Licensed Professional Counselor (professional counselor) · South Carolina · regulated by SC Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Addiction Counselors and Psycho-Educational Specialists (LLR) · high confidence
| Pre-license credential | Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPCA) |
|---|---|
| Supervised experience | 1500 hours of post-master's clinical experience and post master's clinical supervision ... over a period of not fewer than two (2) years |
| Direct client contact | 1,380 hours of documented direct client contact |
| Supervision | 120 hours; ≥60 individual/triadic, remaining 60 individual/triadic or group |
| Minimum time | 2 years |
| Time limit | LPCA license is a two-year license; an extension must be applied for if hours are not finished (no statutory cap found) |
| Exams | NCE or NCMHCE (NBCC), passed before the associate license |
Supervision
- How much: 120 hours; ≥60 individual/triadic, remaining 60 individual/triadic or group
- Group supervision: Group = ≤6 supervisees with an approved supervisor for ≥2 hours; ≤60 of the 120 hours may be group
- Who may supervise: Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPCS) or other Board-approved qualified licensed mental health practitioner (LMFT-S, LAC-S, psychologist, MD)
When hours count and what to keep
- Before your degree: Not counted (post-master's; associate cannot provide services until supervision plan received)
- Paperwork: Plan for Clinical Supervision of Post-Master's Clinical Experience; hours documented 'on forms approved by the Board'
Can you be supervised remotely in South Carolina?
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: Regulation defines supervision as direct contact that "may be conducted either in person or via a HIPAA-compliant technological medium" (Reg. 36-01(1)). 120 h: ≥60 individual/triadic (1-2 supervisees, ≥1 h), rest may be group (≤6 supervisees, ≥2 h).
- Supervisor licensed in South Carolina? required
- Supervisor credential: SC Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPCS): current SC LPC license + doctorate in Counselor Education & Supervision or 5 yrs continuous clinical experience, 36 h supervision-of-supervision, 3 graduate semester hours in supervision; alternatively a Board-approved "qualified licensed mental health practitioner" (licensed supervisor-level LPC/LMFT/LAC, psychologist or MD) approved before supervision begins.
- Supervisee cap: No per-supervisor cap found; group ≤6 supervisees; individual/triadic = 1-2 supervisees
- Board approval first: Supervision plan must be submitted to and received (board package: approved) by the Board before the associate provides any services; the supervisor (LPCS/LMFT-S or QLMHP) must be approved by the Board before supervision begins; a new supervisor requires a new plan approved before continuing.
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
Reg. 36-04 amended eff 05/23/2025 (SCSR 49-5); board forms still cite older 100-hour individual split
Where the rules are unclear
South Carolina’s own documents disagree or are silent on these points. Ask the board if they affect you:
- Does audio-only supervision qualify as a "HIPAA-compliant technological medium"?
- May an SC associate physically located outside South Carolina treat SC clients under an SC supervision plan?
In the board’s own words
“minimum of one thousand five hundred (1500) hours of post-master's clinical experience and post master's clinical supervision” — S.C. Code Regs. 36-05(3)✓ matched in the source
“a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) hours of documented supervision by a licensed professional counselor supervisor” — S.C. Code Regs. 36-05(3)✓ matched in the source
“performed over a period of not fewer than two (2) years” — S.C. Code Regs. 36-05(3)✓ matched in the source
“An associate who has not completed the requirements for licensure within two years may apply to the board for an extension.” — S.C. Code § 40-75-240✓ matched in the source
“Supervision may be conducted either in person or via a HIPAA-compliant technological medium.” — S.C. Code Regs. 36-01(1)✓ matched in the source
“Supervision may be conducted either in person or via a HIPAA-compliant technological medium.” — S.C. Code Regs. 36-01(1)✓ matched in the source
“hold a current, active, and unrestricted South Carolina Professional Counselor License” — S.C. Code Regs. 36-06(2)✓ matched in the source
“a person licensed as a Professional Counselor Supervisor, Marriage and Family Therapy Supervisor, Addiction Counselor Supervisor, Psychologist, or Medical Doctor, and approved by the Board” — S.C. Code Regs. 36-01(12)✓ matched in the source
“means a regularly scheduled meeting of not more than six (6) supervisees, and an approved supervisor” — S.C. Code Regs. 36-01(2)✓ matched in the source
“an associate cannot begin providing counselor services until a completed supervision plan is submitted to and received by the Board” — S.C. Code Regs. 36-04(5)✓ matched in the source
“approved by the Board prior to beginning supervision” — S.C. Code Regs. 36-05(3)✓ matched in the source
“The practice of professional counseling occurs in the state where the client is located at the time of the counseling services.” — S.C. Code § 40-75-910(A)✓ matched in the source
1 more quotes are in the state explorer.
Other licenses in South Carolina
- LMFT (marriage and family therapist)
- LISW-CP (clinical social worker)
- Psychologist
- All South Carolina licenses · every state
Sources
- S.C. Code Regs. ch. 36, §§ 36-01(1)-(3),(12), 36-04, 36-05(3), 36-06 (scstatehouse.gov Chapter 36 PDF, pp. 1-4)
- S.C. Code § 40-75-240 (Associate licenses)
- LLR, Requirements and Instructions for Licensure as a Professional Counselor Associate (Rev. 07/22), pp. 1-2
- LLR, Plan for Clinical Supervision form (LPC/A)
Checked against SC Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Addiction Counselors and Psycho-Educational Specialists (LLR)’s rules, statutes and publications on September 25, 2026. The board decides; if your situation is unusual, confirm with them.