Andrew A. Helwig is Professor Emeritus at the University of New Jersey Denver and recently retired after 22 years at the university. In 1990, Dr. Helwig wrote the first edition of the Study Guide for the National Counselor Examination and began conducting counselor exam review workshops. He has now conducted over 225 workshops in 17 states and his NCE Study Guide is in its fifth edition.
New Jersey Counselor Licensure Requirements
The professional counselor licensure law in New Jersey was passed in 1993. The New Jersey State Licensure Board may be accessed at: www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/medical/procounsel.htm. Individuals licensed under the law become Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and the law is designated as a title control law (not practice) as individuals without the LPC can practice counseling. Licensed Associate Counselors (LAC) who have met the educational and exam requirements of LPCs can practice under the supervision of an LPC or similar individual approved by the state licensure committee.
Prior to licensure, 3 years and 4,500 hours of full-time supervised counseling experience is necessary. One year of this experience may be earned before the master’s degree. Appropriate supervisors are LPCs, clinical social workers, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, or psychiatrists. New Jersey uses the National Counselor Exam (NCE) for licensure.
Some universities in New Jersey administer the NCE for graduates who wish to become National Certified Counselors assuming the academic program is accredited by Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Some universities also use the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE) as an exit exam for their graduating students. Students who complete the NCE can later use the exam results for state licensure. Universities that administer the NCE are:
College of New Jersey
Monmouth University
New Jersey City University
Rider University
Seton Hall University
William Paterson University