To become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) it is necessary for the upcoming counselor to consider the following requirements:

• Accreditation by Southern Association of Colleges

• Accreditation by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)

Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) meets both accreditation requirements for both of the counseling programs. The programs are required to have 60 credit hours of coursework.

To become an LPC, graduate students must complete supervised field experience following:

• 500 service hours of practicum or internship

• 300 of the 500 hours must be in a community agency

• The hours must also be supervised by an individual with a master's degree in counseling, psychology, psychiatry, or social work.

Post graduation, an aspiring LPC must complete further service hours while working under their temporary license with a supervisor professional. The state of Tennessee requires:

• 50 hours of consultation with a supervisor

• 1000 hours of direct client contact within two years.

• Mental health service providers (MHSP) must complete 3000 hours of supervised experience. Half of these hours must be direct client contact.