Counseling Degrees & Licenses in Washington

Accredited Counseling Degree Programs in Washington

Antioch University

Antioch University offers a variety of counseling degree programs, both in-person and online, at a variety of locations. Founded in Ohio as a private university, it now has multiple campuses in the United States and online programs.

The online master of arts in clinical mental health counseling degree program includes online courses and two intensive two-week-long resident experiences. Students have the opportunity to take elective courses in the areas of trauma, military counseling, and substance abuse/addiction. Online courses are offered in both asynchronous and synchronous formats.

Students in the Seattle-based clinical mental health counseling (CMHC) program can choose to specialize in art and drama therapy, making it one of the few degree programs in the U.S. featuring art therapy with a clinical focus. The Antioch drama therapy program is one of only a few in the country that offers a special focus on Developmental Transformations (DvT) for drama therapists. DvT is a method of drama therapy that uses improvisation with individuals and groups. Students choose from couple and family therapy and CMHC coursework and can choose to integrate drama therapy as part of additional training, which includes an internship.

Also available is an addiction counseling concentration, which meets the Washington State Department of Health’s required topic areas to become a Licensed Chemical Dependency Professional via the “alternative training track.” A master of arts couple and family therapy program is also available as a standalone program option.

• Location: Seattle, Washington
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC); clinical mental health counseling programs (Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP)); couple and family therapy (Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE)); dance/movement therapy & counseling program (American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA))
• Expected Time to Completion: Online MA in clinical mental health counseling (60 credits), three to 3.5 years; MA in clinical mental health counseling at Seattle (90 quarter credits), three to 3.5 years
• Estimated Tuition: Online MA in clinical mental health counseling ($784 per credit); MA in clinical mental health counseling at Seattle ($834)

City University of Seattle

City University of Seattle’s master of arts in counseling trains students to become mental health counselors; marriage, couple, and family counselors; or professional school counselors. These programs are offered in a hybrid format, predominantly in-person work with online components). The program offers a weekday two-year cycle for clinical mental health; marriage, couple, and family; and addiction specialty tracks. It has a three-year (Saturdays) cycle for all three tracks.

All programs comprise 90 credits. The curriculum includes courses such as multicultural counseling; career counseling in clinical settings; group counseling; crisis, grief, & trauma counseling; addictions and co-occurring counseling; child and adolescent counseling; couples counseling; and research methods and statistics.

• Location: Seattle, Washington
• Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Expected Time to Completion: 90 credits, two or three years
• Estimated Tuition: $700 per credit plus fees

Central Washington University – College of the Sciences

CWU’s master of science degree in clinical mental health counseling is a small program (admitting only eight to ten students each year) with intense clinical training and supervision. The program includes three practicums and a full-time, seven-month internship for a total of 90 quarter-hours that takes just over two years to complete on a full-time basis.

Graduates of this program meet the educational requirements for professional licensure as a counselor in Washington State and many other states. Prospective students must have a GPA of at least 3.0 at the bachelor’s level. CWU graduates about 2,000 students each year with about 2,800 on-campus residents.

The curriculum includes courses such as theories and practice of counseling; multicultural counseling; tests and measurements; professional and ethical issues; design and statistical analysis for applied research; group counseling; current issues in counseling; counseling for relationships and families; psychopharmacology; substance abuse and dependence; and behavior disorders and psychopathology.

• Location: Ellensburg, Washington
• Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Expected Time to Completion: 90 quarter-hours, just over two years
• Estimated Tuition: WA Residents ($714.20 per credit); non-WA residents ($1,672.80 per credit)

Eastern Washington University – College of Social Sciences

Eastern Washington University was founded in 1882 by Benjamin Pierce Cheney, founder of the town of Cheney, Washington, near Spokane, where the campus is located. In 2019, it was named the No. 1 College of Diversity in Washington by Higher Education Excellence in Diversity.

EWU offers a master of science degree in clinical mental health counseling. This two-year program is offered using a combination of online (synchronous and asynchronous) and in-person modalities. Courses will take place on the Cheney campus on Mondays, with hybrid delivery of material occurring during the rest of the week.

Comprising 93 credits, the program includes courses such as counseling development and transition across the lifespan; introduction to clinical mental health counseling; career counseling; counseling theory and techniques; appraisal in mental health counseling; trauma-informed counseling; counseling children and adolescents; family systems; and professional issues in mental health counseling.

