Counseling Licensure in Vermont

Vermont is one of the states that has simplified counseling licensure and only has one level of licensure. Those who are licensed to practice counseling in Vermont are known as Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (LCMHC). You will need to meet a number of requirements including a graduate degree in counseling, clinical work experience and will need to pass the National Counseling Examination (NCE).

You will need to fulfill the following components in order to attain licensure in Vermont and earn the LCMHC title:

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1. You will need to complete your graduate level education and obtain a Master of Counseling degree from a Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited school.
2. Complete a practicum and internship or a lengthy internship during your graduate studies.
3. Pass a criminal background check.
4. Accumulate the necessary hours to complete the supervised experience requirement.
5. Apply with the Vermont Board of Allied Mental Health to sit for the National Counselor Examination (NCE) as well as the National Mental Health Counselor Examination (NMHCE) as administered by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) for the Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) title. Vermont requires applicants to pass both examinations.
6. Obtain three letters of professional reference.
7. Apply to the Vermont Board of Allied Mental Health to receive your Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) title.

Educational Requirements

Vermont has the following education qualifications to obtain the LCMHC title in the state.

• You will first need to acquire your Bachelor’s degree in Counseling or a highly related Social or Behavioral Science field such as Psychology, Social Work or Human Services. Counseling degrees are preferred.
• The next step is to apply to and get accepted into a Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited Master of Counseling program.
• During your graduate studies you will need to complete a 100 hour practicum and a 900 hour internship with direct client contact in a clinical setting under board approved supervision.
• Alternately you can opt to have a 1000 hour internship that meets board standards for clinical professional experience.

Supervised Experience

You must now accumulate the required supervised experience.

• You will need to complete two years of supervised clinical experience.
• You need to attain 3000 hours of supervised practice.
• 2000 hours must be direct client contact providing mental health therapy to clients.
• You are required to have a minimum of 100 hours of face-to-face supervision; a minimum of 50% of these hours must take the form of individual one-on-one sessions.
• You will need one hour of supervision after for every thirty hours of experience that you accumulate.
• You must have a board authorized supervisor which can be a currently licensed mental health professional with one of the following titles: Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC), Marriage and Family Therapist, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Independent Clinical Social Worker.

Apply for and Take Your NCE and NMHCE Exams

You are now ready to sit for your NCE as well as your NMHCE.

• Apply with the Vermont Board of Allied Mental Health to take your National Counselor Examination (NCE) AND your National Mental Health Counselor Examination (NMHCE) as administered by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC).
• Pass the NCE as well as the NMHCE with scores deemed acceptable under Vermont law.

Apply for Your LCMHC License

You can now complete the long process, turn in your application to the board and receive your LCMHC title.

• Apply with the Vermont Board of Allied Mental Health to receive your LCMHC title.
• Provide three professional references.
• Answer six essay questions put to you by the board.
  • You can find the appropriate form here:

License Renewal and Continuing Education

Vermont law requires a license renewal every 2 years. Vermont also has a Continuing Education requirement to renew licensure.

• You must complete 40 hours per year of continuing education.
• Four hours must be in ethics.

It is always a good idea to take the time at least once a year to review the Vermont Board of Allied Mental Health website which you can find here: