Louisiana Counselor Licensure Requirements

The State of Louisiana passed a licensure law in 1987 and an individual so licensed is called Licensed Professional Counselor. The title and practice of mental health counseling is protected through the Louisiana Mental Health Counselor Licensing Act. A 48 hour graduate program in a counseling curriculum is the minimum academic requirement. For more information, visit the Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners at: www.lpcboard.org.

Following receipt of the master’s degree, the graduate becomes a Counselor Intern as he or she accrues the 3000 hours of supervised counseling work experience over a minimum of two years. Of the 3,000 hours, a minimum of 1,900 must be in direct individual or group client contact. The other 1,100 hours must include 100 hours of face-to-face supervision by an individual approved by the board. The State of Louisiana requires the successful completion of the national Counselor Examination (NCE) for licensure.

A number of universities in Louisiana allow for the completion of the NCE by graduate students. Successful completion makes the student eligible for the National Certified Counselor credential (through NBCC) upon graduation if the academic program is nationally accredited by Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Such graduates can use their NCE results later for state licensure. Some universities also use the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE) as an exit exam. This exam is structured around the same eight content areas as the NCE. Those universities that have arranged with NBCC to allow their graduate students to take the NCE include:

Loyola University
Our Lady of Holy Cross College
Southeastern Louisiana University
University of Louisiana at Monroe
University of New Orleans Lakefront