• Location: Cheney, Washington
• Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Expected Time to Completion: 93 credits, two years
• Estimated Tuition: Washington resident ($422.02 per credit); non-resident ($932.91 per credit)

Gonzaga University – School of Education

Gonzaga University is a private Catholic university in Spokane. It offers a master of arts in clinical mental health counseling, a master of arts in marriage and family counseling, and a master of arts in school counseling.

Each cohort is approximately 22 students. Each program requires an internship, which is a total of 600 hours (240 of those in direct service), completed in the second year of the program. Three-hundred hours are completed during the fall semester and 300 during the spring semester. There are an additional 100 hours of practicum during the first year. Each program requires the successful completion of 60 credits.

The clinical mental health counseling program includes courses such as ethics and law in clinical mental health counseling; introduction to clinical mental health counseling; trauma, crisis, and grief; and marriage and family counseling in clinical mental health counseling.

The marriage and family counseling program includes courses such as ethics and law in marriage and family counseling; introduction to marriage and family counseling; issues in family counseling; advanced family systems; trauma, crisis, and grief in marriage and family counseling; and theories of couples counseling.

The school counseling program has courses such as ethics and law in school counseling; introduction to school counseling; consultation and collaboration in school counseling; assessment in school counseling; trauma, crisis, and grief in schools; and classroom management in the schools.

• Location: Spokane, Washington
• Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, two years
• Estimated Tuition: Clinical mental health counseling ($1,115 per credit); marriage and family counseling ($1,115 per credit); school counseling ($1,090 per credit)

Seattle University

Seattle University is a private Jesuit university in Seattle, Washington. Seattle U’s master of arts in education in counseling program through the College of Education holds the distinction of being the first counseling program in Seattle to be accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

This program is also the only program in the nation where graduates are eligible to pursue Washington State substance use disorder certification upon graduation, meaning that graduates of the program are able to provide both substance abuse and mental health counseling. The school’s master of arts in couples and family therapy is offered through the College of Arts and Sciences.

Both the clinical mental health and school counseling programs have on-campus as well as online options. Comprising 90 credits, both programs require students to complete a one-quarter practicum and three-quarter internship spanning almost twelve months in the third year.

• Location: Seattle, Washington
• Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU); clinical mental health and school counseling (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)); couples and family therapy (Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE))
• Expected Time to Completion: Couples and family therapy (56 credits, two years); clinical mental health and school counseling (90 credits, three years)
• Estimated Tuition: Couples and family therapy ($834 per credit); clinical mental health and school counseling ($722 per credit)

Seattle Pacific University

Seattle Pacific University is a private Christian university in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1891 as a seminary. It offers four counseling degree programs: a master of education in school counseling, a master of science in marriage and family therapy, and two dual degrees of either a master of science in marriage and family therapy and a master of arts in theology (theological integration) or a master of science in marriage and family therapy and a master of divinity.

The dual theological integration program is completed in 23 fewer credits than would be required for the two programs separately. The master of divinity dual degree program requires 32 fewer credits than the two programs pursued separately.

The MEd in school counseling program comprises 90 credits and includes coursework in the introduction to systems theory; introduction to school counseling; positive psychology and spirituality in the schools; introduction to psychoed assessment in school counseling; legal and ethical issues in school counseling; multicultural counseling in the schools; and career counseling in the schools.

The master of science program in marriage and family therapy consists of 70 credits and includes courses such as multicultural issues in family therapy; gender perspectives and family therapy; becoming a systems therapist; treatment of couples; psychopathology and family systems; treatment of abusive systems; and assessment and testing in family therapy.

• Location: Seattle, Washington
• Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU); school counseling program (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)); marriage and family therapy degree (Commission of Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE))
• Expected Time to Completion: School counseling (90 credits, three years); marriage and family therapy (70 credits, two years (full-time) or three years (part-time))
• Estimated Tuition: School counseling ($735 per credit); marriage and family therapy ($827 per credit)

Western Washington University, College of Education

The rehabilitation counseling program at Western Washington University’s College of Education prepares students to work with people who have physical, sensory, mental, developmental, cognitive, or emotional disabilities. The program is offered through a hybrid model of classroom-based courses offered at the off-campus site located at the Everett University Center on the Everett Community College campus and distance learning coursework. Face-to-face classes meet one evening a week. Hybrid classes meet face-to-face five times per quarter and the other weeks are online.

Students in this 90-credit program complete 70 credits of core courses and 20 credits of hands-on practicum and internship placements. The curriculum includes courses such as rehabilitation research; addictions and rehabilitation counseling; multicultural rehabilitation counseling; legal, ethical, and professional issues in rehabilitation counseling; theories and techniques of rehabilitation counseling; introduction to rehabilitation counseling; group counseling techniques in rehabilitation; medical aspects of disability; and case management in rehabilitation.

