Working as an LPC in Arkansas will require that you fully satisfy all Counselor Licensing Requirements in Arkansas. The Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling offers licenses for counselors in two capacities: Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and the other is Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC). An LAC works as a temporary license while you make progress on requirements to become an LPC.
Arkansas LPC Requirements
Master’s degree or higher in counseling from a program that reflects the CACREP or CORE curriculum and consists of 60 semester hours from a regionally accredited institution.Arkansas Counselor Credential Titles
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC): An applicant with less than 3 years of post-master’s level supervision experience, if all other requirements have been met.
Arkansas Counselor Experiential Requirements
3 years/3,000 hours of post-master’s supervised counseling experience (1 year= 1,000 hours). 50% of the hours have to be Client Contact Hours One year of experience may be gained for each 30 semester hours earned beyond master’s degree (up to 2 years) provided the hours are clearly counseling in nature and acceptable to the board. Supervision must be under a LPC approved by the board. Telephone supervision is allowed for less than 25% of the total amount.
Arkansas Counseling Exams Required
NCE and an oral examRequirements for Clinical Supervisors
Licensed as a professional counselor for 3 years. Hold a doctorate in counseling that included coursework and experience in supervision OR completed an advanced 3 hour graduate course in clinical supervision specific to counseling which included 18 hours of supervised experience in supervision. Must hold the Supervision Specialization License. 1 CEU in supervision required each year (2 CEUs every licensure renewal period).Requirements for Out of State Applicants
No reciprocity agreement exists between other states or other Arkansas agencies. If a candidate is licensed or certified to practice counseling by a similar board in another state, the Arkansas Board may, at its discretion, waive the written examination requirements of a candidate if the candidate had an equivalent written examination in the process of obtaining the license in that other state and has been continuously licensed. If the previous license has expired or lapsed the examination may not be waived. If the applicant has written the examination, but did not complete the licensure process, the written examination of record may not be more than five years old. Persons who apply for an Arkansas license, who have been continuously licensed seven years in another state and in good standing but lack no more than nine hours of the required graduate coursework may have a one-time license issued with the provision that the graduate course requirements must be met prior to the first license renewal. Documents relevant to an application from a person licensed in another state will be accepted as official if sent directly from the state licensing board, from NBCC, or from the American Association of State Counseling Boards National Credentials Registry. Applicants who hold a master’s degree and who are credentialed as a CRC by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) standards adopted by CRCC July 1, 2003 will be accepted as meeting the board definition of equivalent/parallel training for licensed Associate or Professional Counselor provided the core curriculum courses are included in the degree or post-master’s coursework. The Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Examination (CRCE) has not been determined equivalent to the NCE and will not be substituted for the NCE for the LPC license.Scope of Practice
“LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR” means any person holding himself/herself out to the public by any title or description of services incorporating the words Licensed Professional Counselor, who meets the requirements set forth in Section 3.2 of the rules and regulations, and who offers to render counseling services to individuals, groups, organizations, corporations, institutions, government agencies, or to the general public for monetary remuneration or who otherwise implies licensure, training, experience, and/or expertise in counseling and who holds a current valid license to practice counseling/psychotherapy. “PRACTICE OF COUNSELING” means rendering or offering to render to individuals, groups, organizations, or the general public any service involving the application of principles, methods, or procedures of the counseling profession which include, but are not restricted to: a. “Counseling”, which means assisting an individual or groups, through the counseling relationship, to develop understandings of personal problems, to define goals, and to plan action reflecting his or her interests, abilities, aptitudes, and needs as these are related to personal social concerns, educational progress, and occupations and careers; b. “Appraisal activities”, which means selecting, administering, scoring, and interpreting instruments designed to assess an individual’s aptitudes, attitudes, abilities, achievements, interests, and personal characteristics but shall not include the use of projective techniques in the assessment of personality; c. “Consulting”, which means interpreting or reporting scientific fact or theory to provide assistance in solving current or potential problems of individuals, groups, or organizations; d. “Referral activities”, which means the evaluating of data to identify problems and to determine the advisability of referral to other specialists; and e. “Research activities”, which means reporting, designing, conducting, or consulting on research in counseling with human subjects. “COUNSELING/PSYCHOTHERAPY” means assisting individuals or groups, through the counseling relationship, to develop understanding of personal problems, define goals, and plan action reflecting interests, abilities, aptitudes, and needs. Counseling/Psychotherapy is the application of mental health, psychological, or human development principles, through cognitive, affective, behavioral or systemic intervention strategies that address wellness, personal growth, or career development, as well as pathology. The terms Counseling/Psychotherapy are used interchangeably in definitions of mental health activities in counseling textbooks. Now that you are familiar with the counselor licensing requirements in Arkansas, visit our How to Become a Counselor in Arkansas page for a more detailed look into the steps you will need to take to make your dream of becoming a counselor a reality. Additional Information about Counselor Licensing Requirements in Arkansas ARKANSAS Board of Examiners in Counseling Mailing Address: P.O. Box 989 Little Rock, AR 72201 Physical Address: 101 East Capitol, Suite 104 Little Rock, AR 72201 (501) 683-5800 http://abec.myarkansas.net/ Application packet (if mailed): $20 Application fee: $200Source: http://abec.myarkansas.net/