Your Guide to Becoming a Licensed Counselor in Indiana

Mental health counseling is a rewarding and meaningful career that allows you to make a lasting impact on people’s lives. But becoming a licensed counselor is a journey. We compare it to a marathon rather than a sprint. Becoming a licensed mental health counselor requires dedication and hard work, but it is a rewarding career. This page includes information specific to Indiana licensure requirements. All students will collect information on their own states in the Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling course.

Education Requirements

Indiana requires a master’s degree or a doctorate degree. A master’s degree must have at least 60 semester hours, and a doctoral degree must have at least 96. According to the Indiana State Code, the curriculum you complete as part of a graduate counseling program must focus on the following:

• Human Growth & Development
• Social & Cultural foundations of counseling
• Helping Relationships – Counseling Theory & Practice
• Group Dynamics, Processes, Counseling, and Consultation
• Lifestyle and Career Development
• Assessment & Appraisal of Individuals
• Research and Program Evaluation
• Professional Orientation & Ethics
• Foundations of Mental Health Counseling
• Contextual Dimensions of Mental Health Counseling
• Knowledge and Skill for the Practice of Mental Health Counseling & Psychotherapy
• Clinical Instruction

Supervised Clinical Experience

The graduate program you choose must also include 700 hours of supervised practicum and internship experiences in a counseling setting. During your practicum and internships, you will have individual and group supervision. In Indiana, the following types of licensed mental health professionals are considered acceptable supervisors:

• Licensed Mental Health Counselors
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists
• Clinical Nurse Specialist in Psychiatry or Mental Health Nursing
• Licensed Clinical Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Psychiatrists

Once you graduate, you will need an additional 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience. This practice must be completed within a four-year time period, and cannot be fulfilled in less than 21 months. During this period of post-masters supervision, you’ll need 100 hours of face-to-face supervision.

Required Examinations

To become a licensed associate mental health counselor in Indiana, you will submit your required paperwork and transcripts along with your application. You are also required to take the National Counselor Exam (NCE). Before you can apply for your full license, you must also take the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE). The NCMHCE tests aspiring counseling professionals on matters of assessment, diagnosis, counseling, psychotherapy, administration, consultation, and supervision.

License Renewal

Licensed Mental Health Counselors in Indiana renew their license every other year. During this time, 40 hours of continuing education are required, 20 of which must be what the board considers “formal programming” which includes workshops, seminars, symposia, and home-study programs. At least one of these hours must be focused on ethics. The renewal process ensures that the field maintains a level of professionalism and excellence.

Get Started with Grace College Online

If you are ready to begin the process of becoming a licensed mental health counselor, the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) at Grace College Online is a great option. This 60 credit-hour, online program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). You’ll complete the majority of your coursework fully online and attend annual residency on campus in Winona Lake, Indiana.

In this program, you’ll develop key psychotherapy and counseling competencies as you work toward your career goals. The combination of theoretical and practical learning will give you the strong background you need for success. Discover what the online CMHC program at Grace can mean for your future.

Learn more about our Master’s of Clinical Mental Health Counseling.