• Location: Everett, Washington
• Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP)
• Expected Time to Completion: 90 credits, two to four years
• Estimated Tuition: Washington residents (less than ten credits: $406 per credit; more than 18 credits: $381 per credit); non-residents (less than ten credits: $843 per credit; more than 18 credits: $819 per credit)

Western Washington University, College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Western Washington University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences offers a master of science program in clinical mental health counseling and a master of education in school counseling program. Both programs are accredited by CACREP and accept just six students per year in order to maintain small student-to-faculty ratios and class sizes.

The clinical mental health counseling program requires 92 quarter credits in the non-thesis option and 98 credits in the thesis option. The school counseling program is made up of 90 credits.

The curriculum includes courses such as adult psychopathology; cross-cultural counseling; research methods in counseling; theories of counseling; testing and appraisal in counseling; family and community systems; professional, legal, and cultural issues; individual counseling techniques; developmental school counseling; crisis interventions; and group processes in counseling.

• Location: Bellingham, WA
• Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP)
• Expected Time to Completion: Clinical mental health counseling (92 to 98 credits, two years); school counseling (90 credits, two years)
• Estimated Tuition: Resident ($4,721 per semester); non-resident ($8,948 per semester)

University of Puget Sound

The University of Puget Sound’s in-person master of education in counseling (MEd) program focuses on developing the skills and knowledge necessary for careers in the helping fields and prepares graduates to become either licensed mental health counselors or certified school counselors.

Graduates of the two-year school counseling program earn a master of education degree and a Washington state residency certificate in school counseling. Upon graduation, they will be able to find employment in elementary, middle, and high schools.

Graduates of the clinical mental health counseling program will earn a master of education in counseling degree and will be eligible to pursue licensure as mental health counselors in Washington State. Past graduates have found employment in a range of settings including hospitals, community and private mental health agencies, employee assistance programs, juvenile detention centers, private practice, and community colleges.

The curriculum includes courses such as professional orientation and ethical practice; cognitive behavior theories and techniques; humanistic theories and techniques; promoting social justice through culturally sensitive counseling; and counseling leadership and advocacy.

• Location: Tacoma, WA
• Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP)
• Expected Time to Completion: Two years
• Estimated Tuition: $4,685 per unit

Counseling Professional Associations & Resources in Washington

• Washington Mental Health Counselors Association (WMHCA)
• Washington Community and Technical College Counselor Association (WCTCCA)
• Washington School Counselor Association (WSCA)
• Washington State Department of Health
• Washington Professional Counselors Alliance (WAPROCA)
• Counseling Washington
• National Alliance For the Mentally Ill Washington Chapter
• Washington Association For Marriage and Family Therapy (WAMFT)
• Washington Counseling Association (WCA)
• Washington State Psychiatric Association (WSPA)
• Washington State Psychological Association
• Washington State Public Health Association (WSPHA)
• Independent Colleges of Washington
• Seattle Alliance of Black School Educators (SABSE)
• Washington Association For Career and Technical Education (WA-ACTE)
• Washington Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (WACTE)
• Seattle Association of Educational Office Professionals (SAEOP)
• Washington Association of School Social Workers (WASSW)
• Washington Education Association (WEA)
• Washington School Personnel Association (WSPA)

Mental Health Counseling (LMHC) Licenses in Washington: Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

Licensing Authority	Eligibility & Details	Renewal Requirements
Mental Health Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Social Workers Advisory Committee	Washington issues Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate (LMHCA) licenses. Requirements for an LMHCA license include: A completed application, including a social security number and a National Provider Identifier Number (NPI) A $35 application fee A master’s or doctorate in counseling from a regionally accredited institution. Graduates of CACREP programs will receive credit for 500 hours of post-graduate work experience and 50 hours of supervision. The program must include a practicum or internship A Declaration Working Toward Licensure Four hours of HIV/AIDS continuing education To be licensed as an LMHC, candidates must already hold an LMHCA as well as: Complete an application including a social security number and a National Provider Identifier Number (NPI) Pay $191 application fee Pass the NCE or NCMHCE Provide proof of 36 hours of continuing education, six hours must be in professional ethics Complete four hours of HIV/AIDS continuing education Complete 3,000 hours and 36 months of post-graduate supervised work experience. Of those, 1,200 hours must be in direct client contact and 100 hours must be supervised. Graduates of CACREP programs will receive credit for 500 hours of post-graduate work experience and 50 hours of supervision.	In Washington, LMHCA and LMHC licenses must be renewed annually. LMHCA licenses may only be renewed six times and the fee is $25. LMHC license renewal fees are $106. LMHCs are required to complete 36 continuing education hours every two years. Six of those hours must be in ethics.

