After earning a master’s in counseling or equivalent from a CACREP-accredited degree program, aspiring LPCs must apply for licensure. Counseling certification and licensure is processed by state boards according to their own requirements, but generally necessitate completing an exam and a number of supervised postgraduate hours. The AASCB advocates for the National Counselor Examination (PDF, 430 KB), which is available monthly, and the American Mental Health Counselors Association advocates for 3,000 hours of supervised practice within two years (PDF, 677 KB).