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New Mexico licenses Mental Health Counselors/Therapists as Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC). Applicants generally complete a qualifying graduate degree, accrue post-degree supervised clinical experience, and pass a national examination. Verify current education, supervised-experience, examination, renewal, and continuing education requirements directly with the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board.
A master's or doctoral degree in counseling or a counseling-related field from an accredited institution with no less than 48 graduate semester hours (72 quarter hours) in the mental health clinical core curriculum, which may include practicum/internship coursework. Verify current requirements with the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board.
Both the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE); no separate state jurisprudence exam was identified in the rules. Verify current requirements with the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board.
3,000 hours of postgraduate clinical client contact and 100 hours of face-to-face postgraduate supervision over a minimum of two years of postgraduate clinical counseling experience, with up to 1,000 client-contact hours creditable from practicum/internship. Verify current requirements with the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board.
Counseling Compact legislation (HB 32, 2026 session) has been introduced in New Mexico, but its enactment/operational status could not be confirmed from an official source — confirm the state’s compact status with the Board. License portability is also available by endorsement. Verify current requirements with the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board.
Telehealth practice is governed by state law and board rules. Verify current telehealth requirements with the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board.
Other licensed behavioral-health professions in New Mexico. Each links to its own full state guide — always verify current requirements with the relevant official board.
This guide is for general informational purposes only and should not be treated as legal, licensing, or employment advice. Counselor licensing laws, board rules, education and supervised-experience requirements, examinations, and renewal requirements vary by state and may change. Always verify current requirements directly with the official state counseling licensing board or applicable regulatory agency.