Counseling Degrees & Licenses in Texas
Counseling Schools Search
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As our national and global population grows and urbanization increases, this brings new and different pressures on mental health: there’s less family structure as people move around more, less care for older relatives, and less emotional support in general, for many people, according to research published in the Industrial Psychology Journal.
As of May 2023, Texas is estimated to have a population of around 30 million. Texas has the second-largest population in the nation and has grown significantly over the past ten years. In the last decade, the state’s population has swelled 15.9 percent, more than double the national average of 7.4 percent.
The state has three cities with populations exceeding one million: Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas. Based on the known amounts of mental health issues around the country and in Texas, this represents a large pool of people that need trained and competent, compassionate mental healthcare providers.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five adult Texans will experience a mental health concern at some point in a year. More than 20 percent of children ages nine to 17 have a diagnosed mental illness. According to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services (2020), there were 145 Texas counties with no licensed marriage and family therapists at all, out of 254 counties. There are also 42 counties with marriage and family therapists ratios of less than five per 100,000 people.
Counseling is proven to be a viable long-term career choice. Not only do counselors and therapists enjoy the benefits of helping people work through emotional, family, school, or substance abuse issues, but they also enjoy a stable career. This is especially true in a state like Texas, with a demonstrated lack of counselors to serve a large population.
The Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors lists educational requirements to become a professional counselor in Texas. New applicants must have a master’s or doctoral degree in counseling or a counseling-related field from an accredited college or university. The graduate program must be at least 60 credit hours for applicants who began their education on or after August 1, 2017. The graduate program must include a supervised practicum of at least 300 clock-hours with at least 100 clock-hours of direct client contact. Academic credit for the practicum must appear on the applicant’s transcript.
After completion of the coursework, an applicant must take and pass the National Counselor Exam and the Texas Jurisprudence Exam. After receiving a temporary license from the board as an LPC associate, the applicant may begin the supervised post-graduate counseling experience.
Read on to discover schools in Texas that offer counseling degrees and how to qualify for various types of counseling licenses in the state.
Accredited Counseling Degree Programs in Texas
Texas A & M University – College Station – College of Education (Online, On-campus)
The Department of Counseling and Psychology at Texas A&M University has a main campus in Eastern Central Texas along with branch campuses in Galveston, Texas, and Doha, Qatar. The main campus is 5,200 acres; it is 83 miles northwest of Houston and 87 miles northeast of Austin.
Graduate students may pursue several degree options: a master of science (MS) in clinical mental health counseling and an MS in marriage and family therapy. The MS in educational psychology with an emphasis on experimental psychology may be completed entirely online.
They also offer a specialist degree in school psychology. This is a type of degree that is considered to be between a master’s and a doctoral degree, and it’s designed to help students achieve licensure from the state of Texas as a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP). This educational psychology program is research-based. Program coordinators say those interested in obtaining research, rather than counseling skills, in psychology are encouraged to apply for this program.
- Location: College Station, Texas
- Duration: MS in clinical mental health counseling and marriage and family therapy programs (60 credits); MS in educational psychology (36 credits, online); school psychology program (63 to 69 credits)
- Accreditation: The clinical mental health counseling program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP); other counseling programs at other Texas A&M campuses are CACREP-certified.
- Tuition: $863.39 per credit
Texas Woman’s University (Online, On-campus)
The Texas Woman’s University graduate counseling and development program offers professional training leading to a master’s of science degree in counseling and development. Graduates of this program are eligible to become certified school counselors in the public school system for grades K-12 or licensed professional counselors in Texas.
The school’s MS in family studies is available 100 percent online. Potential careers following graduation with this degree include working in human services, family and social service agencies serving families, and parent or family life education.
Texas Woman’s University offers two programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE): a master’s and a PhD in marriage and family therapy. The 100 percent online master’s degree in child life prepares graduates for certification required by the Association of Child Life Professionals. The master of science in child development can be achieved in 12 to 18 months and is designed for already-working professionals.
