Counselor Certification

Counselor certifications is an idea that developed, in part through the efforts of members of the American Counseling Association (ACA), as a way to demonstrate a counselor's competency and eligibility to practice in the field of counseling. Unlike state licensing, which is required for many of the counseling specialties, counselor certification is voluntary. Becoming a certified counselor illustrates that the practitioner is an expert in their particular field of mental health, that they have the prerequisite education and professional background to practice, that they adhere to a strict moral code and that they have a dedication to the continuous advancement of techniques in the field of counseling.

While some counseling certifications may be done at the state level, there are two independent certification boards that offer national certifications: The National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. and Affiliates (NBCC), and The Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC). These independent, not-for-profit credentialing bodies, are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) as being qualified to offer certifications.

The NBCC offers a generalized counselor certification called the National Certified Counselor (NCC). In order to earn the NCC certification, practitioners must demonstrate the following:

• Completion of an eligible master's degree or higher in counseling.
• 48 semester hours of graduate-level credit courses.
• Passing score on the National Counselor Exam (NCE), which the NBCC offers.
• Documentation of post-graduate counseling experience and supervision.
The NCC certification provides the base for further counselor certification in three specialties of counseling that the NBCC offers.
• The Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC)
• The National Certified School Counselor (NCSC)
• The Master Addictions Counselor (MAC)

All of these certifications have their own requirements above and beyond what is required to obtain the NCC certification. In addition to the NBCC, The Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) offers counselor certifications that are accepted by at least half of the states in the U.S. and part of Canada. The CRCC certification assures that practitioners are qualified to work as rehabilitation counselors through a demonstrated educational and professional background. The CRCC offers the Certified Vocational Evaluation Specialist (CVE), Certified Work Adjustment Specialist (CWA) and Certified Career Assessment Associate (CCAA), subdivisions within the area of vocational counseling.