School Counseling Licenses in Washington

Licensing Authority	Eligibility & Details	Renewal Requirements
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction	The Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction issues Educational Staff Associate School Counselor Certificates. The requirements for a first-time applicant are: Have a master’s degree in counseling Complete any state’s approved program leading to certification for the school counselor or have three years of experience as a school counselor Pass the Praxis Professional School Counselor exam or the National Counselor Examination (NCE) of the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) Pass a background check that includes fingerprinting Submit a completed application Pay an application fee To advance from a first-tier to a second-tier certificate, school counselors must: Meet the requirements for the first tier Hold a school counselor certificate issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Complete an approved suicide prevention training Complete issues of abuse course	The initial school counselor certificate issued in Washington is valid until two years of work experience have been completed. Counselors may then receive a reissued certificate that is valid for five years. A new background check is required. A first-tier certificate must be renewed every five years. The requirements are: Complete issues of abuse course Submit a renewal application Pay $64 fee Complete 100 hours of continuing education A second-tier certificate must be renewed every five years. The requirements are: Complete suicide prevention training Submit a renewal application Pay a renewal fee Complete 100 hours of continuing education. Maintaining a current National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certificate meets the continuing education requirement.

Substance Abuse Counseling Licenses in Washington

Licensing Authority	Eligibility & Details	Renewal Requirements
Washington State Department of Health	The Washington State Department of Health issues Substance Use Disorder Professional and Substance Use Disorder Professional Trainee licenses to substance abuse counselors. Substance Use Disorder Professional Trainee license candidates must: Submit a completed application Pay $110 application fee Provide a National Provider Identifier (NPI) from the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Complete a declaration that the applicant is seeking the education and training requirements for the Substance Use Disorder Professional credential Complete four hours of HIV/AIDS training Submit a signed Attestation of Recovery form Substance Use Disorder Professional license candidates must: Pay $260 application fee and $295 initial license fee Submit a completed application Provide a National Provider Identifier (NPI) from the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Complete four hours of HIV/AIDS training Submit a signed Attestation of Recovery form Have an associate’s degree or higher Complete at least 45 quarter or 30 semester credits of education in alcohol and drug abuse. Complete required supervised work experience (2,500 hours are required if the applicant has an associate degree, 2,000 hours if the applicant has a bachelor’s, and 1,500 is the applicant has a master’s) Pass the NCAC level 2 exam from NAADAC or the AADC exam from the IC&RC In place of work experience and an examination, candidates may submit proof of NAADAC or IC&RC certification.	Substance abuse counselor licenses in Washington must be renewed annually. Trainee license renewal fees are $90 while full license renewals cost $300. Counselors must complete 40 hours of continuing education every two years. Of those hours four must be in ethics, three must be in suicide assessment training, and 14 in an approved topic area

Rehabilitation Counseling Licenses in Washington

Licensing Authority	Eligibility & Details	Renewal Requirements
Mental Health Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Social Workers Advisory Committee	Rehabilitation counselors in Washington are either Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC) or Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associates (LMHCA). Requirements for an LMHCA license include: A completed application, including a social security number and a National Provider Identifier Number (NPI) A $35 application fee A master’s or doctorate in counseling from a regionally accredited institution. Graduates of CACREP programs will receive credit for 500 hours of post-graduate work experience and 50 hours of supervision. The program must include a practicum or internship A Declaration Working Toward Licensure Four hours of HIV/AIDS continuing education To be licensed as an LMHC, candidates must already hold an LMHCA as well as: Complete an application including a social security number and a National Provider Identifier Number (NPI) Pay $191 application and initial license fee Pass the NCE or NCMHCE Provide proof of 36 hours of continuing education, six hours must be in professional ethics Complete four hours of HIV/AIDS continuing education Complete 3,000 hours and 36 months of post-graduate supervised work experience. Of those, 1,200 hours must be in direct client contact and 100 hours must be supervised. Graduates of CACREP programs will receive credit for 500 hours of post-graduate work experience and 50 hours of supervision.	In Washington, LMHCA and LMHC licenses must be renewed annually. LMHCA licenses may only be renewed six times and the fee is $25. LMHC license renewal fees are $106. LMHCs are required to complete 36 continuing education hours every two years. Six of those hours must be in ethics.

