How to Become a Clinical Mental Health Counselor in South Carolina: State Requirements Guide 2026

Mental health counseling careers in South Carolina show great promise as the state needs more licensed professionals. South Carolina’s state Board of Examiners handles licensing for Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Addiction Counselors and Psycho-Educational Specialists. The path requires education, proper licensing and true dedication.

The path to becoming a counselor in SC takes six to ten years, but the professional rewards make it worthwhile. Counselors in South Carolina earn between $45,000 and $70,000 annually. Mental health counselors, including those working with substance use and behavioral disorders in Charleston, earn an average of $58,920 per year. Your professional counselor license helps you build skills and knowledge beyond your degree.

This page guides you through the requirements to become a clinical mental health counselor in South Carolina. You’ll learn about educational paths, supervised experience, licensing procedures and compliance requirements. The guide also covers licensing costs – $150 for Licensed Professional Counselor Interns and $170 for full Licensed Professional Counselors. This information helps you plan your career investment wisely.

Types of Licensure in South Carolina

South Carolina’s Board of Examiners provides several ways to become a licensed clinical mental health counselor. The board oversees Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Addiction Counselors and Psycho-Educational Specialists. You’ll need to know these options to plan your mental health career path.

The Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) is South Carolina’s main credential for mental health counselors. This license lets you practice independently and serves as the standard credential in the state. Once you complete this credential, you meet all licensure requirements. You might also transfer your license to other states, depending on their rules.

Your path starts with getting the Licensed Professional Counselor Intern (LPC-I) credential. Every in-state counselor begins with this license. You’ll spend about two years as an LPC-I while you complete your supervised clinical experience. The South Carolina Board makes it clear – your supervised hours only count after you receive your intern license.

The state also recognizes another path – the Professional Counselor Associate. These professionals work under supervision with an approved clinical supervision plan. The license lasts two years. You’ll need an Associate Extension if you haven’t finished your post-Master’s clinical experience by then.

Want to help future counselors? The Professional Counselor Supervisor license might be right for you. You’ll need a current, active South Carolina Professional Counselor License without restrictions. You should also have either a doctoral degree in Counselor Education and Supervision or meet other requirements, including five years of continuous clinical work right before applying.

Already licensed somewhere else? South Carolina offers licensure by endorsement. This works for counselors licensed in other U.S. areas with similar or stricter requirements. You need a current, active license in good standing from another state with no pending investigations.

The state has a special reciprocity option for North Carolina LCMHC (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor) holders. While South Carolina doesn’t have direct reciprocity agreements with other states, you can get a license through reciprocity if your current state has matching licensing standards.

South Carolina belongs to the Counseling Compact. When fully active, this membership will let counselors work across member states. This change will make working across state lines much easier.

International applicants need to show they’re proficient in English, along with having comparable education and experience.

Each license type fits a specific role in your growth as a clinical mental health counselor. The state provides clear paths from supervised practice to independent work and even supervision roles.

Earn Your Degree

Getting an advanced degree is your first step to becoming a clinical mental health counselor in South Carolina. The educational requirements will prepare you well for this rewarding profession.

Your original degree must be either a master’s or doctorate in counseling or a related field. South Carolina lets you choose between two educational paths: You can graduate from a Clinical Mental Health counseling program with CACREP accreditation at graduation time, or complete a comparable non-CACREP program that meets specific course requirements.

Students in non-CACREP programs need 60 graduate semester hours in counseling from a nationally accredited program. The school must have accreditation from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, its transferring regional associations, or the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada.

Your studies must cover these ten core content areas through three-semester hour courses (or 4.5 quarter hours):

• Helping relationship (counseling techniques and theories)
• Human growth and development
• Social and cultural foundations
• Appraisal of individuals
• Group dynamics/processing/counseling
• Lifestyle and career development
• Research and evaluation
• Professional orientation
• Psychopathology
• Diagnostics of psychopathology

Hands-on experience plays a crucial role. You’ll need to complete a 150-hour counseling practicum with at least 40 hours of direct client services. To treat serious mental disorders, you should also complete a 600-hour internship under a qualified mental health practitioner’s supervision.

Several universities in South Carolina offer these programs. The University of South Carolina has a 60-credit hour Master of Arts in Counseling and Rehabilitation. This program lets you specialize in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling and Clinical Addiction Counseling. Clemson University offers a CACREP-accredited 60-credit hour Master of Education with a focus on clinical mental health counseling. Charleston Southern University’s Clinical Counseling program comes in an online format that includes practicum and internship experiences.

Most students can finish these programs in about two years of full-time study. Part-time students usually take three years or more. Many schools now offer evening or online courses that work well for working professionals.

The program you choose will shape your path to licensure and clinical practice. Look at factors like CACREP accreditation to make licensing easier, program format options, and available clinical placements. Your education’s quality will help you succeed in licensure exams and your future practice.

Get Licensed

The path to becoming a clinical mental health counselor in South Carolina follows a clear process after you complete your degree. This trip usually takes 3-4 years from the start of graduate school until full licensure.

You must first apply to become a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPC-A) before you can start supervised hours. The application and educational review costs $170. The South Carolina Board requires you to register and get approval for your supervision plan before you start practicing.

You’ll need to pass one of these national examinations:

• National Counselor Examination (NCE) – $270 fee
• National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) – $270 fee

The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) administers both exams, and South Carolina accepts either one. The Center for Credentialing & Education will send your examination registration materials after reviewing and approving your education.

