Professional accreditation is the process whereby a college or university professional program (e.g., counseling or psychology) voluntarily undergoes review by an accrediting body, such as the Commission on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) or the Commission on the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) or the APA (1995), CORE, CACREP and the APA are professional accrediting bodies that evaluate graduate education programs in rehabilitation counseling, professional counseling and counseling psychology. Professional accrediting bodies essentially qualify educational programs as meeting standards beyond those required of colleges or universities to offer degrees; they certify that the educational institution meets these high professional standards?

Governmentally sanctioned credentialing is usually called licensure and is based on the legal concept of the regulatory power of the state. This power holds that the state has the right to pass laws and to take such other actions, as it may deem necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of its citizens. Once a governmental body, such as a state legislature, has passed a licensure law, it becomes illegal for any individual who is not licensed by the state to engage in the activities of the licensed occupation. Violators are subject to fines and/or imprisonment.

The non-governmental approach, usually referred to as certification, is based on the voluntary action of an occupational or professional group to institute a system by which it can grant recognition to those practitioners who have met some stated level of training and experience. Such individuals are granted a certificate attesting to the fact that they have met the standards of the credentialing organization and are entitled to make the public aware of their credentialed status. Violators cannot be prosecuted for practicing without certification, since there is no specific law covering voluntary certification. In some instances, the certification agency may copyright its symbol, thereby enabling it to prosecute violators for unauthorized use of the protected symbol. However, adverse publicity and other forms of peer pressure are usually sufficient to discourage a non-certified practitioner from making unwarranted claims about his or her certified status.

State Professional Counselor Licensure Boards

State School Counselor Certification/Licensure Agencies

Professional Associations and Certification Organizations

State Licensure Boards that have Adopted the ACA Code of Ethics (PDF) (2008)

AASCB Counselor Portability Brochure (PDF)

Licensure Requirements for Professional Counselors 2008 Publication (Table of Contents)
This publication provides additional state information on renewal requirements, scope-of-practice, out-of-state applicant requirements, title and practice acts, and more. For information on just the state licensure requirements, please visit the members-only section below.

A National Review of State Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program Licensing Requirements and Certification Standards for Substance Abuse Counselors and Prevention Professionals (SAMHSA) (2005)

Mental Health Professions Statistics (PDF) (2008)