What National Certified Counselor (NCC) Means to Potential Clients

Counselors can have multiple letters or credentials behind their name. One that most people are familiar with is Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Counselors can be board certified, have a certificate in a specialty (addiction, marriage and family therapy, anxiety…) and treatment method (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focus Brief Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy…).

About NCC

The counselor is committed

The NCC is voluntary, it is not required to practice (licensure is a requirement), but it is an additional step that counselors can take to display and ensure the high level of service that they provide their clients. Counselors who have NCC are dedicated to the counseling profession.

The counselor voluntarily submits to an established conduct review conducted by professionals in counseling

Counselors work with sensitive health information. If a client or somebody has a question about their actions, they may follow an established process to obtain a neutral review of their concern.

The counselor is required to remain current with developments in the profession

Continuing education that is approved by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) is required in order to maintain the NCC. This ensures that the counselor is current with all areas of the profession.

The counselor may have areas of specialties

The counselor demonstrates expertise with NBCC specialty certifications. These include, Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC), Master Addictions Counselor (MAC) and National Certified School Counselor (NCSC). Certifications reflect that they have met national standards for a specialty practice, with additional education and experience and a specialty examination.