Rules and Regs for Professional Counseling in Pennsylvania

Chapter 49 of The Pennsylvania Code describes the educational requirements and application process involved with becoming a professional counselor. Professional counselors are required to take two semester hours or three quarter hours of each in human growth and development, social and cultural foundations, helping relationships, group work, career and lifestyle development, appraisal, research and program evaluation, and professional orientation. Helping relationships includes an understanding of the counseling and consultation process. Research methods, statistics, ethical and legal considerations in research are all part of understanding research and program evaluation. In addition to these requirements, the professional counselor also needs to obtain 100 clock hours of supervised practicum experience and 600 hours of supervised internship experience.

Licensed professional counselors are also required to pass an examination given by an accredited organization. They are required to have good moral character. Morality is defined in Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professionals as “right and proper conduct and involves an evaluation of actions on the basis of some broader cultural context or religious standard” (Corey, Corey, & Callahan, 2011, p. 14). It is interesting that this standard is required of licensed professional counselors in Pennsylvania, yet it is subjective based on one’s culture and religion. Related to this requirement, licensed professional counselors may not have been convicted of a felony within the past ten years.

After completing 60 semester hours in professional counseling and obtaining a master’s degree from an accredited educational institution, one must submit an application, fees, and two certificates of recommendation to become licensed as a professional counselor. Continuing education is important to stay abreast of new research in the field of counseling, and professional counselors must complete at least...