Required Coursework to Become a therapist - masters level

RULE § 681.83 Academic Course Content

(a) An applicant who holds a graduate degree in counseling from an accredited school is presumed to have satisfied the academic course content requirements described in this section.

(b) An applicant who holds a graduate degree in a counseling-related field must complete at least one course in each of the following areas:

(1) normal human growth and development - the process and stages of human intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development from prenatal origins through adulthood;

(2) abnormal human behavior - the principles of understanding dysfunction in human behavior or social disorganization;

(3) appraisal or assessment techniques - the principles, concepts, and procedures of systematic appraisal or assessment of an individual's attitudes, aptitudes, achievements, interests, and personal characteristics, which may include the use of both non-testing approaches and test instruments;

(4) counseling theories - the major theories of professional counseling;

(5) counseling methods or techniques - the methods or techniques used to provide counseling treatment intervention including:

(A) counseling individuals; and

(B) the theory and types of groups, including dynamics and the methods of practice with groups;

(6) research - the methods of research which may include the study of statistics or a thesis project;

(7) life style and career development - the theories of vocational choice, career choice and life style, sources of occupational and educational information, and career decision-making processes;

(8) social, cultural, and family issues - the studies of change, ethnic groups, gender studies, family systems, urban and rural societies, population patterns, cultural patterns, and differing life styles;

(9) professional orientation - the objectives of professional organizations, codes of ethics, legal aspects of practice, standards of preparation, and the role identity of persons providing direct counseling treatment intervention; and

(10) practicum (internship) - supervised practicum experience primarily counseling in nature which includes:

(A) At least 300 clock-hours, of which at least 100 hours must be direct client counseling.

(B) Academic credit or other acknowledgment of the practicum/internship must appear on the applicant's official graduate transcript.

(c) The remaining courses needed to meet the 48/60 graduate semester hour requirement must be counseling-related course work in areas directly supporting the development of an applicant's professional counseling skills and must be courses related primarily to professional counseling.

(d) As of August 1, 2017, the following courses must be taken in addition to those outlined in subsection (b) of this section, to meet the 60 semester hour requirement:

(1) addictions counseling; to include, but not limited to, gambling, sexual, eating, alcohol, or drug;

(2) an additional course in counselor ethics; to include records management, an overview of business/family law and professional practice, and the study of current Council rules;

(3) couples, marriage, or family counseling; and

(4) a course in psychopathology to include such content as criteria of psychiatric diagnosis, use of the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the theories of psychopathology. The course should also include the basic knowledge of types of psychopharmacological medications.

(e) Passing the National Counselor Exam or National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Exam does not guarantee that Texas state licensure requirements have been satisfied.

For more information visit: https://www.bhec.texas.gov/texas-state-board-of-examiners-of-professional-counselors/index.html

The Brain Coaching & Psychotherapy Place

Traci Celeste Presley, Licensed Professional Counselor

Required Coursework to Become a therapist - masters level

RULE § 681.83 Academic Course Content