With regards to LPC Certifications, Certified Counselors are mental health professionals who have usually not only passed rigorous exams but have voluntarily gone beyond the average to achieve excellence in certification.
A lot of counselors choose to gain credentials through agencies that are not related to the government. With regards to professional counseling, throughout the US, states utilize exams from outside agencies as integral to the credentials procedure.
National Certified Counselor
The National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential can be prestigious to those who attain it. The NCC certification is a voluntary certification that goes beyond the legal requirements for licensure. NCCs have shown their dedication to their profession and to providing the best services possible.
NCCs are held to an enforceable Code of Ethics, which delineates ethical counseling practice. NBCC (National Board for Certified Counselors) provides an established process for dealing with concerns and taking disciplinary actions.
NCCs must complete regular continuing education in order to maintain their certification. This ensures that NCCs are up to date on developments and best practices in the profession so that they can provide you with consistently high-quality service.
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The NCMHCE will need to be successfully completed in order to become licensed as a clinical counselor. in some states, prospective counselors will complete the exam required to become a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor.
The Commission on Rehabilitation Counseling Certification is the organization that will present licensing to those looking to become rehabilitation counselors. Candidates can ensure an easy path to licensure by completing a CORE-accredited graduate program in counseling. Other universities will work as well as long as the practice and coursework requirements are completed.
For those looking to become school counselors there are a few options when it comes to certification. In one case you can be credentialed by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or you can receive the National Board Certification. Those looking to become school counselors will need to complete three years of related experience. At this time, the candidate will have their professional portfolio reviewed by the board which will approve the certification.
Another choice for those looking to pursue a career in school counseling is certification by the NBCC. This route is going to require that candidates take an examination for school counselors and be titled as an NCC through the NBCC. The option stated above is great for candidates who have finished a properly accredited university program in counseling that contained at least 48 hours of coursework.
CACREP-accreditation (http://www.cacrep.org/) is often essential for counselors looking for NBCC licensing. The candidate will need to complete the overseen practice requirements set by the National Board of Certified Counselors, which is often pre-empted if a school counselor properly attended a CACREP-accredited program.
The National Board of Certified Counselors provides the Master Addiction Counselor (MAC) title.
Those who did not go on to receive a graduate education can still find work and certification as an addiction counselor. Requirements for addiction counselors will vary throughout the United States and full requirements should be checked with that states substance abuse counselor board.
People looking to become Master Addiction Counselors will need to complete the requirements set by the NCC and maybe additional requirements as well. In order to receive certification, one will need to prove that they have completed 12 hours of coursework in substance abuse counseling and that they have completed 500 supervised work. Counselors will also need to complete an additional two years of overseen practice, the whole experience should last around 3 years.
Counseling Therapies for Expressive Arts
Some of you might be interested in becoming certified in a field of counseling that uses expression and art to help patients. Those interested in pursuing art therapy can become Registered Art Therapist through the state board once the right education and overseen practice is completed.
Music therapists can be properly certified via the Certification Board for Music Therapists.
Dance therapists can be properly certified via the Dance/Movement Therapy Certification Board.
Pastoral Counseling
The American Association of Pastoral Counselors (http://www.aapc.org/) offers certification for Pastoral Counseling. There are several certification categories available. The American Association of Pastoral Counselors provides a full roster of counselor licensing boards throughout the U.S. To review the roster, please click here.
For information on licensure relevant to clergy and pastoral counselors, it’s best to contact your state’s counselor licensing board directly.
