How to Become a Licensed Professional Counselor in Nebraska

Nebraska doesn't use the Licensed Professional Counselor title directly. Instead, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Licensure Unit issues mental health practitioner credentials at three tiers: Provisionally Licensed Mental Health Practitioner (PLMHP), Licensed Mental Health Practitioner (LMHP), and Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner (LIMHP), which allows independent diagnosis of major mental illness. A separate Certified Professional Counselor (CPC) certificate can be added to either license: an LMHP with CPC may use the title Licensed Professional Counselor, and an LIMHP with CPC becomes a Licensed Independent Professional Counselor (LIPC).

Step 1: Earn a Qualifying Master's Degree

You need a master's or doctoral degree that is primarily therapeutic mental health in content, including a practicum or internship with at least 300 clock hours of direct client contact under supervision. Effective July 12, 2023, applicants from non-accredited programs need 60 graduate hours.

Step 2: Apply for Your PLMHP

Submit your provisional license application with official transcripts sent directly to dhhs.licensure2117@nebraska.gov, along with your practicum/internship affidavit.

Step 3: Complete Your Supervised Experience

Nebraska requires 3,000 hours of mental health experience under supervision by a licensed independent mental health practitioner, psychologist, or qualified physician, with at least 1,500 of those hours involving clients diagnosed with a major mental illness or disorder, accrued over two to five years.

Step 4: Pass a Licensing Exam

Nebraska accepts the NCE, NCMHCE, or CRC exam, with official scores sent directly to DHHS.

Step 5: Apply for Full LMHP or LIMHP Licensure

Submit your application with your supervised-hours documentation and exam scores. If you want to use the LPC or LIPC title specifically, add the $50 Certified Professional Counselor certificate to your LMHP or LIMHP license.

Apply for Your License

Start or continue your application directly with Nebraska DHHS Licensure Unit / Board of Mental Health Practice, the official licensing authority. Applications submitted anywhere else won't be processed.

Apply on the Board's Website

A Note on Accuracy

This post reflects information from the Nebraska DHHS Licensure Unit. Licensing rules, fees, and statutes change. Verify current requirements directly at dhhs.ne.gov/licensure before making any licensure decision.

Nebraska's title structure surprises a lot of out-of-state applicants: if you're specifically searching for 'LPC Nebraska,' the credential you actually want is the LMHP or LIMHP with the CPC certificate added, not a standalone LPC license.