Counseling Licensure in Connecticut
Connecticut has its own unique set of laws surrounding the licensure of counselors within the state. You will want to familiarize yourself with the current state of laws and regulations for counselors by perusing the Connecticut Department of Health’s webpage on Counseling licensure here:
You must complete the following steps to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Connecticut:
- Complete the required education of receiving a Master’s or Ph.D. in Counseling or in a closely related discipline.
- Fulfill the supervised work experience requirements.
- Apply for and take the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) which are administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).
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Educational Requirements
Connecticut requires that you meet these steps to fulfill your educational component.
- Earn your Bachelor’s degree in Counseling or a highly related field such as Psychology, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy or Human Services.
- Apply to and get accepted into a Master of Counseling or highly related degree program that is accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
- Meet coursework requirements as described here:
Supervised Experience
Once you have your required educational background you can begin your supervised work experience portion of the licensure process which is as follows:
- You must accumulate 3,000 hours of supervised clinical practice.
- Of these 3,000 hours 100 must be under direct supervision of a LPC, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Psychologist, Licensed Psychiatrist (must be certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology) or a Licensed Advanced Practice Nurse (the nurse must be credentialed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a specialist in adult psychiatric and mental health)
Apply for and Take Your Exam
Once you have completed your supervised work experience you can move on to the final step which is applying for and taking your exam.
- You must apply with the National Board of Certified Counselors to take the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE).
- You can find the form here: http://www.nbcc.org/Assets/StateForms/Reg/CT.pdf
- Pass the NCE or NCMHCE with a score that is suitable to the Connecticut Department of Health.
- The final step is to fill out this form and send in all required materials to the Connecticut Department of Health for final review. You can find the form here:
It is a good idea to take some time and thoroughly review all the current and up to date policies on Connecticut’s Department of Health’s page on Counseling which you can find here: