How to Become a Clinical Mental Health Counselor in Georgia

A licensed counselor’s career in Georgia requires 6-8 years of preparation. The experience to become a clinical mental health counselor demands education and specific licensure requirements, but the payoff makes it worthwhile. Georgia counselors earn between $50,500 and $70,000 annually in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The right educational path leads to becoming a licensed counselor in Georgia. A master’s degree in counseling or applied psychology forms the foundation. The state processes Georgia counseling licensure applications within 20 business days. Licenses need renewal every two years on September 30th of even-numbered years, so staying current with deadlines matters. This detailed guide shows you each step to build a successful career as a mental health professional in the state.

Types of Licensure in Georgia

Georgia mental health counselors can get licensed through several pathways based on their career stages and specializations. The Georgia Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists manages two main counseling credentials: the Associate Professional Counselor (APC) and the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).

Associate Professional Counselor (APC) represents the entry-level credential for counselors who completed their education but still need full licensure. APCs must practice under supervision and can use this title up to five years while they get the required post-degree experience. The qualification requirements include:

• A master’s degree or higher in clinical counseling or counseling psychology from a regionally accredited program
• At least 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of coursework
• An approved supervised internship or practicum that focuses on counseling
• A board-registered supervision contract to get post-degree experience

Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) enables independent practice with full counseling service scope. This advanced credential needs:

• The same educational requirements as the APC
• Two years of post-degree experience with direction and supervision in a board-approved work setting

The board provides application pathways based on individual situations:

1. Licensure by Examination – First-time applicants who haven’t taken the required national licensure examination
2. Licensure by Exam Waiver – Applicants who already passed the required national examination
3. Endorsement – Counselors with current, unencumbered licenses from other states
4. Reinstatement – Previously licensed counselors with lapsed, expired, or revoked licenses
5. Inactive Status – Current LPCs who don’t plan to practice in Georgia

Both credentials require passing either the National Counselor Examination (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE). The NCE uses multiple-choice questions, while the NCMHCE tests knowledge through clinical scenarios.

Georgia recognizes additional specialized counseling licenses:

• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) – Professionals who specialize in marriage and family systems
• School Counselor Certification – The Georgia Professional Standards Commission handles this certification
• Substance Abuse Counselor Certification – Professional organizations like the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Certification Board of Georgia provide certification rather than state licensing

All licenses expire every two years on September 30th of even-numbered years. License renewal requires 35 hours of continuing education during each renewal period and a $100 fee.

New APC and LPC applicants must pay a $100 application fee. Applicants can track their application status online.

Earn Your Degree

Getting the right education creates the foundations of a clinical mental health counselor’s career in Georgia. Your educational experience must line up with the state licensing board’s requirements.

A master’s degree in counseling or applied psychology is your first requirement. The degree should come from a program with accreditation from these recognized bodies:

• Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) – Georgia currently has 15 CACREP-accredited schools
• Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) – Georgia has two CORE-accredited schools
• A regionally accredited program recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)

Your master’s program requires at least 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of coursework. Students typically complete these programs in 2-3 years. Many schools help working professionals by offering evening classes, online options, and hybrid delivery models.

Programs without CACREP or CORE accreditation must cover these nine core areas:

1. Human Growth and Development
2. Diversity or Multicultural Counseling
3. Counseling Skills or Techniques
4. Group Dynamics and Group Counseling
5. Career and Lifestyle Development
6. Assessment and Appraisal of Individuals
7. Research Methods and Evaluation
8. Professional Ethics and Orientation
9. Psychopathology

Hands-on experience plays a vital part in your education. Programs include supervised practicum or internship hours. Students needed 300 hours originally, but degrees completed after September 30, 2018, now require 600 hours. Universities often structure clinical work in three levels: labs, practicum activities, and internship experiences.

Georgia’s counseling programs show impressive results. The University of North Georgia’s Master of Science in Counseling has achieved a 100% licensure exam pass rate since 2014. Mercer University’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling program students achieved a 95% first-time pass rate on the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination in 2023.

Programs offer these specialized tracks:

• Clinical Mental Health Counseling – Readies you for work in mental health centers, hospitals, and private practice
• Addictions Counseling – Emphasizes assessment, treatment, and relapse prevention
• College Counseling and Student Affairs – Helps you support college students’ development
• Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling – Focuses on serving individuals with disabilities

Students can take the National Counselor Examination (NCE) during their final semester in most programs. NCE serves as the first step toward becoming both a National Certified Counselor and a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia.

Your program choice should go beyond accreditation. Take time to review exam pass rates, faculty qualifications, class schedules, internship opportunities, and curriculum alignment with your career goals. Tuition costs vary between public and private institutions.

A respected, accredited program builds a strong foundation for your counseling career in Georgia’s competitive job market.

Get Licensed

Getting your Georgia counseling license starts right after you finish your education and pass the required exam. You can take either the National Counselor Examination (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE), both administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). Georgia accepts both exams for licensure.

You need approval from the Georgia Professional Licensing Boards before registering for an exam. They will send you an eligibility letter and Licensure Examination Registration Form. You must then send this form to the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE) with a $195.00 examination fee and your eligibility letter copy.

It takes about four weeks to process your payment. After that, you’ll get scheduled during the testing window in the first two to three full weeks of each month. Georgia has six testing locations – Albany, Atlanta, Stockbridge, Augusta, Macon, and Savannah. You can also take the test at any Pearson professional center across the country.

Here’s what you need to do to apply for your license:

• Send a completed application with required documents to the Georgia Composite Board
• Include official transcripts that show your master’s degree
• Show proof of supervised experience (if applying for LPC)
• Have your exam scores sent directly from the testing agency
• Pay $100 for the application fee

The board usually processes applications within 20 business days, not counting weekends and holidays. Processing times can change based on how many applications they receive and your specific situation. Right now, they might withdraw incomplete applications if you don’t fix any issues within 60 days of being notified.

