Overview of Louisiana LPC Board

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If you have completed a marriage counseling degree program and you are looking to practice in the state of Louisiana, you will need to obtain a licensure first. To earn this honor, you will have to go to the LA LPC Board, which will determine whether or not you are eligible for license or registration. If you’re not aware of what this board does exactly, then you’ve come to the right place.

The Role of the LA LPC Board

The Licensed Professional Counselor Board of Examiners in Louisiana, commonly known as the LA LPC Board, examines if an individual is entitled to receive a licensure or a registration. At the same time, the board investigates the accusations of inappropriate, unethical or illegal practice of family and marriage therapy or mental health counseling in the state of Louisiana. As their official website (lpcboard.org) states, their mission is to regulate the practices mentioned above and to make sure that the title of Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist are properly and legally used.

The LPC Board recognizes titles such as Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Counselor Intern (CI), LMFT-Supervisor (LMFT-S), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), MFT Intern (MFT-I) and LPC-Supervisor (LPC-S). Keep in mind that the following titles are not recognized by the LA LPC Board: LMFT-Intern (LMFT-I), LPC Intern (LPC-I) and Mental Health Professional (MHP).

Application Procedure

If you have decided that you want to apply for a licensure in Louisiana, here are the steps you have to pursue and the requirements you must meet. First of all, you need to prove the completion of at least 3,000 supervision hours. Secondly, you need at least 2 years of active Board-approved supervision. Finally, you must have passed either the NCMHCE or the NCE exam.

The documents you have to submit for your application process are: the official NCMHCE or NCE scores, the Documentation of Experience form that must be signed by both you and your supervisor, a recent picture signed by you on the back, the application fee of $200, the Declaration of Practices and Procedures and the LPC licensure application.

The Exams

As you have seen above, you will need to pass a couple of tests in order to be eligible to apply for your licensure. The LA LPC Board approves of the NCMHCE (National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination) and the NCE (National Counselor Examination). These are the only tests accepted by this state’s board and can be taken only after you have obtained your master’s degree. You will only be required to take one of these tests if you want to get the licensure. In case you want to be a Counselor Intern, you are not required to take these tests.

There are multiple NCE exams throughout the year, but you can only re-take the exam from 3 to 3 months. The test is offered in both computer-based and written format. To find out all the details about the registration process and the exam itself, you must visit the NBCC (National Board of Certified Counselor’s) site.