Counseling Degrees & Licenses in Kansas

Kansas offers Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) licenses.

To be licensed as an LPC, candidates must:

• Complete an application
• Pay the $50 application fee
• Provide transcripts demonstrating a master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited counseling program of at least 60 semester-hours, including a practicum
• Provide three professional references in signed envelopes, one of which must be from a supervisor
• Submit a clinical supervision training plan
• Take and pass the NCE exam upon approval from BSRB board as part of the application process
• Complete a background check
• Pay the $150 license fee

To transition from an LPC to an LCPC, candidates must meet the above requirement as well as:

• Taking and passing the NCMHCE exam upon approval from the BSRB board as part of the application process
• Completing 4,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience in a minimum of 24 months. 1,500 hours must be direct client contact and 150 must be in supervision.
• Paying the $150 license fee

Renewals for counseling licenses in Kansas are required every two years. Renewal fees for LPCs are $100 and for LCPCs are $125.

Counselors are also required to submit 30 continuing education hours, six of which must be in diagnosis and treatment and another three in ethics.

The Kansas State Department of Education issues professional school specialist licenses for school counselors. The requirements for an initial license are:

• Complete a master’s degree in school counseling from an approved program with at least a 3.25 GPA (this program must include a two-semester field experience, but no field experience is required of experienced classroom teachers)
• Submit a completed application
• Pay $60 application fee and $50 background check fee
• Pass a back background check
• Pass the Praxis School Guidance and Counseling with a score of 600 or higher

To transition from an initial to a professional license, school counselors must complete one year (or two semesters) of supervised work experience.

Professional school specialist licenses for school counselors issued in Kansas must be renewed every five years. To renew, school counselors must pay the $70 renewal fee and submit a completed application. They are also required to complete either 120 professional development points, eight semester hours in an approved program, or three years of accredited experience.

Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board

Substance abuse counselors in Kansas can be licensed as either a Licensed Addiction Counselors (LAC), Licensed Master’s Addiction Counselors (LMAC) or Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselors (LCAC).

LAC license candidates must:

• Submit a completed application
• Pay $50 application fee and $100 license fee
• Send three professional references, one of which must be from an onsite practicum supervisor
• Pass the NCAC II exam from NAADAC
• Hold a bachelor’s degree in addiction counseling or related field and at least 33 semester credit hours of addiction-specific counseling coursework as specified by board regulations; it must include a 400-hour practicum and one hour of supervision for every ten hours of practice

LMAC license candidates must:

• Submit a completed application
• Pay $50 application fee and $150 license fee
• Send three professional references, one of which must be from an onsite practicum supervisor
• Pass the MAC exam from NAADAC
• Hold a master’s degree from a NASAC accredited school. If the school is not NASAC accredited then the applicant must complete the Academic Background form, including a practicum with at least 300 hours of direct client contact and one hour of supervision for every ten hours of client contact

Applicants for LCAC licensure must meet all the requirements for an LMAC license, as well as:

• Complete two years (and no less than 4,000 hours) of post-graduate supervised professional experience, including at least 1,500 hours of direct client contact and 150 hours of clinical supervision, with no less than 50 hours of individual supervision

Addiction counselors licenses issued by the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board expire every two years. Fees for renewal are $50 for LAC, $75 for LMAC, and $100 for LCAC.

Counselors are required to submit 30 hours of continuing education.

Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB)

Kansas offers Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) licenses to rehabilitation counselors.

To be licensed as an LPC, candidates must:

• Complete an application
• Pay the $50 application fee
• Provide transcripts demonstrating a master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited counseling program of at least 60 semester-hours, including a practicum
• Provide three professional references in signed envelopes, one of which must be from a supervisor
• Submit a clinical supervision training plan
• Take and pass the NCE exam upon approval from BSRB board as part of the application process
• Complete a background check
• Pay the $150 license fee

To transition from an LPC to an LCPC, candidates must meet the above requirement as well as:

• Taking and passing the NCMHCE exam upon approval from the BSRB board as part of the application process
• Completing 3,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience in a minimum of 24 months. 1,500 hours must be direct client contact and 150 must be in supervision.
• Paying the $150 license fee

Renewals for counseling licenses in Kansas are required every two years. Renewal fees for LPCs are $100 and for LCPCs are $125.

Counselors are also required to submit 30 continuing education hours, six of which must be in diagnosis and treatment and another three in ethics.

The Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board licenses both Assistant Behavior Analysts (LaBa) And Behavior Analysts (LBA).

Requirements for licensing include:

• Submitting a completed application
• Paying $70 application fee
• Holding either BCBA or BCaBA certification
• Submitting official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended

LaBA and LBA licenses issued in Kansas must be renewed every two years. The fees are $70 for LaBAs and $120 for LBAs.

If the applicant holds a LaBA license, they must provide the name and license number of their supervisors. All licenses are required to complete 30 hours of continuing education hours per renewal cycle, of which four must be in ethics.

Kansas offers Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist (LCMFT) and Marriage and Family Therapist licenses (LMFT).

To be licensed as an LMFT, candidates must:

• Be 21 years old
• Complete an application
• Pay the $50 application fee
• Provide transcripts demonstrating a master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited MFT program, including a practicum with 350 hours of direct client contact
• Provide three professional references in signed envelopes, one of which must be from a supervisor
• Submit a clinical supervision training plan
• Take and pass the AMFTRB exam
• Complete a background check
• Pay the $150 license fee and $50 application fee

To transition from an LMFT to an LCMFT, candidates must meet the above requirements, as well as:

• Complete 4,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience in a minimum of 24 months; 1,500 hours must be direct client contact, and 150 must be in supervision
• Pay the $150 license fee and $50 application fee

Renewals for marriage and family therapist licenses in Kansas are required every two years. Renewal fees for LMFTs are $100 and for LCMFTs, are $125.

Therapists must also submit 30 continuing education hours, six of which must be in diagnosis and treatment, and three in ethics.

Kansas offers Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) licenses to child therapists.

To be licensed as an LPC, candidates must:

• Complete an application
• Pay the $50 application fee
• Provide transcripts demonstrating a master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited counseling program of at least 60 semester-hours, including a practicum
• Provide three professional references in signed envelopes, one of which must be from a supervisor
• Submit a clinical supervision training plan
• Take and pass the NCE exam upon approval from BSRB board as part of the application process
• Complete a background check
• Pay the $150 license fee

To transition from an LPC to an LCPC, candidates must meet the above requirement as well as:

• Taking and passing the NCMHCE exam upon approval from the BSRB board as part of the application process
• Completing 4,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience in a minimum of 24 months. 1,500 hours must be direct client contact, and 150 must be in supervision.
• Paying the $150 license fee

Renewals for counseling licenses in Kansas are required every two years. Renewal fees for LPCs are $100 and for LCPCs are $125.

Counselors must also submit 30 continuing education hours, six of which must be in diagnosis and treatment and another three in ethics.