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Wyoming Counseling License Requirements

As of May 2021, there are over 1,300 people working in counseling occupations in Wyoming.1-5 Though it is the least populated state in the country, the mean wages for several counseling fields in Wyoming are in a higher range compared to other states.1-5 If you are pursuing a career in counseling in Wyoming, you will need to be familiar with the laws and rules for receiving a license. On this page, you will learn what is required to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), as well as information about other counseling licenses in the state.

Table of Contents

How to Become a Counselor in Wyoming
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Licensing Process
Additional Counseling Careers and Licenses in Wyoming
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
School Counselor
Licensed Addictions Therapist (LAT)
Other Professional Counseling Careers
Wyoming Counseling Career and Salary Information
Counseling Associations in Wyoming
Frequently Asked Questions

How to Become a Counselor in Wyoming

To become a professional counselor in one of the major fields in Wyoming, you will need to meet minimum education requirements and be licensed by the state. You can meet the education requirements by attending one of the counseling schools in Wyoming. You may also be able to meet requirements by attending an out-of-state program. The path to counseling licensure may also include exams and clinical work experience requirements. If you already hold a license in another state and are looking to practice in Wyoming, visit our Counseling License Reciprocity Guide.

1. Decide on the area of counseling to pursue.

The requirements for a Wyoming counseling license will vary depending on the type of counseling you’d like to practice. You can save time and money by researching the various fields of counseling ahead of time and choosing one area to pursue.

2. Complete the degree required for your counseling practice area.

Most of the major types of counseling licensure described in this guide require a master’s or doctoral degree in a related field to the type of licensure sought. Professional counselors require a master’s or doctoral degree in mental health counseling, marriage and family therapists must have a master’s or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy, and school counselors must have a master’s degree in school counseling or a related field. Substance abuse counselors can become certified with a bachelor’s degree, although a master’s degree in a related field is needed for licensure.

3. Become licensed to practice counseling in Wyoming.

The final step in becoming a professional counselor is to earn a license through the appropriate licensure body. The Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board (the Board) is responsible for licensing professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, and substance abuse counselors, while the Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board (PTSB) licenses school counselors. Continue reading to learn more about the major types of counseling licensure in Wyoming.

Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Licensing Process

In Wyoming, Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) help clients develop mentally, emotionally, and socially through the use of mental health, psychotherapy, and human development theories and counseling techniques, including diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. If you would like to learn more about a career as a professional counselor, read our mental health counselor career guide. The Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board (the Board) oversees the licensing process in the state of Wyoming. Applicants must have a 60-credit master’s or doctoral degree in counseling that is either accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE), or meets specific coursework standards including a 100 hour supervised practicum and a 600 hour supervised internship.

1. Register as a Provisional Professional Counselor (PPC).

To gain supervised experience, you must first apply for a Provisional Professional Counselor (PPC) license through the Board. The application package is available online and the fee is $193 (as of January 2023), which includes the $150 application fee, the $39 background check fee, and the $4 National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) check fee. You must submit a supervision agreement and a transcript evaluation if your degree is not accredited by CACREP or CORE; you cannot provide counseling services until you receive your PPC. The Board also requires you to submit fingerprint cards along with your application. The PPC license is valid for three years and is not renewable but may be extended on a case-by-case basis.

2. Pass one of the required exams.

The Board requires all licensure candidates to pass the National Counselors Exam (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE) administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) or the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) examination administered by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC). The NCMHCE uses 11 simulation questions to test for clinical mental health counseling knowledge, while the CRC exam and the NCE exam both have a multiple choice format. The CRC exam tests disability and rehabilitation counseling knowledge, while the NCE tests general counseling assessment and treatment knowledge. The NBCC provides online handbooks for the NCE and NCMHCE to help applicants prepare and the CRCC provides an interactive practice test. The Board allows four attempts at the exams, but a remediation plan must be submitted and approved after three failed attempts.

3. Complete supervised clinical work experience.

PPCs must complete 3,000 hours of supervised work experience with at least 1,200 hours of direct client contact. In addition, documentation of at least 100 hours of face-to-face supervision provided individually or with a maximum of one other trainee is mandatory. Supervisors must be approved by the Board and have the Designated Qualified Clinical Supervisor (DQCS) credential. To become a DQCS, prospective supervisors must have at least four years of post-graduate experience, including two years of independent, licensed practice, no disciplinary action, and at least three hours of supervision training. More information about supervision requirements can be found in the Board’s rules and regulations.

