Requirements for Licensure in Professional Counseling

  1. Law
  2. Georgia Code
  3. Professions and Businesses
  4. Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists
  5. Requirements for Licensure in Professional Counseling

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  1. The education, experience, and training requirements for licensure in professional counseling are as follows:
    1. For licensure as an associate professional counselor, a master's degree from a recognized educational institution in a program that is primarily counseling in content or in a program of applied psychology, which degree includes a supervised internship or practicum as part of the degree program and registration with the board of an acceptable contract for obtaining the post-master's experience under direction and supervision required for licensure as a professional counselor; and
    2. For licensure as a professional counselor:
      1. A doctoral degree from a recognized educational institution in a program that is primarily counseling in content and requires at least one year of supervised internship in a work setting acceptable to the board; or
      2. A specialist degree from a recognized educational institution in a program that is primarily counseling in content with supervised internship or practicum and two years of post-master's directed experience under supervision in a setting acceptable to the board; or
        1. A master's degree in rehabilitation counseling or in a program that is primarily counseling in content from a recognized educational institution;
        2. An internship or practicum supervised either by a supervisor, as defined in paragraph (16) of Code Section 43-10A-3, or by a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor certified as such by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification;
        3. The Certified Rehabilitation Counselor designation from the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification; and
        4. Three years of post-master's directed experience providing rehabilitation services in a rehabilitation setting under supervision provided either by a supervisor, as defined in paragraph (16) of Code Section 43-10A-3, or by a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor certified as such by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification. Up to one year of such experience may have been in an approved practicum or internship placement as part of the degree program; or
      4. A master's degree from a recognized educational institution in a program that is primarily counseling in content with supervised internship or practicum and four years of post-master's directed experience under supervision in a setting acceptable to the board. Up to one year of such experience may have been in an approved practicum placement as part of the degree program; or
      5. A master's degree from a recognized educational institution in a program of applied psychology with supervised internship or practicum and four years of post-master's directed experience under supervision in a setting acceptable to the board. Up to one year of such experience may have been in an approved practicum placement as part of the degree program. Supervision of the practicum or internship and the post-master's directed experience shall be provided by a supervisor, as defined in paragraph (16) of Code Section 43-10A-3, except that such supervision may be provided all or in part by a psychologist or, before January 1, 2004, by a person with a master's degree from a recognized educational institution in a program of applied psychology.
  2. For purposes of subsection (a) of this Code section, work settings acceptable to the board may include, but are not limited to, educational, rehabilitation, career development, mental health, community, or industrial organizations.
  3. Associate professional counselors may only use the title "associate professional counselor" and may practice professional counseling only under direction and supervision and only for a period not to exceed five years while obtaining the post-master's experience required for licensure as a professional counselor.

(Code 1981, §43-7A-11, enacted by Ga. L. 1984, p. 1406, § 1; Ga. L. 1990, p. 1484, § 3; Ga. L. 1993, p. 330, § 4; Ga. L. 1994, p. 450, § 3; Ga. L. 1997, p. 1387, § 3; Ga. L. 2002, p. 1479, §§ 2, 3.)


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