While TWU is primarily attended by women, it has been fully co-educational since 1994. It is the largest state-supported university primarily for women in the United States.
- Location: Denton, Texas
- Duration: Child development, 33 credits (thesis option) or 31 credits (professional option); child life, 37 credits; counseling and development, 61 credits; family studies, 34 credits (thesis option or professional paper) or 35 credits (professional portfolio option)
- Accreditation: The family studies program has been approved by the National Council on Family Relations as meeting the Standards and Criteria required for the provisional Certified Family Life Educator designation; the master’s in counseling and development is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
- Tuition: $692.00 per credit
Texas State University – College of Education
Texas State University has the distinction of being the only school in Texas that has graduated a U.S. President: Lyndon Baines Johnson. The graduate college offers a school psychology program and a professional counseling program.
The professional counseling program offers specializations in clinical mental health counseling, marriage and family counseling, and school counseling, with thesis or non-thesis options. GREs are required, although this may be waived if you hold a master’s or doctoral degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution.
They also offer a master’s of arts in adult, professional, and community education (APCE) and a 69-hour Specialist in School Psychology (SSP) program.
- Location: San Marcos, Texas
- Duration: School psychology, 69 credits; professional counseling, 60 or 67 credits (thesis or non-thesis);
- Accreditation: School psychology program has been approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and the International School Psychology Association (ISPA); professional counseling has been approved by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP).
- Tuition: $1,185.10 per credit
Texas A&M University – Commerce – College of Education
The Commerce campus of Texas A&M is located on the northeastern edge of the Dallas-Fort Worth urban area, approximately 65 miles from downtown Dallas. In addition to the main campus, the university has satellite campuses in downtown Dallas and Mesquite.
Programs available here include a master of science in counseling with a clinical mental health counseling specialty, or a school counseling specialty. The school counseling emphasis is for those students seeking certification as a professional school counselor, and the CMHC specialty is for those who seek to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Students pursuing the school counseling emphasis can also be eligible for the LPC credential by successfully completing a couple of extra classes.
- Location: Commerce, Texas
- Duration: Clinical mental health counseling (60 semester hours); school counseling (51 semester hours)
- Accreditation: MS in counseling (clinical mental health counseling and school counseling emphases) and the doctorate in counseling are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
- Tuition: $1,166 per credit
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas is located in Denton, a mid-size town of 136,000 people. Denton is just 36 miles north of Dallas-Fort Worth, the country’s fourth-largest metropolitan area.
UNT is ranked a Tier One research university by the Carnegie Classification, which recognizes higher education institutions that engage in the highest levels of research activity. UNT has been on the “best buy” list of top 100 universities by U.S. News & World Report and has 77 programs ranked in the top 100 in the country.
Students can choose from a master of science in rehabilitation counseling, a master of science in mental health counseling, a master of science (or a master of education) in school counseling, or a school counselor certification. The rehabilitation courses are offered in a combination of in-person and online formats. Students with a master’s degree in counseling from a CACREP-accredited program may take the School Counseling Certification Endorsement track.
The master of education (school counseling tracks) and master of science degree (clinical mental health counseling and school counseling tracks) require a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship.
- Location: Denton, Texas
- Duration: Rehabilitation counseling (60 credits); master of education in school counseling (60 credits); mental health (60 credits); master of science in school counseling (63 credits)
- Accreditation: Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
- Tuition: $31,530 per year
Lamar University – College of Education and Human Development
Lamar University prides itself on maintaining the lowest average tuition and fees of any university system in Texas. With three online counseling degree options, Lamar is a great option for those seeking counseling degrees and licenses in Texas.
For online options, choose from a master of education in clinical mental health counseling, a master of education in counseling and development, and a certificate in mental health counseling. The counseling and development degree can be achieved with a concentration in either marriage, couple, and family counseling or in professional school counseling. A master of education in marriage, couple and family counseling is available either online or in person.