4. Apply for and receive your LPC license.

The application fee for the LPC license is $204 (as of January 2023), but it is $243 if you did not complete a background check and NPDB check with your provisional license application. To apply, send verification of the completed supervised experience and a revised disclosure statement with the application package. It can take three weeks for the Board to process your completed application. You must continue to work under clinical supervision until you receive your license. The Board emails wallet-sized cards and wall certificates that can be printed and displayed.

LPC Licensure by Reciprocity in Wyoming

Wyoming does not have any official reciprocity agreements for the LPC credential, but individuals who have a license from another state with substantially similar requirements may be eligible for licensure by reciprocity. Applicants must have a graduate degree in counseling and meet the exam requirement. If the Board decides the applicant’s background is not substantially similar, the Board may issue a provisional license allowing the applicant to practice with approved supervision while completing any outstanding licensure requirements. The application packet is available online and the fee is $393 as of January 2023.

Counselor License Renewal and Continuing Education Information

Licenses expire on the licensee’s birthday and must be renewed biennially. Renewal notices and forms are sent 60 days prior; the renewal fee is $129 (as of January 2023) or $168 if you are due for another background check, which the Board requires every four years. The Board requires all licensees to complete 45 hours of continuing education (CE) during each renewal period, including three hours in each of ethics training and suicide prevention. More information about CE activities and requirements can be found in the Board’s rules and regulations.

Additional Counseling Careers and Licenses in Wyoming

The process of becoming a licensed professional counselor in Wyoming will vary depending on your chosen area of specialty. Below you will find brief details about some of the other popular licensure paths in counseling, such as marriage and family therapy, school counseling, and substance abuse counseling.

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)

The LMFT licensure process is overseen by the Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board (the Board). Prospective LMFTs must have a master’s or doctoral degree in marital and family therapy accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs- Marriage and Family Counseling (CACREP-MCFC) (if enrolled prior to January 1, 2020) or the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). Other programs may be accepted if they are evaluated as substantially similar by the Board. In Wyoming, LMFTs diagnose and treat emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and mental health disorders in the context of marital and family systems. This can involve working with individuals, couples, and families in individual or group settings. To become an LMFT, follow these steps:

  1. Submit a Provisional Marriage and Family Therapist (PMFT) application package to begin accruing supervised experience.
  2. Earn 3,000 hours of supervised experience over a period of 18 to 36 months, 1,200 of which must be direct client contact hours and 100 hours of supervision provided by a DQCS are required.
  3. Take and pass the Marital and Family Therapy (MFT) National Examination from the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB).
  4. Submit your LMFT application package to the Board and receive your license.

Additional information about careers in marriage and family therapy can be found on our LMFT career guide.

School Counselor

Wyoming school counselors are overseen and licensed by the Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board (PTSB). School counselors in the state must have a Wyoming Educator License with a Professional Services Endorsement for School Counselor. In order to qualify for the school counseling endorsement, you will need to complete a state-approved educator preparation program leading to a master’s degree in school counseling and the recommendation by the institution for certification. Read more on the PTSB website. After you have your graduate degree, you will:

  1. Submit the application packet.
  2. Receive your Educator License with a Professional Services Endorsement for School Counselor.

For more on a career in school counseling, see our school counselor career guide.

Licensed Addictions Therapist (LAT)

In Wyoming, substance abuse counselors are licensed or certified by the Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board (the Board). Licensed Addictions Therapists (LATs) use counseling, psychotherapy, and addictions theories to provide counseling services, such as addictions prevention, crisis intervention, and diagnosis, to help individuals, families, groups, and communities affected by addictions, chemical dependency, or related disorders. The minimum educational requirement is a master’s or doctoral degree in addictions or a related field from an institution accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). The Board also offers the Certified Addictions Practitioner (CAP) credential to applicants with a bachelor’s degree in a human service field and the Certified Addictions Practitioner Assistant (CAPA) credential to those with a qualifying associate’s degree. CAPAs are also required to complete 270 hours of addictions specific coursework. The steps to becoming a CAPA, CAP, or LAT are as follows:

  1. Submit a CAPA application upon employment or a Provisional Addictions Therapist (PAT) application package to begin accruing supervised experience for LAT licensure.
  2. Pass the required exam (CAPA: the National Certified Addiction Counselor, Level I (NCAC I) exam from the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC); CAP: the NAADAC NCAC II exam or the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) Other Drug Abuse Counselor (AODA) exam; or LAT: the NAADAC Master Addiction Counselor (MAC) exam, the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) Master Addiction Counselor (MAC) exam, or the IC&RC Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (AADC) exam).
  3. Earn supervised experience (CAP: 2,000 hours or LAT: 3,000 hours including 100 hours of face-to-face individual supervision).
  4. Submit a CAP or LAT application to the Board and receive your credential or license.

