What do I need to do in order to practice as a counselor in the state of Oregon? What about outside the state of Oregon?

The Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists currently requires a total of 2400 hours of supervised client contact to be eligible for becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). A minimum of 240 of those hours are required during your master’s degree program. Most students complete their degree with a few more hours than this minimum. These hours acquired during your master’s degree program count toward the total 2400 required for full licensing. (During the time between your completion of your degree and your completion of the 2400 hours, you are eligible to practice publicly or privately. For your practice hours to count toward full licensing, they must be supervised according to Board guidelines.) A majority of states have requirements similar to those in Oregon. But each state governs its own practice. To have definitive information about these requirements, it is necessary to contact the licensing authority in each state for their current standards and procedures.