Counseling Degrees & Licenses in the District of Columbia (Washington DC)

The District of Columbia Department of Health, Health Regulation & Licensing Administration Board of Professional Counseling licenses Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) and Licensed Graduate Professional Counselors (LGPC).

The requirements for an LGPC license include:

• Submitting a completed application
• Providing two recent passport-sized photos
• Passing the NCE, NCMHCE, or CRC exam
• Having a master’s degree or higher in from a CACREP or substantially equivalent accredited program. It must be at least 48 semester credits long and include a 100-hour practicum and 600 hour internship.
• Paying $230 application fee
• Passing a criminal background check

The requirements for an LPC license are:

• Submit a completed application
• Provide two recent passport-sized photos
• Pass the NCE, NCMHCE, or CRC exam
• Have a master’s degree or higher in from a CACREP or substantially equivalent accredited program. It must be at least 60 semester credits long and include a 100-hour practicum and 600-hour internship
• Pay $230 application fee
• Pass a criminal background check
• Complete 3,500 hours of supervised work experience. There must be 200 hours of supervision.

LPC and LGPC licenses issued in Washington DC expire on December 31 of even-numbered years. To renew counselors must submit an online application and pay a $145 renewal fee.

Counselors must complete 40 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle. Six hours must be in ethics and four hours must be in trauma counseling.

Washington DC’s Office of the State Superintendent of Education issues School Service Provider (SSP) certificates with school counselor credentials.

The requirements for initial certification and credential are:

• Submit an Identity History Summary Check (IHSC) through the FBI
• Send a complete online application and pay the applicable fee
• Show proof of a master’s degree in school counseling from an accredited institution (applicants can be deficient up to 12 semester credits and still receive an initial certification)
• Complete 300 hours of supervised work experience as part of a graduate program or two years of full-time teaching experience

Candidates for a standard license must meet the requirements for an initial license as well as:

• Provide proof of a master’s degree in school counseling or a related field
• Complete two years of work experience
• Pass the Praxis Professional School Counselor exam

An initial school counselor endorsement is valid for two years and may not be renewed.

A standard license is valid for four years and is renewed through an online application. To renew, school counselor must either complete 120 clock hours (or eight college credit hours) of professional learning units or one of the following:

• Submit satisfactory performance rating reports for each year, if your employer issues them
• Submit passing scores for Praxis Professional School Counselor exam

Department of Health, Health Regulation & Licensing Administration Board of Professional Counseling

The Washington DC Department of Health, Health Regulation & Licensing Administration Board of Professional Counseling certifies Certified Addiction Counselor I or Certified Addiction Counselor II.

The requirements for a Certified Addiction Counselor I certificate are:

• Submit a completed application
• Provide two recent passport-sized photos
• Pass NAADAC NCAC Level I exam
• Pass the District Jurisprudence exam
• Have an associate degree in health or human services that meets coursework requirements
• Complete 500 hours of supervised work experience, with 40 hours in each of 12 domain areas
• Pay $240 application fee
• Pass a criminal background check

A Certified Addiction Counselor II applicant must meet all the Certified Addiction Counselor I requirements (except work experience), as well as:

• Complete 180 hours of supervised work experience with 10 hours in each of 12 domain areas
• Pass the NAADAC NCAC Level II exam

Certified Addiction Counselor certifications issued in Washington DC expire on December 31 of even-numbered years. Renewals cost $155.

Counselors must complete 40 hours of approved continuing education credit Six hours must be in ethics and three must be in trauma counseling.

Department of Health, Health Regulation & Licensing Administration Board of Professional Counseling

Rehabilitation counselors are licensed by the District of Columbia Department of Health, Health Regulation & Licensing Administration Board of Professional Counseling as Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) and Licensed Graduate Professional Counselors (LGPC).

The requirements for an LGPC license include:

• Submitting a completed application
• Providing two recent passport-sized photos
• Passing the NCE, NCMHCE, or CRC exam
• Having a master’s degree or higher in from a CACREP or substantially equivalent accredited program. It must be at least 48 semester credits long and include a 100-hour practicum and 600 hour internship.
• Paying $230 application fee
• Passing a criminal background check

The requirements for an LPC license are:

• Submit a completed application
• Provide two recent passport-sized photos
• Pass the NCE, NCMHCE, or CRC exam
• Have a master’s degree or higher in from a CACREP or substantially equivalent accredited program. It must be at least 60 semester credits long and include a 100-hour practicum and 600-hour internship
• Pay $230 application fee
• Pass a criminal background check
• Complete 3,500 hours of supervised work experience. There must be 200 hours of supervision.

LPC and LGPC licenses issued in Washington DC expire on December 31 of even-numbered years. To renew counselors must submit an online application and pay a $145 renewal fee.

Counselors must complete 40 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle. Six hours must be in ethics and four hours must be in trauma counseling.

Currently, there are no local certification or licensing requirements for applied behavior analysts in Washington DC.

However, BCBA certification and membership with the District Association of Behavior Analysis (DCABA) can help with employment opportunities and career advancement.

The Washington DC Department of Health, Health Regulation & Licensing Administration Board of Marriage and Family Therapy licenses Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT).

The requirements for an LMFT license are:

• Submit a completed application
• Provide two recent passport-sized photos
• Pass the AMFTRB exam
• Have a qualifying master’s degree or higher in marriage and family therapy
• Complete two years of full-time supervised work experience as a marriage and family therapist; it must include at least 2,000 hours of supervised practice and 1,000 hours of direct client contact
• Pay $262 application fee
• Pass a criminal background check

LMFT licenses issued in Washington DC expire on December 31 of even-numbered years.

To renew, therapists must submit an online application and pay a $177 renewal fee. Therapist must complete 30 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle, of which 15 must be face-to-face. At least six hours must be in ethics and 10 percent of the hours must be in subjects determined by the Department’s Director.

Child therapists are licensed by the District of Columbia Department of Health, Health Regulation & Licensing Administration Board of Professional Counseling as Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) and Licensed Graduate Professional Counselors (LGPC).

The requirements for an LGPC license include:

• Submitting a completed application
• Providing two recent passport-sized photos
• Passing the NCE, NCMHCE, or CRC exam
• Having a master’s degree or higher in from a CACREP or substantially equivalent accredited program. It must be at least 48 semester credits long and include a 100-hour practicum and 600 hour internship.
• Paying $230 application fee
• Passing a criminal background check

The requirements for an LPC license are:

• Submit a completed application
• Provide two recent passport-sized photos
• Pass the NCE, NCMHCE, or CRC exam
• Have a master’s degree or higher in from a CACREP or substantially equivalent accredited program. It must be at least 60 semester credits long and include a 100-hour practicum and 600-hour internship
• Pay $230 application fee
• Pass a criminal background check
• Complete 3,500 hours of supervised work experience. There must be 200 hours of supervision.

LPC and LGPC licenses issued in Washington DC expire on December 31 of even-numbered years. To renew counselors must submit an online application and pay a $145 renewal fee.

Counselors must complete 40 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle. Six hours must be in ethics and four hours must be in trauma counseling.