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West Virginia licenses Mental Health Counselors/Therapists as Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). 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 West Virginia Board of Examiners in Counseling.
A master's or doctoral degree in counseling with a minimum of 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of graduate coursework, including at least 3 semester hours in each required core counseling content area (acceptable specializations include clinical mental health, marriage and family, rehabilitation, school, pastoral, and addictions counseling). Verify current requirements with the West Virginia Board of Examiners in Counseling.
A Board-recognized national examination — the National Counselor Examination (NCE), the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE), or the CRC exam — with Board approval required before sitting; no separate state jurisprudence exam was identified. Verify current requirements with the West Virginia Board of Examiners in Counseling.
3,000 total post-graduate counseling-activity hours (of which at least 1,500 must be direct client contact) over a minimum of about 19 months, with one hour of individual supervision from an Approved Licensed Professional Supervisor (ALPS) for every 20 hours of activity (about 150 supervision hours), and no more than 1,500 hours accrued in any 12-month period. Verify current requirements with the West Virginia Board of Examiners in Counseling.
West Virginia participates in the Counseling Compact. It is codified in the West Virginia Code as Article 30-31A (Licensed Professional Counseling Compact); confirm the operational/privilege-issuance status as it continues to be implemented. License portability is also available by endorsement. Verify current requirements with the West Virginia Board of Examiners in Counseling.
Telehealth practice is governed by state law and board rules. Verify current telehealth requirements with the West Virginia Board of Examiners in Counseling.
Other licensed behavioral-health professions in West Virginia. 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.