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National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam

Licensing Information

Requirements for Licensure:

  • A minimum of 60 credits of graduate level academic courses in counseling or a related field (can include 48 hour MA with CAGS, a second MA degree, or a Ph.D.)
  • A practicum (minimum of 100 hours) – must include 40 direct client contact hours and 25 hours of supervision. The requirement for the practicum is met in the first semester (practicum semester) of the Fieldwork Placement.
    • 25 hours of supervision break down as follows:
      • 10 hours individual supervision (on site)
      • 5 hours group supervision (CP111 meets this requirement)
      • 10 hours either individual or group supervision (7 hrs met by CP111)
  • An internship (minimum of 600 hours) – must include 240 direct client contact hours and 45 hours of supervision.
    • 45 hours of supervision break down as follows:
      • 15 hours individual supervision (on site)
      • 15 hours group supervision (CP111 meets this requirement)
      • 15 hours either individual or group supervision (7 hrs met by CP111)
  • One 3 semester hour or 4 quarter hour graduate-level course in the following areas:
    1. Counseling Theories, Practice, and Techniques
    2. Human Psychology; Development; Behavior & Learning, and Personality Theory
    3. Psychopathology; Abnormal Psychology; Abnormal Behavior; Etiology; Dynamics and Treatment of Abnormal Behavior
    4. Social Cultural Foundations; Issues and Trends of a Multicultural & Diverse Society; Working with Minority Populations
    5. Helping Relationships; Counseling Skills, Procedures and Techniques
    6. Group Work, Dynamics, and Processes
    7. Special Treatment Issues (e.g. Pharmacology; Substance Abuse; School; Career Issues; Marriage and Family Treatment; Sexuality and Lifestyle Choices; Treating Special Populations)
    8. Appraisal; Psychological Assessment and Techniques
    9. Research and Evaluation
    10. Professional Orientation: Ethics and Legal Issues in Counseling
    11. One or more elective courses in areas relevant to the knowledge and skills relevant to the practice of mental health counseling

BGSP Coursework and Clinical Experience Meeting LMHC Requirements

  • 3,360 Hours of Supervised, Post-Master’s Work Experience – 960 must be direct client contact hours and 130 must be hours of supervision. (Academic school counseling, vocational guidance services, industrial or organizational consulting services, teaching, and conducting research are excluded and will not count toward the post-master’s experience requirement)
  • Passing Grade on the National Clinical Mental Health Examination (NCMHE)

Application for Licensure

The Exam

  • 10 Clinical Mental Health Counseling Cases
    • Divided into approximately 5-8 sections that are classified as either information gathering or decision making.
  • The exam will cover the following areas:
    1. Evaluation and assessment.
    2. Clinical diagnosis and treatment planning.
    3. Clinical practice.

For more specific information on the exam and scoring, visit the NBCC website.

Study Materials

NBCC Examination Preparation Guides

Workshops/Trainings

MaMHCA: Presented by the Professional Training Institute

  • LMHC Exam content review with topics such as: Diagnosis, Treatment Planning, Evaluation, Professional Practice, Counseling Theory, Human Growth and Development, etc. The workshop also focuses on test taking techniques and strategies. In addition, participants will receive the PTI Clinical Mental Health Counselor Handbook and Study Guide.
  • Fees: $450 for members of MaMHCA, $500 for non-members
  • Takes place on Thursday Evening, and all day on Friday and Saturday
  • Held at MaMHCA Classroom & Offices, Foxboro, MA
  • Registration Deadline: 10 days before workshop (workshops are limited to 20 participants)
  • Register Online or call Deborah Bergstrom at (508) 698-0010.

Psychotherapists Training Institute Exam Prep

Test Registration

What’s Needed for Registration?

  1. Completed Original Ink Registration Form
  2. $200 Examination Fee (Check or Money Order Payable to NBCC, or Fill out Credit Card section on Registration form)
  3. Official Sealed Transcript with Conferral Date of Master’s Degree in counseling or a related field (no faxes!)

*Please allow four weeks processing time from the time your fee clears. (To check the status of your
registration, please send an email to exam@cce-global.org with your state in the subject line as phone calls delay the
processing time.)

Where to send your registration materials:

NBCC Assessment Dept.
PO Box 7407
Greensboro, NC 27417-0407

Once your paperwork is processed and you receive confirmation from NBCC:

Licensure Examination Registration

  • You can register for an exam through AMP’s website or by phone at (888) 519-9901.
    • Select “Healthcare” in Field 1
    • Select “National Board for Certified Counselors” in Field 2
    • Select “National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination” in Field 3
  • Fees are good for 6 months

Test Registration Questions?

Tel: (336) 547-0607; E-mail: nbcc@nbcc.org; Website: http://www.nbcc.org/stateboardmap/MA

Test Locations in MA: Saugus, Cambridge, Holyoke, and Framingham