exam you should take.
Counselor Licensure
States have different names and requirements for licenses, including:
- Licensed professional counselor
- Licensed mental health counselor
- Licensed clinical professional counselor
- Licensed clinical mental health counselor
- Licensed mental health practitioner
In most states, you must regularly renew your license by completing a certain number of hours of approved continuing education. In some states or for some licenses, you may need to complete hours on a specific topic, such as ethics, substance use, or mandatory reporting. Most states require renewing your license every 2-3 years. You must also maintain a professional record with no disciplinary actions or criminal convictions.
If you want to apply for a license in another state, many states allow you to streamline the process, often called licensure by endorsement. Rather than reapplying from scratch, you only need to demonstrate that your existing credentials meet the new state's requirements. You need to apply for a license by endorsement, but it is far easier than starting a new license application.
Licensed Counselor Salaries
Counselor salaries vary based on required education, demand, specialty, and work setting. The average annual salary is $58,400 and the average hourly salary is $28, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The salary for licensed counselors ranges $34,860-$89,290. Some specialties pay much more.
Demand and job growth also vary based on specialty, but counselors are in high demand. Between 2021 and 2031, the BLS projects jobs for mental health, behavioral disorder, and substance use counselors to grow 22%, jobs for family and marriage therapists to grow 14%, jobs for rehabilitation counselors to grow 11%, and jobs for school and career counselors to grow by 10%.
Depending on your workplace and specialty, opportunities for career advancement include adding supervisory and management responsibilities, leading a department or team, or earning a doctorate.
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Become a Licensed Counselor
What is the best degree to become a licensed counselor?
The best degree to become a licensed counselor is a master's degree in counseling. You can choose to specialize in marriage and family therapy, substance abuse counseling, or school and career counseling.
In most states, you can become a licensed counselor with a master's degree, a passing score on the national examination, and supervised experience.
What types of counselors are in demand?
Almost all types of counselors are in demand, but some of the faster-growing specialties include rehabilitation counselors, projected to grow 10.4% between 2020 and 2030, educational, guidance, school, and vocational counselors, projected to grow 11.5%, and substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, projected to grow 22.9%, according to Projections Central.
Can you become a counselor online?
You can complete online coursework to become a counselor, but you must complete fieldwork requirements in person. You can choose from online, hybrid, and on-campus programs.
Is counseling a good second career option?
Whether counseling is a good second career option depends on your goals and interests. If you want a helping profession, it can be a fulfilling career. Many graduate counseling programs accept applicants from a wide variety of educational backgrounds, which can help to enter the field more quickly.
What is the difference between counseling and therapy?
Therapist is an umbrella term for any mental health professional doing talk therapy, whether virtual or in-person therapy. Counselors, psychologists, clinical social workers, or psychiatrists can all perform therapy.
There are some differences among counselors, therapists, and psychologists. For example, psychologists can perform more testing such as IQ or personality tests. Also, psychologists typically are reimbursed more by insurance companies.
What is the difference between a counselor and a counseling psychologist?
Making the distinction between mental health counselors and counseling psychologists becomes even trickier. Like mental health counselors, counseling psychologists usually work with individuals who need help with social anxiety, depression, or emotional duress rather than clients with serious or chronic mental illnesses. Both psychologists and master's level counselors can get licensed and diagnose and treat mental health disorders. They may also work in similar settings, like schools, clinics, and substance use treatment centers.
The major difference lies in educational requirements. Counseling psychologists spend more time in school. And unlike counselors, counseling psychologists more often conduct psychological assessments and administer diagnostic tests. While some counselors may return to school to earn a doctorate in counselor education, you need a Psy.D., Ph.D., or Ed.D. in counseling or psychology to use the term "psychologist" legally.
Page last reviewed on September 19, 2023