How to Become a Licensed Professional Counselor in Tennessee

Tennessee's highest counseling credential is the Licensed Professional Counselor with Mental Health Services Provider designation (LPC/MHSP), issued by the Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists, part of the Department of Health.

Step 1: Earn a Qualifying Master's Degree

You need a graduate counseling degree with at least 60 semester hours; graduate degrees with less than 60 hours do not qualify for any level of LPC licensure. If your 60-hour degree is in a related field, confirm with your academic advisor or the Tennessee Licensed Professional Counselors Association whether it qualifies before applying.

Step 2: Complete Your Supervised Experience

Candidates typically need approximately 2,000 hours of supervised post-master's clinical experience, though the exact requirement can vary by pathway, with supervision commonly totaling around 100 hours. Verify the current requirement for your specific application directly with the Board before beginning your supervised hours.

Step 3: Pass Your Exams

Tennessee requires:

• The National Counselor Examination (NCE) or National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE), both through NBCC

• The Tennessee Jurisprudence Examination, per Board rule 0450-01-.08

Step 4: Apply for Full LPC/MHSP Licensure

Submit your electronic application for licensure as a Professional Counselor with your supervised experience documentation and exam results. While some candidates pursue the base LPC first, Tennessee also allows applicants to pursue LPC/MHSP directly if they meet all requirements.

Renewing Your License

Tennessee LPCs must complete 10 clock hours of continuing education each calendar year (20 hours over a standard two-year cycle). Those holding two licenses need 30 hours every two years; those holding three need 40, with at least 10 hours relating to each profession held.

Apply for Your License

Start or continue your application directly with Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists, 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 Tennessee Department of Health and its Board for Licensed Professional Counselors. Licensing rules, fees, and statutes change, and some hour figures varied across sources at the time of writing. Verify current requirements directly at tn.gov/health/licensure before making any licensure decision.

Tennessee's exact supervised-hour figures are less consistently documented across public sources than most states', which makes a direct call to the Board worth the extra step before you finalize a supervision plan.