Sec. 20-195dd. Qualifications.
Sec. 20-195dd. Qualifications. (a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of
this section, an applicant for a license as a professional counselor shall submit evidence
satisfactory to the Commissioner of Public Health of having: (1) Completed sixty graduate semester hours in or related to the discipline of counseling at a regionally accredited
institution of higher education, which included coursework in each of the following
areas: (A) Human growth and development, (B) social and cultural foundations, (C)
counseling theories and techniques or helping relationships, (D) group dynamics, (E)
processing and counseling, (F) career and lifestyle development, (G) appraisals or tests
and measurements for individuals and groups, (H) research and evaluation, and (I) professional orientation to counseling; (2) earned, from a regionally accredited institution
of higher education a master's or doctoral degree in social work, marriage and family
therapy, counseling, psychology or a related mental health field; (3) acquired three
thousand hours of postgraduate-degree-supervised experience in the practice of professional counseling, performed over a period of not less than one year, that included a
minimum of one hundred hours of direct supervision by (A) a physician licensed pursuant to chapter 370 who has obtained certification in psychiatry from the American Board
of Psychiatry and Neurology, (B) a psychologist licensed pursuant to chapter 383, (C)
an advanced practice registered nurse licensed pursuant to chapter 378 and certified as
a clinical specialist in adult psychiatric and mental health nursing with the American
Nurses Credentialing Center, (D) a marital and family therapist licensed pursuant to
chapter 383a, (E) a clinical social worker licensed pursuant to chapter 383b, (F) a professional counselor licensed, or prior to October 1, 1998, eligible for licensure, pursuant
to section 20-195cc, or (G) a physician certified in psychiatry by the American Board
of Psychiatry and Neurology, psychologist, advanced practice registered nurse certified
as a clinical specialist in adult psychiatric and mental health nursing with the American
Nurses Credentialing Center, marital and family therapist, clinical social worker or professional counselor licensed or certified as such or as a person entitled to perform similar
services, under a different designation, in another state or jurisdiction whose requirements for practicing in such capacity are substantially similar to or higher than those of
this state; and (4) passed an examination prescribed by the commissioner.
(b) Prior to December 30, 2001, an applicant for a license as a professional counselor
may, in lieu of the requirements set forth in subsection (a) of this section, submit evidence
satisfactory to the commissioner of having: (A) Earned at least a thirty-hour master's
degree, sixth-year degree or doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution of
higher education with a major in social work, marriage and family therapy, counseling,
psychology or forensic psychology; (B) practiced professional counseling for a minimum of two years within a five-year period immediately preceding application; and (C)
passed an examination prescribed by the commissioner.
(c) An applicant for licensure by endorsement shall present evidence satisfactory
to the commissioner that the applicant is licensed or certified as a professional counselor,
or as a person entitled to perform similar services under a different designation, in
another state or jurisdiction whose requirements for practicing in such capacity are
substantially similar to or higher than those of this state and that there are no disciplinary
actions or unresolved complaints pending.
(P.A. 97-311, S. 4; P.A. 98-43, S. 2; P.A. 99-126, S. 4, 5; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-4, S. 14, 58; P.A. 02-89, S. 47; P.A.
06-195, S. 48; P.A. 07-252, S. 47; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5, S. 67.)
History: P.A. 98-43 inserted reference to subsection (b) in Subsec. (a) and deleted reference to "January 1, 1999",
modified degree requirements in Subsec. (a)(1)(A), divided Subsec. (a)(2) into subparagraphs, added Subparas. (C) and
(G), added "or prior to October 1, 1998, eligible for licensure" in new Subpara. (F), changed "Except as provided in
subsection (c) of this section, prior to January 1, 1999" to "Prior to July 1, 1999" in Subsec. (b), changed "shall" to "may,
in lieu of the requirements set forth in subsection (a) of this section" in Subsec. (b), changed practice requirement in Subsec.
(b)(2) from two years "immediately preceding October 1, 1997" to two years "within a five-year period immediately
preceding application" and made gender-neutral technical changes in Subsecs. (a), (b) and (c); P.A. 99-126 amended
Subsec. (b) by deleting requirement of completion of an examination prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health,
effective June 8, 1999; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-4 amended Subsec. (b) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1),
designating existing Subdivs. (1) and (2) therein as Subparas. (A) and (B), and adding new Subdiv. (2) re license requirements in lieu of Subsec. (a) prior to December 30, 2001, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 02-89 deleted as obsolete Subsec.
(b)(1) authorizing an applicant in lieu of the requirements of Subsec. (a) to submit prior to July 1, 1999, satisfactory
evidence of earning any of certain educational degrees, practicing professional counseling for a minimum of two years in
the preceding five years and passing an examination prescribed by the commissioner and redesignated existing Subsec.
(b)(2) as Subsec. (b); P.A. 06-195 amended Subsec. (a) to modify degree requirements in Subdiv. (1) and newly designated
Subdiv. (2)(A) to (C), inclusive, to allow for master's, sixth-year and doctoral degree work in a discipline related to
counseling, rather than professional counseling, and renumber existing Subdivs. (2) and (3) as Subdivs. (3) and (4), respectively; P.A. 07-252 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting references to National Board for Certified Counselors, modifying
coursework and degree requirements in Subdivs. (1) and (2), including deletion of requirement re 42 graduate semester
hours for master's degree work, and making conforming changes, effective July 12, 2007; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5 amended
Subsec. (a)(2) to eliminate requirement that applicant have a sixth-year degree in the discipline of counseling, effective
October 6, 2007.