Lamar notes that the counseling and development degree is not accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The CACREP accreditation is not a requirement in Texas to be a nationally certified counselor or a certified mental health counselor (NCC or CCMHC). If you are considering online classes but do not live in Texas, check your state’s for the requirements relating to CACREP.
- Location: Beaumont, Texas
- Duration: 60 credits
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Tuition: $2,790 per three-credit course
University of Houston – College of Education (Online, On-campus)
The University of Houston offers a master of education in counseling with an emphasis in clinical mental health. This program is also offered at the UH Sugar Land (Texas) campus. The Sugar Land campus is only a 30-minute drive from the Houston campus. While not all classes are offered online in Houston, many are, and many others are hybrid options with online elements. The last requirement is a 600-hour internship. The Sugar Land campus does not offer any additional counseling degrees or specialties.
UH is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research institution, and in 2022, the college earned a No. 14 ranking from the U.S. News & World Report for its online master’s degree programs; although counseling is not an online degree option, a master’s in social work is.
- Location: Houston, Texas; Sugar Land, Texas
- Duration: 60 credits
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Tuition: $1385.00 to $1488.41 per credit hour
How Much Do Counselors Make in Texas?
These numbers represent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from May 2021—the latest data available as of mid-April 2023.
Marriage and Family Therapist Salaries
| United States | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Number employed | 54,800 | 800 |
| Average annual salary (mean) | $59,660 | $56,950 |
| 10th percentile | $37,050 | $38,850 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $49,880 | $54,920 |
| 90th percentile | $96,520 | $80,840 |
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor Salaries
| United States | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Number employed | 310,880 | 16,970 |
| Average annual salary (mean) | $53,490 | $49,510 |
| 10th percentile | $30,870 | $29,360 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $48,520 | $46,470 |
| 90th percentile | $77,980 | $76,670 |
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor Salaries
| United States | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Number employed | 296,370 | 27,780 |
| Average annual salary (mean) | $63,090 | $59,560 |
| 10th percentile | $37,550 | $37,340 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $60,510 | $61,100 |
| 90th percentile | $98,190 | $78,360 |
Rehabilitation Counselor Salaries
| United States | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Number employed | 90,310 | 2,620 |
| Average annual salary (mean) | $44,740 | $43,610 |
| 10th percentile | $28,890 | $22,830 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $38,560 | $44,320 |
| 90th percentile | $65,880 | $61,920 |
Counseling Professional Associations & Resources in Texas
- Texas Counseling Association
- Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors Links
- Texas Psychological Association
- Lone Star State School Counselor Association
- Houston Counseling Association
- West Texas Counseling Association
- Heart of Texas Counseling Association
- Capital of Texas Counseling Association
- Texas Association of Addiction Professionals
- American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy – Texas State Resources
Mental Health Counseling (LMHC) Licenses in Texas: Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
| Licensing Authority | Eligibility & Details | Renewal Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors | Mental health counselors can be licensed as Licensed Professional Requirements to earn Licensed Professional Counselor Associate
LPC-Interns can apply to upgrade to a full LPC license once they have:
There is no application or licensure fee if the LPC-Intern license is still valid. |
Texas LPC-Associate licenses expire after two years and may not be renewed. If it expires, counselors must reapply and must retake the NCE exam. LPC licenses expire every two years during the birth month of the license holder. Renewals cost $141. Counselors are required to complete 24 continuing education hours every renewal cycle, as well as take the Texas Jurisprudence exam. Four hours must be in ethics and passing the exam counts as one hour. |
School Counseling Licenses in Texas
| Licensing Authority | Eligibility & Details | Renewal Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Education Agency | The Texas Education Agency issues a Standard School Counselor Certificate. The requirements for this certificate are:
|
