By: The Capella University Editorial Team with Irene Abrego Nicolet, PhD, NCSP, LSSP, Vice President and Dean of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Reading Time: 10 minutes
If you’re considering a counseling career, the different types of counseling certifications can take some sorting. Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), National Certified Counselor (NCC), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT) — each one means something different about your education and the work you can do.
Some counseling certifications are required by law before you can practice independently.
Others are voluntary credentials you pursue to demonstrate expertise in a particular area. Knowing the difference can help turn confusion into a clear pathway.
Explore the main types of counseling certifications and their differences, and how to choose the right path for your goals.
Counseling credentials can refer to several different things. Some credentials allow you to practice counseling independently, while others recognize your specialized knowledge or support continued professional development.
To make the distinction clearer, it helps to break counseling credentials down into a few different categories.
These credentials normally work together to support your career. For example, as a counselor, you may earn a master’s degree in counseling, state licensure as an LPC or LMHC and a national certification as a National Certified Counselor (NCC).
Understanding how these credentials fit together can help you identify the educational and professional pathway that aligns with your interests and career goals.
State counseling licenses are the credentials that let counselors practice independently. While names and licensing laws vary by state, most of them include similar foundational requirements.
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) is one of the most common counseling licenses in the United States. LPCs can provide both individual and group counseling, as well as mental illness assessment and treatment planning.
Requirements typically include earning a Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)-approved master’s degree, supervised clinical experience and passing a licensing examination.
Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) is a counseling license used in eight states and the District of Columbia:
LMHCs tend to work across community mental health organizations, hospitals, private practices or integrated healthcare settings to support patient wellbeing.
Like LPC licensure, LMHC licensure requires graduate-level counseling education, supervised clinical training and successful completion of licensing requirements. In most states, this includes providing transcripts and documentation of your clinical experience, verifying your exam scores and completing a background check.
Some states offer a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) credential. This credential demonstrates your advanced clinical counseling preparation and is available in six states:
The responsibilities of a licensed LPCC may vary between those states. But generally speaking, LPCCs provide assessment, diagnosis, psychotherapy and treatment planning services.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT) specialize in relationship, family and systems-based approaches to counseling. LMFTs work with couples, families and individuals, helping clients address challenges related to relationships, communication and family dynamics.
Similar to the other state licensure certifications, becoming an LMFT requires graduate education, supervised site-based learning state licensure.
Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) are mental health professionals who provide counseling and clinical services while drawing on social work principles. As an LCSW, you may find yourself supporting clients through counseling, crisis intervention, case management and community resource coordination.
Licensure may require a Master of Social Work (MSW), supervised experience and successful completion of state licensing requirements.
Academic certificates are educational credentials you can earn at a college or university like Capella. Unlike professional licenses, academic certificates don’t authorize independent counseling practice. They’re designed to help you develop specialized knowledge within a focused area of study.
For example, Capella offers several online counseling certificates that allow you to build expertise in subjects like Systematic Couple and Family Therapy, Contemporary Theory in Addictive Behavior and Play Therapy.
Just remember that academic certificates don’t replace state licensure, a graduate degree or clinical supervision requirements. If you’re interested in becoming a licensed counselor, you should approach certificates as one strand of a broader educational pathway rather than a standalone credential.
That said, an academic certificate could be a great way to complement your existing counseling degree by helping to deepen your knowledge in a particular area of interest.
National counseling certifications are voluntary credentials that demonstrate your professional competency beyond the basics of state licensure. Counselors choose to get a voluntary certification to expand their expertise and demonstrate their commitment to professional standards.
The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) is one of America’s well-known credentialing organizations, and they award some of the industry’s most preferred voluntary certifications.
The National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential is awarded by the NBCC, and it’s designed to demonstrate broad professional counseling competency. To qualify for the NCC, you must complete:
Counselors often pursue the NCC because it provides nationally recognized validation of counseling knowledge and skills.
The Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC) credential is another NBCC certification that focuses on clinical mental health counseling. It demonstrates your advanced preparation in areas like:
While both the NCC and CCMHC certification may be worth pursuing, it’s important to remember that they complement licensure. They don’t replace it.
