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Best clinical counselor certifications
Clinical counselor certifications allow job seekers to demonstrate their competency as an clinical counselor to employers. However, not all clinical counselor certifications provide the same value for job seekers.
The best certifications for a clinical counselor are Certified Professional Counselor, Pastoral Counseling Certification, and National Certified Counselor (NCC).
Below is a list of the best clinical counselor certifications. Obtaining an clinical counselor certification will give you a leg up when you apply for jobs and increase your potential salary.
9 best certifications for clinical counselors
| Rank | Clinical counselor certification | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Certified Professional Counselor | APA, DAPA |
| 2 | Pastoral Counseling Certification | Mt. Vision In... |
| 3 | National Certified Counselor (NCC) | NBCC |
| 4 | Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC) | ACADC |
| 5 | Master Addictions Counselor | NAFC |
| 6 | Master Addiction Counselor (MAC) | NAADAC |
| 7 | Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) | IC&RC |
| 8 | Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor | NAFC |
| 9 | Certified Domestic Violence Counselor (CDVC) | NAFC |
9 best clinical counselor certifications
1. Certified Professional Counselor
You entered this field in order to help people. When was the last time that an organization came along to provide any real help to you? The mission of the American Board of Professional Counselors, ABPC program is to be the nation's leading advocate for counselors. ABPC will champion counselors' right to practice. We will work with you to protect your right to practice, increase parity for your profession, and provide you with the recognition that you so richly deserve.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 1 year(s)
2. Pastoral Counseling Certification
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? No
3. National Certified Counselor (NCC)
The NCC certification was launched by NBCC in 1983 as a result of the efforts of members of the American Counseling Association (ACA). Since that time, NBCC has become an independent entity and more than 80,000 counselors have become NCCs. The NCC is one of two NBCC certifications that are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 5 year(s)
4. Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC)
The Mission of the Association of Christian Alcohol and Drug Counselors, as a counselor certification organization for the California Department of Alcohol & Drug Programs, is to provide an entrance to the professional counseling arena, to train and certify Christian men and women who desire to do professional drug, alcohol and addiction counseling.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
- More than two years of work experience required? No
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 2 year(s)
5. Master Addictions Counselor
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 1 year(s)
6. Master Addiction Counselor (MAC)
A voluntary national certification intended for professionals working within addiction-related disciplines wishing to demonstrate their specialized addiction treatment skills gained through supervised work experience and specific graduate course work.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 2 year(s)
7. Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC)
The International Examination for Alcohol & Drug Counselors is the first examination to test knowledge and skills about alcohol and drug counseling on an international level. It has been developed by IC&RC through the cooperation of its Member Boards and their strong desire to have an international exam that is based on current practice in the field.Alcohol & Drug Counselor is one of the five reciprocal certifications offered through IC&RC.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 2 year(s)
8. Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 1 year(s)
9. Certified Domestic Violence Counselor (CDVC)
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 1 year(s)
What is the best certification for a clinical counselor?
The best clinical counselor certification is Certified Professional Counselor. The Certified Professional Counselor is awarded by the American Psychotherapy Association. The advanced certification is for more experienced employees as it often requires some work experience to acquire.
Here's a bit more background on how to obtain this clinical counselor certification:
- To become a certified Certified Professional Counselor, you need to pass the exam.
- This certificate requires more than two years of work experience.
- Renew certification every 1 year.
What certifications can impact a clinical counselor career and salary?
The National Certified Counselor certification will help you to secure a licensed professional counselor position, which will increase your pay and career trajectory. A licensed professional counselor's average salary is $98,502 whereas clinical counselors make an average salary of $54,191.
The most common combination of clinical counselor certifications include: Certified Professional Counselor, Pastoral Counseling Certification, and National Certified Counselor (NCC).
Online courses for clinical counselors to earn certifications
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In this course, you’ll learn to collect and care for the data gathered during your trial and how to prevent mistakes and errors through quality assurance practices. Clinical trials generate an enormous amount of data, so you and your team must plan carefully by choosing the right collection instruments, systems, and measures to protect the integrity of your trial data. You’ll learn how to assemble, clean, and de-identify your datasets. Finally, you’ll learn to find and correct deficiencies...
2. Clinical Trials Operations
This specialization is designed for individuals and teams that will be running or interacting with clinical trials. In four courses, learners will develop insights and build the skills they need to design, manage, and monitor clinical trials as well as analyze, document, and communicate the results. Learners will also learn best practices regarding ethics, safety, participant recruitment, regulatory compliance, and reporting standards. The core principles and skills of the specialization will...
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Are you interested in how to use data generated by doctors, nurses, and the healthcare system to improve the care of future patients? If so, you may be a future clinical data scientist!\n\nThis specialization provides learners with hands on experience in use of electronic health records and informatics tools to perform clinical data science. This series of six courses is designed to augment learner’s existing skills in statistics and programming to provide examples of specific challenges,...
6. Abnormal Behavior & Clinical Psychology (Certificate)
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