Licensed Professional Counselor (professional counselor) · Texas · regulated by Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council) · high confidence
| Pre-license credential | LPC Associate |
|---|---|
| Supervised experience | 3,000 clock-hours under a Council-approved supervisor |
| Direct client contact | 1,500 clock-hours of direct client counseling contact |
| Supervision | 4 hours per month while counseling; no fixed total stated |
| Minimum time | 18 months |
| Time limit | 60 months (LPC Associate license expires 60 months from issuance; must reapply) |
| Exams | NCE or NCMHCE (before Associate license) plus Texas jurisprudence exam |
Supervision
- How much: 4 hours per month while counseling; no fixed total stated
- How often: minimum four (4) hours per month while the Associate is engaged in counseling
- Group supervision: individual = up to two Associates; group = three or more; no more than 50% of supervision hours in group
- Who may supervise: LPC-S: LPC in good standing ≥60 months plus 40-clock-hour supervision course (≤2 yrs old) or doctoral supervision course (≤5 yrs)
When hours count and what to keep
- Before your degree: not counted; hours obtained by an unlicensed person in any setting do not count
- Paperwork: Supervisory Agreement Form with Associate application; Supervised Experience Documentation Form for LPC upgrade
Can you be supervised remotely in Texas?
Mostly, with some limits. What shapes this: state-only supervisor credential, video status not stated.
- Video supervision: No rule on supervision modality in 22 TAC ch. 681 (whole LPC rulebook read). §681.92(e) requires 4 h/month of 'direct supervision' in individual (1-2 associates) or group (3+) settings, ≤50% group, with no in-person or video requirement; general ethics rule permits technological means in counseling. 'allowed' is inferred from the absence of any restriction, not an express grant.
- Supervisor licensed in Texas? required
- Supervisor credential: Texas LPC-S (Council-approved supervisor status): Texas LPC in good standing ≥60 months + 40-clock-hour supervision course (≤2 yrs old) or doctoral supervision course; for internships physically outside Texas, a supervisor licensed by that jurisdiction instead
- Board approval first: LPC Associate license is issued only after the applicant has entered a supervisory agreement with an LPC-S (Supervisory Agreement Form filed with the application); max two supervisors at once; supervisor changes filed with the Council.
- If you live outside Texas: Texas practice is defined by client location (license required if a criterion occurs while the client is in Texas). For internships 'physically completed' outside Texas the supervisor must be licensed by that other jurisdiction, so an associate physically outside Texas appears to need a local-jurisdiction supervisor; no rule expressly addresses an out-of-state associate treating Texas clients.
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
§681.92 last amended eff. 3/17/2025 (Texas Register 50 TexReg 1909).
Where the rules are unclear
Texas’s own documents disagree or are silent on these points. Ask the board if they affect you:
- If an LPC Associate is physically outside Texas treating Texas clients, does §681.92(a)(2) require a supervisor licensed in the associate's jurisdiction, a Texas LPC-S, or both?
- Does 'direct supervision' in §681.92(e) include synchronous video (and audio-only) supervision?
In the board’s own words
“must complete supervised experience acceptable to the Council of 3,000 clock-hours under a Council-approved supervisor” — 22 TAC §681.92(a)✓ matched in the source
“a minimum of four (4) hours per month of supervision in individual (up to two Associates) or group (three or more) settings” — 22 TAC §681.92(e)✓ matched in the source
“may not complete the required 3,000 clock-hours of supervised experience in less than 18 months” — 22 TAC §681.92(c)✓ matched in the source
“An LPC Associate license will expire 60 months from the date of issuance.” — 22 TAC §681.91(g)✓ matched in the source
“must receive direct supervision consisting of a minimum of four (4) hours per month of supervision in individual (up to two Associates) or group” — 22 TAC §681.92(e)✓ matched in the source
“Technological means of communication may be used to facilitate the therapeutic counseling process.” — 22 TAC §681.41(c)✓ matched in the source
“All internships physically occurring in Texas must be completed under the supervision of a Council-approved supervisor.” — 22 TAC §681.92(a)(1)✓ matched in the source
“To apply for supervisor status, an LPC must: (1) have held the LPC license in good standing for at least 60 months” — 22 TAC §681.72(d)✓ matched in the source
“Supervision of an LPC Associate without having Council approved supervisor status is grounds for disciplinary action” — 22 TAC §681.93(i)✓ matched in the source
“For all internships physically completed in a jurisdiction other than Texas, the supervisor must be a person licensed or certified by that jurisdiction” — 22 TAC §681.92(a)(2)✓ matched in the source
“professional counseling within this state if any of the criteria set out in §503.003(a) of the Occupations Code occurs while a client is located” — 22 TAC §882.23(c)✓ matched in the source
“a record of acknowledgement that the supervisee is self-employed, if applicable.” — 22 TAC §681.93(a)(1)(G)✓ matched in the source
4 more quotes are in the state explorer.
Other licenses in Texas
- LMFT (marriage and family therapist)
- LCSW (clinical social worker)
- Psychologist
- All Texas licenses · every state
Sources
- 22 Tex. Admin. Code §681.92 (Experience Requirements)
- 22 Tex. Admin. Code §681.91 (LPC Associate License) (c),(e),(g),(h),(i)
- 22 Tex. Admin. Code §681.72(d) (supervisor status) and §681.147 (40-hour course)
- 22 Tex. Admin. Code §681.101 (Examinations); §681.72 (application materials)
- 22 Tex. Admin. Code §681.93 (Supervisor Requirements) (d),(f)
- BHEC Supervision FAQs
- BHEC LPC Rules and Statutes rulebook (updated 03/25/2026), 22 TAC §681.92(a),(e), p. 122
Checked against Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council)’s rules, statutes and publications on September 25, 2026. The board decides; if your situation is unusual, confirm with them.