Below you will find links to counseling boards or state health departments, because as drama therapists, in general, our work is more closely aligned with counseling than with other licensed professions. We recognize a wide diversity within our field, however, and you may find that your own work (or training) is more in alignment with a different license or credential. We hope this list will give you a place to start in order to find out more about licensing in your region. Licensing laws vary widely and the laws change. We also encourage you to find ways to think and work outside the box, in order to find gainful and meaningful employment as a drama therapist, whether or not you are able to be licensed. If you do not have a degree in counseling, you may have to advocate strongly for yourself in order to obtain a license. There are many jobs and opportunities, however, which may not require you to have a license. Be creative and diligent! There are many people working towards licensure in many different locations. Please reach out the Government Affairs Chair and your Regional Representative to get connected to work already being done! LCAT Fact SheetAre you interested in obtaining licensure in New York State? The LCAT Fact Sheet is a guide prepared to assist you in the process. The information contained in the guide includes tips from people who have applied for the LCAT as well as information from the NYS Office of the Professions. New Jersey TaskforceThe Drama and Dance/Movement Therapists in New Jersey have become the New Jersey Taskforce and have been diligently working towards seeking licensure (LCDT- Licensed Clinical Drama and Dance/Movement Therapists). Currently, they are gathering legislative sponsors in both the Assembly and the Senate. To find out more about New Jersey efforts, please contact the Government Affairs Chair at [email protected]. LINKS FOR COUNSELING LICENSESAlabamaThe Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling AlaskaBoard of Professional Counselors www.commerce.state.ak.us/occ/ppco.htm ArizonaArizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners http://www.azbbhe.us ArkansasArkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling https://abec.statesolutions.us/ CaliforniaBoard of Behavioral Sciences The Californian Association of Marriage and Family Therapists ColoradoThe Colorado State Board of Professional Counselor Examiners www.dora.state.co.us/mental-health ConnecticutDepartment of Public Health DelawareDepartment of State Division of Professional Regulation District of ColumbiaDepartment of Health Professional Counseling Licensing FloridaDivision of Medical Quality Assurance http://www.floridahealth.gov/licensing-and-regulation/index.html GeorgiaGeorgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists www.sos.state.ga.us/plb/counselors GuamThe only link we found pertaining to counseling in Guam had to do with being a school counselor. This link may be outdated. It is a PDF document, from January 2011, which has information on state requirements for school counseling, which also applies to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. http://www.counseling.org/docs/licensure/schoolcounselingregs2011.PDF?sfvrsn=2 HawaiiDepartment of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Professional and Vocational Licensing www.hawaii.gov/dcca/areas/pvl/programs/mental/ IdahoProfessional Licensing https://dopl.idaho.gov/DOPLPortal/Home.aspx IllinoisDepartment of Financial and Professional Regulation IndianaBehavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board IowaBureau of Professional Licensure https://ibplicense.iowa.gov/PublicPortal/Iowa/IBPL/common/index.jsp KansasBehavioral Sciences Regulatory Board KentuckyBoard of Licensed Professional Counselors LouisianaProfessional and Occupational Licenses https://www.louisiana.gov/licenses/ Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners MaineOffice of Professional and Occupational Regulation https://www.maine.gov/pfr/ Board of Counseling Professionals https://www.maine.gov/pfr/professionallicensing/professions/counselors/index.html MarylandDepartment of Health and Mental Hygiene https://health.maryland.gov/statestat/Pages/Home.aspx The Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists https://health.maryland.gov/bopc/Pages/index.aspx MassachusettsOffice of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professionals http://www.mass.gov/ocabr/licensee/dpl-boards/mh/ MichiganDepartment of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Board of Counseling http://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-35299_63294_27529_27536---,00.html MinnesotaBoard of Behavioral Health and Therapy https://mn.gov/boards/behavioral-health/ Licensed Professional Counselor https://mn.gov/elicense/a-z/?id=1083-231433#/list/appId//filterType//filterValue//page/1/sort//order/ NOTE: check for provisions for unlicensed professionals