You must complete 1,500 hours of supervised post-master’s clinical experience over at least two years. These hours include:

• 1,380 hours of documented direct client contact
• 120 hours of documented supervision

At least 60 hours of supervision must be individual/triadic, and you can complete the other 60 hours as individual/triadic or group sessions. Your clinical supervisor needs to hold one of these South Carolina licenses: LPC, Licensed Psychologist, Licensed Physician (such as a psychiatrist), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), or Licensed Independent Social Worker – Clinical Practice (LISW-CP).

Your LPC-A license remains valid for two years. You’ll need to apply for an associate extension before your license expires if you haven’t completed the required hours.

You can apply for full Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) status after completing all supervised experience requirements and passing your examination. Complete applications typically take 4-8 weeks for the South Carolina Board to process.

You must wait for the Board’s approval of your supervision plan and receive your Associate license before providing any counseling services. A smooth transition to full licensure depends on keeping detailed documentation of your supervised hours using the proper forms.

Find Employment

South Carolina’s job market looks promising for clinical mental health counselors as you complete your licensing trip. Jobs for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors will grow by a lot – 23% from 2020 to 2030 in South Carolina. This growth rate exceeds average occupations and will create about 210 job openings each year.

Counselors in South Carolina earn between $45,000 and $70,000 yearly. Charleston pays the highest rates. Substance use, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors make $58,920 yearly there. School and career counselors earn about $64,170. Here’s what other counseling specialties pay:

• Educational, guidance, and career counselors: $59,780 annually ($28.74 hourly)
• Marriage and family therapists: $51,940 annually ($24.97 hourly)
• Rehabilitation counselors: $45,490 annually ($21.87 hourly)
• Other counseling specialties: up to $69,840 annually ($33.58 hourly)

Licensed professionals have many work settings available. LPCs work in private practices, hospitals, churches, schools, universities, mental health agencies, and community centers. The South Carolina Department of Mental Health (SCDMH) often hires counselors and offers chances to “make an impact, help others, learn new skills, and grow your career”.

Full-time positions come with complete benefits packages that include health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans. You might also get paid parental leave and 401(k) plans with company matching. Some employers in underserved areas help with loan forgiveness programs that offset education costs.

Private practice options exist through established groups like LifeStance Health. They actively look for licensed mental health clinicians across South Carolina and welcome professionals planning to transfer licenses from other states.

The strong job outlook stems from several factors. People now understand mental health better and accept counseling services more readily. Insurance coverage has expanded, substance abuse treatment needs keep rising, and school-based mental health services grow steadily. Experienced counselors’ retirement creates openings for new licensed professionals.

You can improve your chances by focusing on high-demand areas. These include substance abuse treatment, trauma counseling, child and adolescent therapy, couples counseling, or geriatric mental health. These specialties help you line up your career with your interests and what communities need most.

Remain Compliant

You need to keep your clinical mental health counselor license current in South Carolina by following the state regulations set by the Board of Examiners. The license renewal happens every two years.

Licensed Professional Counselors must complete 40 contact hours of continuing education (CE) in each two-year period. Your professional license requires 34 of these hours, while ethical standards take up 6 hours. You also need at least 3 hours focused on multicultural counseling or cultural humility.

The requirements change if you have multiple licenses. You’ll need 50 hours every two years – 44 hours split equally between your professional licenses and 6 hours for ethical standards.

Supervisor roles come with extra requirements. Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisors must finish 10 extra hours of formal continuing education in supervision during each two-year period. This rule applies even with multiple supervisor licenses – you still need 10 hours, divided equally across disciplines.

South Carolina’s Board of Examiners uses CE Broker as its official tracking system. You’ll need a free CE Broker account to document your compliance. The Board is clear that no continuing education hours may be carried forward to the next renewal period.

The Board accepts different types of continuing education, but formal instruction is the main requirement. You can get up to 15 hours through informal continuing education during each two-year period. Valid documentation includes college course transcripts, seminar or workshop certificates, and completion certificates from approved online courses.

Staying compliant lets you practice legally in South Carolina. The Board sends important renewal information by email, so your contact details must stay current. Requirements might change over time, so staying connected with your licensing board is vital.

Next Steps

Career advancement as a clinical mental health counselor in South Carolina needs strategic planning beyond your original licensure. The year brings several professional development opportunities your way.

The South Carolina Clinical Mental Health Counselors Association (SCCMHCA) is a great way to get resources to support your continued growth. SCCMHCA will direct its focus on four key areas throughout 2026: advocacy and professional growth, diversity and equity initiatives, support for emerging counselors, and improved collaboration opportunities. Their Forum Series features specialized tracks on multicultural and diversity counseling that strengthen your practice competencies.

To get your license quickly, these strategic approaches will help:

• Complete a CACREP-accredited program whenever possible
• Apply promptly for your LPCA credential upon graduation
• Begin accruing supervised hours immediately after approval
• Use recommended study materials for exam preparation to pass on your first attempt

Professional advancement depends significantly on networking. The NAMI South Carolina Annual Mental Health Conference connects mental health advocates, professionals, and individuals with lived experience. The Lowcountry Mental Health Conference also provides sponsorship and exhibition opportunities to boost your professional visibility.

New career paths can open up through specialized roles. The Behavioral Health Technician certification, available through South Carolina’s Technical School System, serves as an entry-level position in mental health settings. This 11-credit hour program helps develop skills in patient care, emergency response, and understanding mental health dynamics.

State requirements mandate tracking your continuing education through CE Broker, the official tracking system for South Carolina’s Board of Examiners. Creating your account early helps you maintain records of your professional development activities effectively.

SCCMHCA’s mentorship opportunities want to increase graduate student membership and support newly licensed counselors. These connections often lead to job opportunities, collaborative practices, and valuable guidance as you direct your counseling career path.