Counseling Licensure in Indiana

Indiana has a different licensure title than most states. Their title is known as the Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), although many of the requirements are quite similar to other states. You will first want to familiarize yourself with the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency website which you can find here:

The steps to become licensed as a counselor with the title Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) is as follows:

1. Complete the necessary educational background of a Master of Counseling from a Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited program.
2. Complete a practicum or internship element.
3. Apply with the state board to sit for your NCE.
4. Take the National Counselor Examination (NCE) as administered by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC).
5. Apply for your LMHC license.

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Educational Requirements

Indiana has the following educational requirements for licensure.

• 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 or Council on Counseling Rehabilitation (CORE in the case of rehabilitation counselors) program.
• The Master’s program must have certain core elements as described on the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency website which you can find here:

Practicum or Internship

Indiana law requires you complete a practicum or internship during your graduate studies.

• You must complete a 1000 hour practicum of supervised practice.
• This should include a 100 hour practicum.
• It should also include 600 hour internship.
• Finally you will need a 300 hour advanced internship.
• If you do not do an advanced internship you can still meet the requirement by completing 1000 hours of practicum.
• You must have 100 hours of direct supervision during your practicum process.

Supervised Experience

You must now accumulate the required supervised experience.

• You need to attain 3000 hours of supervised practice.
• This must be completed in a four year period.
• The total cannot be completed in less than 21 months.
• You must have 100 hours of face to face supervised experience.

Apply for and Take Your LMHC Exam

You are now ready to apply for and take your LMHC exam.

• Apply with the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency to take your National Mental Health Counselor Examination (NMHCE) as administered by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC).
• Pass the NMHCE with a score acceptable under Indiana law.

Apply for Your LMHC License

You are finally ready to complete your application and receive your LMHC title.

• Apply with the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency to receive your LMHC title
• You can find the appropriate form here:

License Renewal and Continuing Education

Indiana law states that you must renew your license every 2 years. You must also present evidence of continuing education at that time.

You must complete 20 hours per year of continuing education for a total of 4 per biennium.

This must include at least one hour of ethics.

You will always want to stay abreast of changes by ensuring that every so often you visit the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency website: