Minnesota LPCC Licensure: Your Path to Becoming a Counselor
Comprehensive guide to earning your Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) credential in Minnesota, including Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy requirements and application steps.
Becoming a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) in Minnesota
Minnesota uses the title Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) for its highest-level counseling credential. The Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy oversees this license. Minnesota also offers the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) as an entry-level license with a more limited scope of practice.
Education Requirements
For the LPCC, you must hold a master's or doctoral degree in counseling from a CACREP-accredited program or an equivalent program with at least 48 semester hours of graduate coursework. Required coursework areas include:
- Counseling theories and techniques
- Human growth and development
- Social and cultural foundations
- Group counseling
- Assessment and appraisal
- Career development
- Research and evaluation
- Professional ethics
- Psychopathology and diagnosis
- Treatment planning
- A supervised practicum and internship
For the LPC, you need at least a master's degree with 36 semester hours. However, the LPCC is the credential most counselors pursue for full clinical practice rights.
Supervised Experience Hours
Minnesota requires 4,000 hours of post-degree supervised practice for the LPCC. Of these hours, at least 1,800 must be in direct client contact. The experience must be completed over at least two years. During this time, you will practice under supervision with the appropriate license level.
Your supervisor must be a board-approved supervisor holding an active LPCC in Minnesota or an equivalent credential. You must receive at least one hour of individual supervision per week and at least two hours of supervision per week total (individual plus group).
Exam Requirements
Minnesota requires passage of the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) for the LPCC. The exam costs approximately $275. For the LPC, the National Counselor Examination (NCE) is required. Minnesota does not have a state-specific jurisprudence exam.
Application Process and Fees
Apply through the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy. The LPC application fee is approximately $150, and the LPCC application fee is approximately $150. Submit transcripts, exam verification, supervision documentation, and a criminal background check.
License Renewal
LPCC licenses in Minnesota renew every two years. You must complete 40 hours of continuing education per cycle, including at least 6 hours in ethics and 2 hours in cultural competency. The renewal fee is approximately $150.
Reciprocity and Endorsement
Minnesota offers endorsement for counselors licensed in other states. You must hold an active license, meet education and experience equivalency, and pass the NCMHCE. Minnesota's 4,000-hour supervised experience requirement is higher than many other states, so counselors relocating may need additional supervised hours.
Practice What You Learned
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