In addition to licensure, counseling professionals often pursue specialty credentials that recognize their advanced knowledge, expertise and passion around specific populations or treatment areas.
Substance abuse and addiction counseling is one of the largest specialty areas within behavioral health. This area focuses on helping patients overcome substance use disorders and addictions to alcohol, drug or behavioral dependencies.
Common credentials include:
Certification requirements vary by credential and state. However, you can generally expect them to include specialized coursework, supervised clinical experience, an exam and some form of continuing education.
School counselors support K–12 students’ academic, social and emotional development. As a school counselor, you might help young people with areas like academic planning, college and career readiness or crisis support.
Depending on the state and educational setting, school counselors may need:
Because requirements vary substantially across states, prospective school counselors should verify applicable regulations before pursuing a credentialing pathway.
Different counseling certifications serve different purposes. Some counseling certifications are mandatory if you want to practice counseling, while others help you demonstrate expertise or deepen a particular area of specialization.
Here’s a quick overview of these credential categories to help you get an idea of how they differ and intersect.
| Credential type | What it is | Issued by | Required or voluntary | Examples | Primary purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
State license |
Legal authorization to practice counseling independently |
State licensing board |
Required for independent practice |
LPC, LMHC, LPCC, LMFT, LCSW |
Authorize clinical work with clients |
National certification |
National recognition of professional competency in counseling |
National board (such as National Board for Certified Counselors) |
Voluntary |
NCC, CCMHC |
Signal advanced professional standards |
Specialty credential |
Focused recognition of expertise in a specific population or treatment area |
Specialty boards |
Voluntary |
CAC, MAC, NCSC, CRC |
Deepen expertise in a focused area of practice |
Academic certificate |
A graduate program of study in a specific area of counseling |
University |
Voluntary |
Mental health services certificate, play therapy certificate |
Build specialized knowledge and skills |
Don’t forget: Counseling requirements vary by state, profession and practice setting. Always review applicable state regulations and credentialing requirements before selecting an educational pathway.
The right counseling credential depends on what you ultimately want to do professionally.
For most aspiring counselors, the starting point is identifying the state license required for their intended practice setting. Licensure is a non-negotiable foundation if you want to practice independently.
From there, you may choose to layer additional credentials that support your goals.
For example, you might start by pursuing an LPC or LMHC before adding an NCC or CCMHC credential to demonstrate your national professional competency. After that, you could pursue specialty certifications or complete academic certificates to deepen your expertise in areas of interest.
As you evaluate all of these different options, consider:
Above all else, be sure to verify state licensure requirements before enrolling in any counseling program. Educational and supervision requirements vary across jurisdictions, and so you’ve got to ensure the certification program you’re undertaking aligns with your career goals.
Education is the foundation that supports nearly every counseling credential pathway. That’s why most professional counseling licenses and certifications build on graduate-level education, supervised experience and ongoing professional development.
A Master of Science (MS) is the primary educational requirement to prepare you for licensure. Depending on the specialization, a master’s degree may include coursework, practicum experiences and clinical training designed to help students develop the knowledge and skills needed for professional practice.
Just remember that no degree can guarantee licensure or certification. If you have specific goals or careers in mind, you should always conduct your own research to find out what requirements you’ll need to fulfill.
You’ll also find educational pathways that support specialization career pathways.
At Capella, all of our accredited counseling pathways use a competency-based curriculum that integrates experiential, hands-on learning to ensure you develop the right skills to pursue your professional goals in counseling.
Capella’s counseling programs are available in our GuidedPath learning format, a structured approach that features regular deadlines to keep you on track.
Just remember that counseling licensure requirements vary by state. You should review your state’s rules before applying for any course to make sure it aligns with the licensure pathway you may want to pursue in the future.
Counseling certifications get clearer once you see how they connect. The next step is matching that clarity to the right education.
Capella’s online counseling degrees are designed for students and busy professionals pursuing the licensure and certification pathways covered above. Each one lets you focus your study around the area of counseling that interests you most.
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