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Licenses in Washington

Licensing Authority	Eligibility & Details	Renewal Requirements
Washington State Department of Health	The Washington State Department of Health credentials Licensed Behavior Analysts (LAB) and Licensed Assistant Behavior Analysts (LABA). The requirements for LABA licensure include: Submit an online application Provide proof of ongoing supervision Pay a $160 application fee Complete four hours of HIV/AIDS training Hold a BCaBA certification OR have a bachelor’s in behavior analysis or related field, as well as 135 hours of instruction in behavior analysis and 1,000 hours of supervised work experience (at least 5 percent of those hours must be under supervision) The requirements for LAB licensure include: Submit an online application Pay a $250 application fee Complete four hours of HIV/AIDS training Hold a BCBA certification OR have a master’s in behavior analysis or related field, complete 250 hours of instruction in behavior analysis and 1,500 hours of supervised work experience (at least 5 percent of those hours must be under supervision)	Behavior analyst licenses issued in Washington expire every two years on the license holder’s birthday. Renewal fees are $350 for LABs and $175 for LABAs. To renew, applicants may either provide proof of continued BACB certification or complete 32 hours of continuing education for LABs or 20 hours for LABAs. Four hours must be in ethics.

Marriage and Family Therapy Licenses in Washington

Licensing Authority	Eligibility & Details	Renewal Requirements
Mental Health Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Social Workers Advisory Committee	Washington issues Marriage and Family Therapist and Marriage and Family Therapist Associate licenses. Requirements for a Marriage and Family Therapist Associate license include: A completed application including a social security number and a National Provider Identifier Number (NPI) An $81 application fee A master’s or doctorate in marriage and family therapy from a regionally accredited institution of at least 45 semester-hours or 60 quarter-hours, including a practicum (graduates of COAMFTE programs will receive credit for 500 hours of post-graduate work experience and 50 hours of supervision) A Declaration Working Toward Licensure Four hours of HIV/AIDS continuing education To be licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist, candidates must already hold Marriage and Family Therapist Associate license, as well as: Complete an application including a social security number and a National Provider Identifier Number (NPI) Pay $306 application and initial license fee Pass the AMFTRB exam Provide proof of 36 hours of continuing education, six hours must be in professional ethics Complete four hours of HIV/AIDS continuing education Complete 3,000 hours and 24 months of post-graduate supervised work experience (1,000 hours must be in direct client contact and 100 hours must be supervision) Graduates of COAMFTE programs will receive credit for 500 hours of post-graduate work experience and 50 hours of supervision.	must be renewed annually. Associate licenses may only be renewed six times and the fee is $66. Marriage and Family Therapist license renewal fees are $196. Marriage and Family Therapists are required to complete 36 continuing education hours every two years. Six of those hours must be in ethics.

Child (Pediatric) Behavioral Therapy Licenses in Washington

Licensing Authority	Eligibility & Details	Renewal Requirements
Mental Health Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Social Workers Advisory Committee	Child therapists in Washington are either Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC) or Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associates (LMHCA). Requirements for an LMHCA license include: A completed application, including a social security number and a National Provider Identifier Number (NPI) A $35 application fee A master’s or doctorate in counseling from a regionally accredited institution. Graduates of CACREP programs will receive credit for 500 hours of post-graduate work experience and 50 hours of supervision. The program must include a practicum or internship A Declaration Working Toward Licensure Four hours of HIV/AIDS continuing education To be licensed as an LMHC, candidates must already hold an LMHCA as well as: Complete an application including a social security number and a National Provider Identifier Number (NPI) Pay $191 application fee Pass the NCE or NCMHCE Provide proof of 36 hours of continuing education, six hours must be in professional ethics Complete four hours of HIV/AIDS continuing education Complete 3,000 hours and 36 months of post-graduate supervised work experience. Of those, 1,200 hours must be in direct client contact and 100 hours must be supervised. Graduates of CACREP programs will receive credit for 500 hours of post-graduate work experience and 50 hours of supervision.	In Washington, LMHCA and LMHC licenses must be renewed annually. LMHCA licenses may only be renewed six times and the fee is $25. LMHC license renewal fees are $106. LMHCs are required to complete 36 continuing education hours every two years. Six of those hours must be in ethics.

Counseling Schools & Licensure in Nearby States

• Alaska
• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• Oregon
• Utah
• Wyoming