Georgia Counselor Licensure Requirements

The Georgia counselor licensure law was passed in 1984 and controls both the title and the practice of professional counseling. The title used is Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). The Associate Professional Counselor is an individual who has completed all required coursework and is in the process of completing post-masters directed experience in supervised professional counseling. This individual has registered with the state and has an acceptable contract for post-master’s hours.

For licensure, four years and 2,400 hours of experience are required and at least two of those years of directed experience must be supervised by an LPC. If the graduate program included a 300-hour supervised counseling practicum or internship, only 1,800 over 3 years of directed counseling experience is necessary. The Georgia State Licensure Board information may be accessed at: www.sos.state.ga.us/plb/counselors. Georgia uses the National Counselor Exam (NCE) for licensure.

A number of universities (listed below) allow graduate students to complete the NCE before graduation. This makes students eligible to become National Certified Counselors upon graduation if the university program is accredited by Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). These exam results can then be used later for state licensure. Many of these universities also use the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) as an exit exam. The following universities have arranged with the National Board for Certified Counselors to administer the NCE to graduate students:

Argosy University Atlanta
Augusta State University
Columbus State University
Georgia Southern University
Georgia State University
Mercer University
North GA College & State University
Psychological Studies Institute Georgia
South University
University of Georgia
University of West Georgia
Valdosta State University