Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (professional counselor) · Kentucky · regulated by Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors · high confidence
| Pre-license credential | LPCA (Licensed Professional Counselor Associate) |
|---|---|
| Supervised experience | 4,000 hours of experience in the practice of counseling, all obtained since the master's degree, under approved supervision |
| Direct client contact | 1,600 hours of direct counseling with individuals, couples, families, or groups |
| Supervision | 100 hours of individual, face-to-face clinical supervision (minimum within the 4,000) |
| Exams | NCE or NCMHCE |
Supervision
- How much: 100 hours of individual, face-to-face clinical supervision (minimum within the 4,000)
- How often: 3 times per month, 1 hour each, if full time (≥25 clock hours/week); part time (<25 h/week): 1 hour per 30 hours of client contact
- Who may supervise: LPCC-S: LPCC ≥2 years post-licensure; 15-hour board-approved supervision CEU course or graduate supervision course; max 9 supervisees
When hours count and what to keep
- Before your degree: Not counted: all 4,000 hours must be obtained since the master's degree (400-hour practicum/internship is a separate requirement)
- Paperwork: LPCA Supervision Agreement (DPL-LPC-02), board-approved before hours accrue; supervisor verifies hours at LPCA renewal; LPCC application (201 KAR 36:070)
Can you be supervised remotely in Kentucky?
Yes by video, but the supervisor needs a state-specific supervisor credential and the board must approve the arrangement first. What shapes this: state-only supervisor credential, prior board approval.
- Video supervision: Supervision agreement must state that supervision may include interactive, simultaneous video and audio media meeting confidentiality law (201 KAR 36:060 §3(1)(g)2). Statute still requires 100 hours of 'individual, face-to-face' supervision; whether video counts as face-to-face for those 100 hours is not defined.
- Supervisor licensed in Kentucky? required
- Supervisor credential: LPCC-S: KY LPCC ≥2 years post-licensure + 15-hour board-approved supervision course (or graduate supervision course); out-of-state supervisors also need proof of supervisory status and a 3-hour KY law training
- Supervisee cap: ≤9 supervisees of record at one time
- Board approval first: LPCA Supervision Agreement must be board-approved before the LPCA begins practice; a new agreement is needed on a change of supervisor or job placement
The client’s location decides which state’s rules apply. This is not legal advice; confirm with the board before building a program. Compare every state on the remote-supervision map.
Recent and pending changes
201 KAR 36:060 and 36:065 last amended eff. 2-16-2024 (supervisee cap of 9 phased in from 4-1-2024).
Where the rules are unclear
Kentucky’s own documents disagree or are silent on these points. Ask the board if they affect you:
- Does video supervision count toward the statutory 100 hours of 'individual, face-to-face' supervision (KRS 335.525(1)(e)), or must those hours be in person?
- Can a Counseling Compact privilege holder in Kentucky be approved as an LPCC-S / supervisor of record?
In the board’s own words
“a minimum of four thousand (4,000) hours of experience in the practice of counseling, all of which must have been obtained since obtaining the master's degree” — KRS 335.525(1)(e)✓ matched in the source
“a minimum of one hundred (100) hours of individual, face-to-face clinical supervision with an approved supervisor” — KRS 335.525(1)(e)✓ matched in the source
“Three (3) times per month and one (1) hour per meeting for a full-time practice that consists of twenty-five (25) clock hours or greater per week” — 201 KAR 36:060 §3(1)(g)✓ matched in the source
“May include interactive, simultaneous video and audio media that meet applicable legal requirements for information required to be kept confidential” — 201 KAR 36:060 §3(1)(g)2✓ matched in the source
“a minimum of one hundred (100) hours of individual, face-to-face clinical supervision with an approved supervisor” — KRS 335.525(1)(e)✓ matched in the source
“A supervisor of record shall be licensed by the board as a licensed professional clinical counselor supervisor.” — 201 KAR 36:060 §2(1)✓ matched in the source
“A certificate or certificates documenting the completion of fifteen (15) hours in a board-approved CEU course on supervision” — 201 KAR 36:065 §1(1)(a)1✓ matched in the source
“Take a three (3) hour board-approved training on Kentucky law” — 201 KAR 36:065 §1(1)(e)2✓ matched in the source
“A supervisor shall not serve as a supervisor of record for more than nine (9) persons obtaining experience for licensure at the same time.” — 201 KAR 36:065 §2✓ matched in the source
“have a signed agreement with the supervisee's agency, if off-site, allowing the supervisor to” — 201 KAR 36:060 §2(3)✓ matched in the source
“The licensed professional counselor associate may begin the practice of professional counseling upon the board's approval of the agreement.” — 201 KAR 36:060 §3(3)✓ matched in the source
“"Privilege to Practice" means a legal authorization, which is equivalent to a license, permitting the practice of Professional Counseling in a Remote State” — KRS 335.560 §2.S✓ matched in the source
Other licenses in Kentucky
- LMFT (marriage and family therapist)
- LCSW (clinical social worker)
- Psychologist
- All Kentucky licenses · every state
Sources
- KRS 335.525(1)(e), (2), (5)
- 201 KAR 36:060 §§2-3, 8, 9 (Qualifying experience under supervision)
- 201 KAR 36:065 §§1-2 (LPCC supervisor)
- 201 KAR 36:070 §3 (Examination)
- 201 KAR 36:075 §4(3) (LPCA renewal; supervisor verifies hours)
- KRS 335.560 Counseling Compact, §2 definitions
Checked against Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors’s rules, statutes and publications on September 25, 2026. The board decides; if your situation is unusual, confirm with them.