From the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
The National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. and Affiliates (NBCC), an independent nonprofit credentialing body for counselors, was incorporated in 1982 to establish and administer a national certification system, to identify graduate-level counselors who have voluntarily met certification standards, and to maintain a registry of those counselors. NBCC is the largest counselor credentialing body in the United States.
NBCC’s primary certification is the National Certified Counselor (NCC), which is a prerequisite for all other NBCC certifications. In order to maintain NBCC certification and recertify, all NCCs must earn the equivalent of 100 hours of continuing education every five (5) years. These credits must be obtained from qualifying professional activities designed to enhance or increase the professional knowledge of graduate-level counselors. National counselor certification from NBCC demonstrates to the public and employers that the counselor has met the national standards set by the counseling profession. It is not a license to practice. In some states, holding a national certification can assist the counselor in obtaining a state license. National certification travels with the counselor no matter the state or country of residence.
Many state counselor credentialing boards and agencies have similar continuing education requirements. A state license in counseling is literally permission from a particular state to practice counseling or to call oneself a licensed counselor. Some states have a single license and some have a two-tiered system. The names of state licenses vary from state to state. Some examples are LPC, LCPC, LPCC, LMHC, LPCMH, LCMHC, LPC-MH.
NBCC Approved Continuing Education Providers
NBCC Approved Continuing Education Providers (ACEPs) have completed a thorough review process and shown that their continuing education activities meet NBCC standards. When you obtain CE clock hours from an ACEP, you know that they have been educated on what qualifies, their programs are relevant to the continuing education of professional counselors, and that they are accountable to NBCC for quality training and customer service.
With ACEPs, you can relax knowing your CE clock hours will qualify when it comes time to recertify your NCC.
Professional Development Resources, an NBCC provider since 1994, specializes in CEUs you can use. With a selection of over 100 relevant and interesting home study courses, you can browse our online library and choose the topics you want and get the amount of CE credit you need. Our courses, which are online or book-based, range from one hour to eight hours. You can start learning immediately after enrollment and print your certificate instantly upon passing the post test. Visit our Counseling profession page today and get ready for a continuing education experience that is both user-friendly and rewarding.