How to Become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Maryland

A career as a clinical mental health counselor in Maryland offers a promising path with excellent financial rewards. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows counseling salaries in Maryland range from $47,800 to $84,900 per year, which sits well above national averages. The job outlook looks bright, with projections showing at least 14% growth for mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, and school counselors from 2022-2032.

The path to becoming a licensed counselor in Maryland involves specific LPC requirements set by state regulations. Getting your professional license is a vital milestone that builds your skills beyond your educational degree. Your license will open new doors and help you reach your long-term career goals.

This piece provides clear steps to become a licensed mental health counselor in Maryland. You’ll learn everything from educational requirements to finding work and keeping your credentials current. The information here will help advance your counseling career in Maryland, whether you’re just starting out or moving from another state.

Types of Licensure in Maryland

The Maryland Department of Health Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists oversees a tiered licensing structure for mental health counselors. You need to understand these license types to plan your career path in Maryland.

The Maryland licensing board grants two main counseling credentials: the Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor (LGPC) and the Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). These licenses show different stages in your professional growth and let you practice at different levels.

The Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor (LGPC) is your first step toward full licensure. This temporary license lets you practice under supervision while you gain clinical experience. You can work in clinical settings and complete supervised hours needed for the LCPC credential with an LGPC. The LGPC license costs $200.00.

The Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) is Maryland’s highest counseling credential. This license allows independent clinical practice. You can diagnose and treat emotional or mental conditions, prevent psychological problems, and help individuals and groups. The LCPC license costs $350.00.

Your journey from LGPC to LCPC requires supervised clinical experience. Master’s degree holders must complete three years and 3,000 hours of supervised clinical work. Two years and 2,000 hours should happen after getting your master’s degree. Doctoral degree holders need less time – two years and 2,000 hours of supervised clinical experience, with one year after earning their doctorate.

The LGPC title is unique to certain regions. Maryland uses this designation, while other states have similar titles for supervised counselors working toward full licensure. You might see titles like Associate Professional Counselor (APC), Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC), Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPCA), and Provisional Licensed Professional Counselor (PLPC).

Maryland offers a separate School Counselor certification through its State Department of Education. This certification follows its own path with specific educational and experience requirements for counselors in schools.

Your career goals should guide your choice of license in Maryland. Most counselors start with the LGPC and work toward the LCPC. The LCPC gives you more freedom to work independently, bill insurance companies, and run a private practice.

Licensed counselors from other states can apply for “licensure by waiver” in Maryland. Maryland also takes part in the Counseling Compact, which will let licensed counselors from member states practice across borders once fully active.

Earn Your Degree

Your education is the base of your experience to become a licensed mental health counselor in Maryland. You must complete a graduate-level degree from an institution approved by the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists.

State licensure requires specific academic credentials. You need either a master’s degree with a minimum of 60 graduate semester credit hours (or 90 quarter credit hours) or a doctoral degree with at least 90 graduate semester credit hours (or 135 quarter credit hours) in counseling or a related field. The Board must approve these degrees from accredited educational institutions.

Graduate programs must cover 14 key knowledge areas, with a minimum of 3 semester credits (or 5 quarter credit hours) in each area. These areas include human growth and development, counseling theories, techniques, group dynamics, research methods, ethics, diagnosis, and specialized topics like marriage/family therapy and substance use counseling. Students must complete supervised field experience with at least 125 hours of face-to-face client counseling.

Maryland has several CACREP-accredited counseling programs that meet national standards:

• Bowie State University: M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and M.Ed. in School Counseling
• Hood College: M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling
• Johns Hopkins University: M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling
• Loyola University Maryland: M.A./M.Ed. in School Counseling

University of Maryland Global Campus offers an M.S. in Clinical Professional Counseling with a detailed curriculum. Students start with self-paced onboarding and progress through foundational, core, and specialized courses. McDaniel College’s online M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling costs $609 per credit hour, making it available for students who need flexibility.

Maryland’s licensing board doesn’t require CACREP accreditation, but these programs line up well with state requirements and can help during the licensing process. Many students choose these programs as their top choice.

Students typically complete counseling master’s programs in Maryland in 2-3 years, based on course load and full-time or part-time status. Working professionals can take advantage of evening and weekend classes at many institutions. Unlike other graduate fields, many Maryland counseling programs don’t require GRE scores.

Students should think over several factors before choosing a program. Location, cost, format (online vs. in-person), and specialization options matter. Each program’s practicum and internship placement services are vital components for professional development and meeting licensure requirements.

Get Licensed

The Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists oversees the formal licensure process you’ll need to complete after finishing your education to become a licensed counselor in Maryland.

Your first step is getting the Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor (LGPC) credential – your gateway to professional practice. The application comes with a $200.00 fee. The Board usually takes about 6 months to process your completed application.

You must pass two important exams to receive your LGPC. The National Counselor Examination (NCE) from the National Board for Certified Counselors tests your counseling knowledge through 200 multiple-choice questions. You’ll also need to pass the Maryland Law Test to show you understand state-specific counseling regulations.

The path to becoming a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) requires supervised clinical experience after getting your LGPC. The requirements vary based on your degree:

• Master’s degree holders need three years with 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience under an approved supervisor. Two years must happen after getting the master’s degree
• Doctoral degree holders need two years with 2,000 hours of supervised clinical experience. At least 1,000 hours must occur after earning the doctorate

You’ll work with an LCPC Approved Supervisor or other approved supervisor under a formal contract during this time. The Board provides a form to transfer from LGPC to LCPC status once you complete your supervision hours.

