How to get a counselor certification

• Psychology

• Education

• Sociology

• Social Work

• Human Services

Choose the major that best relates to the type of counselor certification you want to earn.

After obtaining your bachelor's degree, you can then take the GRE exam to apply to master's programs in counseling. Most master's degrees take at least two years to obtain.

Master's programs are likely to have you gain professional experience in counseling via an internship or practicum. An internship will see you counseling clients under the supervision of a licensed counselor, while a practicum involves you watching a licensed counselor perform their job.

Before you can get your counseling certification, you might need to earn a license, depending on your state. You can do this by taking an exam. These licensing tests differ state to state.

Here are some examples of counselor licenses you might have to obtain:

• Licensed Professional Counselor

• Licensed Mental Health Counselor

• Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor

After this, you can seek out a certification that relates to your field of counseling. You might specialize in school counseling, addiction counseling, or another form of mental health counseling.

To earn a guidance counselor certification, follow these steps:

• Pass the National Counselor Examination (NCE) or National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE)

• The NCE test is a 200-question, multiple-choice exam that you need to complete and pass within three hours and 45 minutes

• The NCMHCE exam requires counselors to assess 10 case examples within a three hour period

If you pass the test, your state will then issue you a license under a title such as Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor(LPCC). Passing a background check is also a requirement.