Obtaining the credential of a licensed professional counselor-supervisor, or LPC-S, in North Carolina necessitates several years of licensed counseling experience as well as a certain number of hours of specialized supervision coursework. As of 2011, North Carolina is the only state in the United States that allows counselors to earn an LPC-S as a separate counseling license. In North Carolina, a person who receives the LPC-S credential is then qualified to supervise new professionals who are completing clinical hours toward initial licensure as a licensed professional counselor (LPC).
To become an LPC-S in North Carolina, the applicant must already have a valid LPC license from the North Carolina Board of Licensed Professional Counselors with no restrictions. He or she must also have 2,500 contact hours of licensed clinical experience with clients, which is the equivalent of five full-time years as an LPC. In addition, to become an LPC-S, an applicant must have completed a certain number of documented hours of specialized supervisory education. This could be 45 hours of approved supervision continuing education or three graduate semester credits in supervision from an accredited institution. Finally, the individual who wishes to become an LPC-S must submit a disclosure statement to be used with all clients that details the individual’s training and credentials, along with references and an application fee.
Anyone who wants to become an LPC-S must have already received their initial LPC licensure. A master’s degree in counseling, passing a licensing exam, and a certain number of supervised hours of clinical experience are all required for an LPC license. An LPC is a mental health professional who helps families, groups, and individuals with behavioral, emotional, and mental issues.
Although North Carolina is the only state that requires a separate license for the LCP-S credential, some other states in the US follow a similar procedure. After two years of clinical experience and 40 hours of supervisory coursework, a licensed counselor in Texas can be registered as an approved supervisor. A person can be designated as a certified professional counselor supervisor in Georgia (CPCS). A supervisor specialization license is also available in Ohio and Arkansas. Supervisors in West Virginia and Alaska must have a certification credential.
Although each of the 50 states in the United States has developed a procedure for licensing counselors, the terminology used varies. Many states offer some variation of the licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) credential instead of an LPC license. Because counseling is regulated at the state level, there is a difference in professional titles. LPCs and LMHCs coexist in a few states as part of a tiered credentialing system.