MississippiState Board of Examiners for Licensed Professional Counselors http://www.lpc.ms.gov/lpc/web.nsf MissouriDivision of Professional Registration Committee for Professional Counselors http://pr.mo.gov/counselors.asp MontanaDepartment of Labor and Industry http://boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov/bbh Board of Social Work Examiners and Professional Counselors http://boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov/bbh NebraskaDepartment of Health and Human Services http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/default.aspx Certified Professional Counselor http://dhhs.ne.gov/licensure/Pages/Mental-Health-and-Social-Work-Practice.aspx NevadaBoard of Examiners for Marriage and Family Therapists and Clinical Professional Counselors http://marriage.state.nv.us/ New HampshireBoard of Mental Health Practice https://www.oplc.nh.gov/mental-health/mental-health-survey.htm New JerseyDepartment of Law and Public Safety: Division of Consumer Affairs http://njconsumeraffairs.gov/ Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/mft/ New MexicoRegulation and Licensing Department http://www.rld.state.nm.us/default.aspx Counseling and Therapy Practice Board http://www.rld.state.nm.us/boards/Counseling_and_Therapy_Practice.aspx New YorkState Education Department
Office of the Professions North CarolinaBoard of Licensed Professional Counselors North DakotaBoard of Counselor Examiners: OhioCounselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board, (with internal links to applying for a license and FAQs): OklahomaDivision of Professional Counselor Licensing: http://www.ok.gov/health//Protective_Health/Professional_Counselor_Licensing_Division/ OregonBoard of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists: http://www.oregon.gov/OBLPCT/Pages/index.aspx Applying for a license https://www.oregon.gov/oblpct/Pages/Apply.aspx PennsylvaniaIn PA, DT is included in the LPC credential State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors: https://www.dos.pa.gov/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardsCommissions/SocialWorkersMarriageanFamilyTherapistsandProfessionalCounselors/Pages/default.aspx NOTE: check for licensure of drama therapy under the guidelines for Professional Counselors in PA Puerto RicoThe only link pertaining to counseling in Puerto Rico had to do with being a school counselor. This link is a PDF document, from January 2011, which has information on state requirements for school counseling, which also applies to Guam, and the Virgin Islands. http://www.counseling.org/docs/licensure/schoolcounselingregs2011.PDF?sfvrsn=2 Rhode IslandDepartment of Health, Healthcare License Information, (scroll down to:) Mental Health & Counseling: http://www.health.ri.gov/licenses/healthcare/index.php#therapists South CarolinaDepartment of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation: http://www.llr.state.sc.us/POL/Counselors/ South DakotaDepartment of Social Services: http://dss.sd.gov/behavioralhealthservices/licensingboards/board_examiners_lpc.asp TennesseeDepartment of Health, Board of Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists and Licensed Pastoral Therapists: http://health.state.tn.us/boards/PC_MFT&CPT/ TexasDepartment of State Health Services, Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/counselor/ UtahDivision of Occupational and Professional Licensing: VermontBoard of Allied Mental Health, with information on licensed and non-licensed mental health specialists, and the laws pertaining to mental health counseling in VT: http://vtprofessionals.org/opr1/allied_mental_health/ NOTE: check for provisions for unlicensed professionals in the state of Vermont Virgin IslandsThe only link pertaining to counseling in the Virgin Islands, had to do with being a school counselor. This link is a PDF document, from January 2011, which has information on state requirements for school counseling, which also applies to Puerto Rico, and Guam. http://www.counseling.org/docs/licensure/schoolcounselingregs2011.PDF?sfvrsn=2 VirginiaBoard of Counseling: http://www.dhp.virginia.gov/counseling/ Department of Health Professions, for information on other kinds of licenses in Virginia: WashingtonWashington State Department of Health, http://www.doh.wa.gov/LicensesPermitsandCertificates/ProfessionsNewReneworUpdate/MentalHealthProfessions.a spx West VirginiaWest Virginia Board of Examiners in Counseling, which includes links on licensure on becoming and LPC, and an MFT in West Virginia, and many additional links WisconsinProfessional Counselor License: http://dsps.wi.gov/Default.aspx?Page=4b15ef4e-f1b5-4754-a283-a04430b230ef WyomingCounselor License Requirements: http://www.counselor-license.com/states/wyoming-counselor-license.html Additional Information Counselor License Requirements – state by state: (some information may be out of date) http://www.counselor-license.com/ LICENSURE RESOURCES |