The Standard School Counselor Certificate issued in Texas is valid for five years. To renew, counselors must complete 200 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) every five years. |
Substance Abuse Counseling Licenses in Texas
| Licensing Authority | Eligibility & Details | Renewal Requirements |
|---|---|---|
Texas Department of State Health Services Professional Licensing and Certification Unit | The Texas Department of State Health Services Professional Licensing and Certification Unit licenses both Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor Interns (CI) and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselors (LCDC). CI licensure candidates must:
Full LCDC license applicants must meet the requirements for a CI license, as well as:
|
LCDC licenses issued in Texas expire every two years. CI licenses are only valid for five years and may not be renewed. Renewals for LCDCs are $125. LCDCs who have earned a master’s degree or higher must complete 24 hours of continuing education per renewal. All other LCDCs must earn 40 hours per renewal cycle. There must be three hours completed in ethics, and six in HIV, hepatitis C, and sexually transmitted diseases. |
Rehabilitation Counseling Licenses in Texas
| Licensing Authority | Eligibility & Details | Renewal Requirements |
|---|---|---|
|
Rehabilitation counselors can be licensed as Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) or Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPC-Associate) in Texas. Requirements to earn Licensed Professional Counselor Intern (LPC-Associate) licensure include:
LPC-Interns can apply to upgrade to a full LPC license once they have:
There is no application or licensure fee if the LPC-Intern license is still valid. |
Texas LPC-Associate licenses expire after two years and may not be renewed. If it expires, counselors must reapply and must retake the NCE exam. LPC licenses expire every two years during the birth month of the license holder. Renewals cost $141. Counselors are required to complete 24 continuing education hours every renewal cycle, as well as take the Texas Jurisprudence exam. Four hours must be in ethics and passing the exam counts as one hour. A required course in human trafficking must also be completed each renewal cycle. |
Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Licenses in Texas
| Licensing Authority | Eligibility & Details | Renewal Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation |
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation licenses Behavior Analysts and Assistant Behavior Analysts. Requirements for licensure are:
|
Behavior analyst licenses issued in Texas are valid for two years. Current BACB certification is required for renewal. Full analyst licenses cost $165 to renew, while assistant licenses cost $110 To renew, applicants must also complete a human trafficking prevention course. |
Marriage and Family Therapy Licenses in Texas
| Licensing Authority | Eligibility & Details | Renewal Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists |
The Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists issues Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate (LMFT Associate) licenses. Requirements for an LMFT Associate license are:
Applicants for an LMFT license must meet the requirements for an associate license, as well as:
|
LMFT and LMFT associate licenses issued in Texas must be renewed every two years. Licenses expire on the last day of the therapist’s birth month. Renewals cost $141. LMFTs must complete 30 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle and associates must complete 15. Both must complete at least six hours in ethics. |
Child (Pediatric) Behavioral Therapy Licenses in Texas
| Licensing Authority | Eligibility & Details | Renewal Requirements |
|---|---|---|
Child therapists can be licensed as Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) or Licensed Professional Counselor Interns (LPC-Interns) in Texas.
LPC-Interns can apply to upgrade to a full LPC license once they have:
There is no application or licensure fee if the LPC-Intern license is still valid. | Texas LPC-Intern licenses expire after two years and may not be renewed. If it expires, counselors must reapply and must retake the NCE exam. LPC licenses expire every two years during the birth month of the license holder. Renewals cost $141. Counselors are required to complete 24 continuing education hours every renewal cycle, as well as take the Texas Jurisprudence exam. Four hours must be in ethics and passing the exam counts as one hour. |
Vanessa Salvia
WriterVanessa Salvia is an Oregon-based freelance writer and editor with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. As fun as rigorous studies in math and science were, Vanessa took an independent path and developed a prolific career covering lifestyle and healthcare topics for magazines and newspapers, important industries such as concrete construction and building waterproofing, and even hard science. You can get in touch at Sage Media and Marketing.