Associate Professional Counselor (APC) candidates must register their post-master’s supervised experience contract with the Board. This contract shows how you plan to get the supervised experience you need to become an LPC. You must tell the Board about any contract changes within 14 days.

APCs can only work under supervision for up to five years while they get experience for their LPC license. During this time, you can only use the title “Associate Professional Counselor”.

Your education level determines how much supervised experience you need:

• Three years with a master’s degree
• Two years with a specialist degree
• One year with a doctoral degree

Each year of experience must include at least 1,000 hours over 12 months and 30 hours of supervision during that time. Your supervisor will confirm your experience by submitting Form C and Form E to the State Board.

The board will speed up applications and give exam point credits to military service members, veterans, and their spouses. To get Veteran’s Preference Points, include your DD-214 form that shows at least 90 days of service during a conflict period.

Your license stays active until it expires, which happens every two years on September 30th of even-numbered years. Keeping track of renewal requirements will help you practice without interruption.

Find Employment

The job market for clinical mental health counselors in Georgia looks bright. Employment will grow by 32% between 2020 and 2030. This is a big deal as it means that the national average of 22% for the same period. Georgia expects about 870 job openings each year from new positions, retirements, and natural workforce turnover.

Licensed counselors can find work in these settings throughout Georgia:

• Mental Health Agencies: Organizations like the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) employ counselors across six field offices and five hospitals statewide
• Private Practice: Offers autonomy over schedule, client selection, and treatment approaches
• Hospitals and Rehabilitation Centers: Provide structured environments with interdisciplinary teams
• Educational Institutions: Schools increasingly prioritize mental health support for students
• Corporate Settings: Many companies establish Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)

The Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia (LPCA-GA) Job Board offers a free platform just for counseling jobs – it’s a great place to start your search.

Mental health counselors in Georgia earned these salaries in 2024:

• Entry-level (10th percentile): $39,020 annually
• Early career (25th percentile): $46,150 annually
• Median salary: $55,320 annually
• Experienced (75th percentile): $71,980 annually
• Top earners (90th percentile): $93,200 annually

Your earning potential depends on several key factors:

• Geographic location: Atlanta metro area typically offers higher salaries
• Practice setting: Private practice often yields greater income potential
• Specialization: Certain areas command premium compensation
• Client population: Some populations offer higher reimbursement rates

Money isn’t everything when choosing where to work. Agency counselors get benefits and structured support but have less control over schedules and caseloads. Private practitioners enjoy more flexibility but need to handle their own finances, marketing, and overhead costs.

Whatever setting you choose, there’s plenty of work to be done in underserved areas. Georgia has 84 Health Professional Shortage Areas serving about 5,025,022 residents. New counselors might find their most rewarding work serving these communities.

Remain Compliant

You need dedication to professional development and ethical standards to keep your clinical mental health counselor license active in Georgia. We focused on specific continuing education (CE) requirements that help maintain your credentials.

Licensed counselors in Georgia must complete 35 hours of continuing education every two years. These hours fall into three categories:

• 5 hours in professional ethics
• 15 hours in core classes for professional counseling
• 15 hours in related areas relevant to mental health counseling

Ethics training must happen in real-time – pre-recorded workshops don’t count. You can get up to 10 hours of your total CE requirements through asynchronous learning (excluding ethics). A single course or workshop can provide no more than 20 hours.

The Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia (LPCA) has official authorization from the Georgia Composite Board to approve CE hours for clinical workshops. Organizations like NBCC, LPCA, Georgia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, universities, or hospitals typically approve “core” CE hours.

Detailed documentation is a vital part of your career. Each CE certificate needs specific details: date, title, presenter information, delivery method, location, provider details, contact information, your name, phone number, type of CE hours, and approval number. Set up a filing system for each renewal cycle and keep records for at least four years to make audits easier.

Licenses expire every two years on September 30th of even-numbered years (2024, 2026, etc.). It’s worth mentioning that you can’t start collecting CE hours for your next renewal period until after September 30th of the current cycle. The Georgia Composite Board suggests completing renewals by June 30th, though September 30th is the official deadline.

Your license requires strict adherence to the Code of Ethics and Supplemental Code of Conduct beyond education requirements. Breaking these rules counts as unprofessional conduct and could lead to disciplinary action or license revocation.

Check the Georgia Board of Professional Counselors website regularly for regulatory updates to stay compliant. Random audits of licensees’ continuing education documentation happen occasionally, so well-organized records protect your professional standing.

Next Steps

A career as a clinical mental health counselor in Georgia is a rewarding path that needs dedication, education, and persistence. This piece outlines the vital steps toward licensure, starting with a master’s degree from an accredited program. You now understand the two main licensure paths—Associate Professional Counselor (APC) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). These paths serve different career stages.

Passing either the NCE or NCMHCE exam is a vital milestone after getting approval from the Georgia Professional Licensing Boards. Your professional development’s foundation depends on supervised experience. The requirements change based on your education level.

Georgia’s job market looks promising with growth rates that are a big deal as it means they exceed national averages. Mental health agencies, private practice, hospitals, educational institutions, and corporate settings offer many opportunities. Your yearly earnings could range between $50,500 and $70,000. This varies by location, experience, and specialization.

You need 35 hours of continuing education every two years to keep your license active. Regular checks of renewal deadlines and proper documentation help you practice without interruption.

Becoming a clinical mental health counselor in Georgia takes time and effort. All the same, helping others while building a stable, meaningful career makes this experience worthwhile. This detailed guide gives you the knowledge to direct each step with confidence as you start this rewarding professional path.