The New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Counseling and Therapy Practice Board (CTPB) issues the license you need if you want to engage in clinical counseling as an independent professional: the Licensed Professional Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LPCC).
Before you can become fully licensed as an LPCC you’ll need to gain two years of supervised counseling experience. This is done as an Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). As an LMHC you must always work under a CTPB-approved supervised experience arrangement. Once you’ve earned enough supervised counseling experience you can apply for full licensure as an LPCC.
Application process:
The LMHC and LPCC licenses expire biennially every two years. Renewal notices are sent out by the CTPB in mid July in the year your license expires. To be eligible for renewal you must complete 40 hours of continuing education over a two-year period between October 1st and September 30th, including six hours in ethics. You can renew online. The renewal fee is $75 for the LMHC and $220 for the LPCC.
If you’re engaging in supervision as an LPCC then you need to have three hours of continuing education on the topic of supervision.
It will take you at least eight years to become fully licensed as an LPCC. You’ll need to invest at least six years into education: four years into earning a bachelor’s degree and two years to earn a master’s degree in Counseling or a related field. At this point you can qualify to become an LMHC and accrue the additional two years of supervised counseling experience you need to qualify for full LPCC licensure.
You can apply for the LPCC license via reciprocity, also referred to as licensure by credential, if you’ve held an equivalent license in another state for at least five years. Your license needs to be in good standing with no disciplinary actions against it over this period of time. You also need to fulfill New Mexico’s education requirement for licensure.
FIND SCHOOLS Sponsored ContentYou can apply by submitting an application for LPCC licensure via reciprocity to the New Mexico CTPB. You also need have your out-of-state Board of Counseling fill out a license verification form (Form A) and send it to the CTPB.
The degree program you use to fulfill the education requirement for LMHC and LPCC licensure must include a supervised practicum or internship that focuses on the provision of counseling services within a professional setting. This must count for at least nine semester credits.
The LMHC and LPCC licenses each have their own exam requirement:
While both exams are sponsored by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), before you can register with the NBCC for your exam you first must submit an application for either LMHC or LPCC licensure to the New Mexico CTPB. Once the CTPB approves your application it will notify the NBCC that you’re cleared to test and you can then register for an exam with the NBCC.
You’ll register for your exam through the online ProCounselor portal, which is maintained by an NBCC-affiliated organization, the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE).
Both exams are taken on a computer at a local testing center. The NCE exam allocates three hours and forty-five minutes for completion and is comprised of 200 multiple-choice questions covering core content from your education program’s curriculum. The NCMHCE exam presents you with questions on 10 different clinical simulations, for which you’ll have three hours to complete. You can read more about both exams through the NCE and NCMHCE handbooks.
To fulfill the education requirement for LMHC or LPCC licensure you must have a master’s or doctoral degree in Counseling or a counseling-related field from a school that’s accredited by an organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Fields that are counseling-related are defined as the following:
Your degree program also needs to include at least 12 semester credits in total devoted to these specialized clinical studies subjects:
In 2020 the US Department of Labor reported the following average annual salaries for a range of counseling careers, specifically for New Mexico:
From the careers detailed above the US Department of Labor reports a total of 4,580 professionals working statewide in New Mexico. Of those:
New Mexico Counseling Association (NMCA) – Hosting an annual conference while facilitating professional development, legislative advocacy, and offering extensive networking opportunities, this organization is comprised of four divisions: the New Mexico Career Development Association (NMCDA), the New Mexico Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Counseling (NMALGBTIC), the New Mexico Association of Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (NMSERVIC), and the New Mexico Mental Health Counselors Association (NMMHCA).
New Mexico Mental Health Counselors Association (NMMHCA) – The roots of this organization stretch back to 1979. Striving to be the number-one organization for those in this field, it represents mental health counselors working in private and public practice. It’s divided into northern, southern, and central regions of representation.
New Mexico School Counselor Association (NMSCA) – Sponsoring regular events including an annual conference and awards ceremony, the mission of the NMSCA is to promote excellence throughout this professional field. Its board is made up of dedicated volunteers.
Behavioral Health Providers Association of New Mexico (BHPANM) – Through collaboration, this organization focuses on advocating for a sustainable behavioral health system for all in New Mexico. It sponsors trainings, an annual conference, engages in legislative advocacy, and maintains a repository of important resources.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) New Mexico – Founded in the 1980s by a dedicated group who saw the necessity for mental health education and support in New Mexico, today members from a variety of professional backgrounds are proud to come together and engage in community outreach activities.
New Mexico Human Services Department – This state-level agency is comprised of four main divisions: the Medical Assistance Division, the Income Support Division, the Child Support Enforcement Division, and the Behavioral Health Services Division. The latter division serves as the substance abuse and mental health authority for the entire state.
New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) – An executive state-level government agency, the NMDOH’s subdivisions include its Injury and Behavioral Epidemiology Bureau, its Mental Health Program, and its Substance Abuse Epidemiology Program.
FIND SCHOOLS Sponsored ContentAlbuquerque Collaborative Therapeutics – Providing comprehensive behavioral and psychological services using evidence-based practices like Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, this team of clinical social workers and LPCCs help clients with issues like PTSD, behavioral support consultations, and developmental disabilities.
Age to Age Counseling – Staffed by a team of LPCCs, LMHCs, and master social workers, this Albuquerque-based practice helps individuals, families, couples, and groups address issues with treatments like aromatherapy, a sand tray, psychological testing, and the expressive arts.
Amistad Family Services – This Las Cruces-based organization hosts an infant mental health program and circle of security sessions with parents and individuals. It also provides child and parent psychotherapy and EMDR treatments. It has a multi-disciplinary team made up of LMHCs, clinical and master social workers, and a marriage and family therapist.
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