Optional Substance Abuse Counseling Credentials Offered in Wyoming

In addition to the credentials listed above, there are several IC&RC credentials offered through the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) for substance abuse professionals and for individuals who are interested in working in support positions. These credentials are optional and do not qualify you to practice substance abuse counseling, but they may open up career advancement opportunities for those who are already licensed or certified as well as provide an alternative pathway to working in this field.

  • Certified Peer Specialist (CPS)
  • Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS)

To discover more about what substance abuse counselors do, read our substance abuse counseling career guide.

Other Professional Counseling Careers

Professional counseling is a field that allows you to work with many different types of people and in different settings. In addition to the most common types of counseling described above, some other counseling career paths include:

  • Rehabilitation Counselor
  • Gambling Counselor
  • Genetic Counselor
  • Youth Counselor
  • Guidance Counselor
  • Pastoral Counselor
  • Recreational Therapist

Wyoming Counseling Career and Salary Information

As of May 2021, there were an estimated 1,320 licensed counselors employed across the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) categories with available data in Wyoming, with the greatest number (680) working in the field of educational, guidance, and career counseling and advising.1-5 Wyoming substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors and rehabilitation counselors earn higher average salaries than those in most states: $61,840 versus $53,490 nationally and $48,450 versus $44,740 nationally, respectively.2,4

Many areas of counseling are seeing growth in Wyoming, with an average expected jobs growth rate of 9.7% through 2030.6 Although data is not available for several counseling subfields from Projections Central, long-term predictions suggest that the highest rate of growth in Wyoming will be seen in the field of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counseling with a projected jobs growth rate of 20.6%. This is followed by educational, guidance, and school counseling jobs at a rate of 14.1% during this time period.6 This equates to about 220 added counseling positions between both categories through 2030.6

OccupationNumber Employed1-5Average Annual Salary1-5
Counselors, All OtherN.Av.N.Av.
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors680$59,730
Marriage and Family Therapists50$50,950
Rehabilitation Counselors70$48,450
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors520$61,840

Counseling Associations in Wyoming

Frequently Asked Questions

How many annual counselor openings are there in Wyoming?

According to Projections Central, there are approximately 160 reported annual openings for counselors each year in Wyoming through 2030.6 The greatest number of reported annual openings will be for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors (80), followed by educational, guidance, school, and vocational counselors (70) and rehabilitation counselors (10).6

What are the continuing education (CE) requirements for LPCs, LMFTs, and LATs?

The Board requires LPCs, LMFTs, and LATs to complete 45 hours of CE during each two-year renewal period. Of these hours, three hours must be in each of professional ethics and suicide prevention. Additionally, LATs must ensure at least 15 hours are completed in addiction-specific topics. CE activities must be provided by a presenter with at least a master’s degree; credit can also be earned for presenting to a professional audience, teaching a related course, or attending a meeting of the Board. More information is available in the Board’s rules.

Does my degree need to be CACREP-accredited for LPC licensure?

While the Board preapproves master’s and doctoral degrees accredited by CACREP, it is not a mandatory requirement for licensure. The Board also accepts counseling degrees completed at accredited institutions with a minimum of 60 credits, including coursework in eight core areas. Some of the core areas are human growth and development, helping relationships, and group work. The program must also include a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship.

Are there counseling careers without a graduate degree in Wyoming?

Of the major counseling fields, substance abuse counseling is the only area in which a graduate degree is not required in Wyoming. Prospective counselors can apply for the Certified Addictions Practitioner Assistant (CAPA) credential with an associate’s degree in a related field, including 270 hours of training in alcoholism and drug abuse, a National Certified Addictions Counselor (NCAC) Level I certification, or an Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselor (AODA) credential from IC&RC. The Board also offers the Certified Addictions Practitioner (CAP) credential to applicants with a bachelor’s degree with coursework in addictions or NCAC II certification.

How many supervised hours of clinical experience are required by the Board?

For LPC, LMFT, and LAT licenses, you must complete 3,000 hours of post-degree, supervised clinical experience while holding a valid associate license. You must receive at least 100 hours of face-to-face clinical supervision, which must be provided either individually or in a triad. Group supervision will not be counted towards the 100-hour supervision requirement. These hours must be accrued in no less than 18 months, but not more than 36 months unless an extension is granted by the Board.

References:
1. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021 Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes211018.htm
2. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021 Marriage and Family Therapists: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes211013.htm
3. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021 Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes211012.htm
4. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021 Rehabilitation Counselors: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes211015.htm
5. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021 Counselors, All Other: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes211019.htm
6. Projections Central, Long Term Occupational Projections: https://projectionscentral.org/Projections/LongTerm