The LCPC application costs $200.00. Full licensure lets you practice independently, bill insurance companies, and run a private practice.

Maryland welcomes counselors from other states through “licensure by waiver”. The state also participates in the Counseling Compact, which will let counselors practice across member states without extra licenses.

The Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act of 2022 helps military spouses by speeding up their licensure process, making it easier to transfer professional licenses.

Find Employment

Maryland’s job market offers exciting opportunities to newly licensed mental health counselors in a variety of settings. The state faces an urgent need for mental health professionals. Latest projections suggest a need for over 32,000 additional behavioral health providers by 2028. Rural and underserved areas feel this shortage most acutely, with vacancy rates going beyond 50%.

Mental health professionals can expect strong salary prospects in Maryland. The state’s substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors earn a median annual salary of $57,820. This is a big deal as it means that the state pays more than the national median of $59,190. Top earners in the field can make up to $97,050. Location plays a key role in pay scales. Columbia leads with $127,568, followed by Frederick at $87,449 and Bethesda at $86,325.

Maryland’s behavioral health workforce stands at 34,613 professionals across 16 core occupations as of 2023. Counselors and therapists make up the largest group with 8,732 professionals. The ongoing opioid crisis has made substance abuse and behavioral disorder counseling the fastest-growing specialization. Student mental health concerns and post-pandemic family stress have boosted the need for school counselors and marriage/family therapists.

You’ll find job opportunities in these settings:

• Community mental health centers that provide outpatient therapy
• Private practices with specialized services
• Hospitals and medical centers that have integrated behavioral health teams
• Substance abuse treatment facilities, both residential and outpatient
• Educational institutions and university counseling centers
• Government agencies like VA, correctional facilities, and social services
• Employee assistance programs

Your career path might lead you to choose between agency work and private practice. Agency positions come with perks like ready-made client bases, administrative support, mentorship, and steady salaries with benefits. Private practice lets you control your schedule, choose clients, pick treatment approaches, and potentially earn more long-term. However, you’ll need to handle administrative tasks and grow your business.

The state’s major employers include Johns Hopkins Medicine, Sheppard Pratt, House of Ruth, Synergy Strive, and several community mental health centers. Baltimore City has the highest number of behavioral health professionals, both overall and per capita. Job opportunities exist throughout Maryland.

Remain Compliant

Your Maryland counseling license requires strict compliance with professional standards. You must complete continuing education (CE) requirements and follow ethical guidelines set by the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists to keep your credentials active.

LCPCs and LCMFTs need 40 continuing education hours every two years. The requirements specify that 30 hours must fall under Category A activities. These include courses, workshops, seminars, symposiums, and authoring/editing juried publications. Category B activities can make up the remaining 10 hours through informal courses, in-house colloquia, invited speaker sessions, and individualized learning with formal professional supervision.

The board clearly defines activities that don’t qualify for CE credit. Business meetings, professional committee meetings, presentations for lay audiences, and home study programs won’t count. Your license will expire if you don’t complete required CE hours by the expiration date. Practicing without completing these requirements is illegal.

The board provides an “inactive status” option if you need flexibility. You cannot practice professionally in Maryland during this period. Evidence of completed CE hours and necessary fees are required to reactivate your license.

Maryland requires all health care practitioners to complete a one-time implicit bias training program since April 2022. This requirement shows the state’s steadfast dedication to culturally responsive care in all health professions.

The board accepts CE programs from several recognized providers:

• American Counseling Association
• National Board for Certified Counselors
• American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
• National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors
• International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium
• Accredited institutions of higher education
• Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

The Maryland Psychological Association’s CE programs are a great way to get board-approved credits. You can choose from 1.5-hour lunch-and-learns, 3-hour workshops, and full-day conferences.

School counselors have different renewal requirements. Their licenses last five years and require 90 professional development hours. The training must cover depression, trauma, violence, substance abuse, youth suicide, and resources for students in crisis.

Your success as a licensed counselor in Maryland depends on meeting these compliance requirements. Staying current will ensure your legal practice and professional growth continue smoothly.

Next Steps

Getting your license is just the start. Professional organizations like the Maryland Counseling Association (MCA) can take your mental health counseling career in Maryland to the next level.

MCA membership brings many practical benefits to help you grow as a counselor. Members get discounted continuing education events, early updates about industry events, latest policy changes, and quarterly newsletters where you can publish articles. The association sends electronic renewal reminders and keeps track of your professional development activities.

The MCA membership makes financial sense through these benefits:

• Lower registration fees for conferences and workshops
• First access to counseling job openings
• Grants to fund professional projects
• Board members get leadership training at reduced rates

Maryland’s continuing education providers offer specialized programs to boost your clinical expertise. The University of Maryland School of Nursing’s Thanatology Certificate Program gives 90 contact hours after completion. Sheppard Pratt runs live and on-demand education through Grand Rounds series, workshops, and specialty courses. These cover topics from OCD and anxiety to trauma disorders.

The Maryland Addiction and Behavioral-health Professionals Certification Board (MABPCB) offers various credential programs that can expand your practice areas.

Professional committees give you another path to advance your career. You can build leadership skills by working with experienced practitioners on these committees. Maryland’s mental health field keeps growing rapidly. Projections show a need for over 32,000 additional behavioral health providers by 2028. Active involvement in professional organizations puts you in a great position within this expanding field.

Remember, getting licensed is only the beginning. Your professional growth continues through ongoing education, specialization, and active participation in Maryland’s counseling community.