Counselors in Tennessee who have obtained their licensure are known as licensed professional counselors (LPCs)—although those who have continued their education and further developed their clinical skills can also obtain licensure as a licensed professional counselor with mental health service provider designation (LPC/MHSP). The state’s premier professional organization for LPCs is the Tennessee Counseling Association, a branch of the American Counseling Association whose mission is to “promote the development of all counseling professionals, advance the counseling profession under a unified association, and to use the profession of counseling to promote the well-being, respect for diversity, and human dignity of all Tennesseans.”

Licensure for Tennessee LPCs is managed by the state Board of Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Pastoral Therapists, a division of the Tennessee Department of Health. Licensure requirements for counselors in Tennessee, including education, supervision, examination, fees, renewal and “licensure by reciprocity,” are examined in further detail below, along with salary information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, scholarship opportunities and loan repayment programs available to LPCs in the state.

Licensure as a professional counselor in Tennessee (PDF, 394 KB) requires the completion of a master’s degree in counseling from a program accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) or a similar accrediting body.

Appropriate degree programs will include 60 graduate hours of coursework with instruction in each of the following core content areas:

In addition to this coursework, individuals pursuing licensure with a mental health designation are also required to take coursework on the use of the DSM and treatment and treatment planning.

Tennessee LPC licensure requires the completion of a supervised field experience, either in the form of a practicum or an internship. Either must be at least 500 hours long, with at least 300 hours in a mental health or community agency setting. It must also be supervised by an individual with, at minimum, a master’s degree in counseling, social work, psychology or psychiatry.

This practicum/internship requirement is distinct from post-graduate supervision, which is also necessary for LPC licensure in Tennessee.

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“Supervision” is shorthand for directed, post-graduate experience in professional counseling under supervision in a work setting. Tennessee requires aspiring LPCs to complete two years of supervision with at least 1,000 hours of direct client contact and a minimum of 50 hours of consultation from an approved supervisor.

Applicants seeking licensure with mental health service provider (PDF, 394 KB) designation (LPC/MHSP) must complete 3,000 hours of clinical supervised experience with half relating to direct face-to-face client contact.

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Tennessee LPC licensure requires a passing score on the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification, a 200-question, multiple-choice examination administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors. It assesses knowledge, skills and abilities in effective counseling services.

A passing score on the Tennessee Jurisprudence Exam (PDF, 403 KB) is also required. Upon board approval and successful completion of the National Counselor Examination (NCE), applicants must achieve a passing score on this exam reviewing Tennessee law and the current American Counseling Association Code of Ethics.

For individuals pursuing professional licensure as a counselor with mental health service provider designation (LPC/MHSP), a passing score on the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) is required in addition to the NCE and the jurisprudence exam. The NCMHCE tests knowledge of assessment, diagnosis, counseling, psychotherapy, administration, consultation and supervision. It consists of 10 clinical mental health counseling cases and assesses clinical problem-solving ability by testing identification, analysis and treatment. It is administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors.

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Tennessee LPCs can expect to pay the following fees for their license application, renewal and examination:

LPC Application: $200

LPC Biennial License Renewal: $115

Mental Health Service Provider Upgrade Application: $75

Tennessee Jurisprudence Exam Fee (PDF, 403 KB): $100

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Tennessee LPC licenses expire biennially on the last day of the month of the licensee’s birthday. License renewal requires payment of the appropriate fees and the completion of continuing education. New licensees are exempt from the continuing education requirement during their first renewal period.

LPCs in Tennessee are required to complete 30 hours of continuing education (CE) every two years. Individuals who received their license during their first year do not have to pursue continuing education hours. Three of these hours must focus on professional ethics or state codes, rules and regulations. Acceptable CE activities consist of graduate-level coursework from nationally or regionally accredited institutions of higher education and attendance at educational events sponsored or approved by national, state, regional or local professional associations. Multimedia courses may also be used to accrue CE hours although they should only account for a maximum of 10 hours during each renewal period.

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For Counselors Licensed in Other States

The Tennessee Board of Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Pastoral Therapists has an alternative route to licensure for counselors who have already obtained their licenses in other states. This process is called “licensure by reciprocity.” Out-of-state applicants must hold a current license as a professional counselor or equivalent that is in good standing from a state whose board is in reciprocity agreement with Tennessee, and they must pass the Tennessee Jurisprudence Examination.

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The following types of Tennessee counselors can expect to earn these mean hourly and annual wages, according to May 2021 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

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The following scholarships and loan repayment programs are available to Tennessee LPCs and LPC/MHSPs:

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*Licensure information, including requirements, renewals, scholarships and fees, was retrieved as of May 2022. Information may have changed since; check with the state’s board of licensing for more information.

Last Updated: May 2022