Licensed Professional Counselor Associate
Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors
Overview
The Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPC-Associate) is Texas's pre-licensure credential for counselors working toward full LPC licensure under the oversight of the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors (TSBEP). Texas uses a monthly supervision cadence: you must receive at least 4 hours of supervision per month, of which at least 1 hour must be individual (one-on-one). This structure gives supervisors and supervisees a predictable monthly rhythm compared to ratio-based states.
Texas requires 3,000 total supervised experience hours, with at least 1,500 of those hours being direct client contact. The LPC-Associate license and a board-filed Supervisory Agreement must both be in place before any hours begin counting. The minimum supervision period is 18 months, and your supervisor must hold the LPC-Supervisor designation — not just an LPC license. Texas's supervisor designation requires 5 years as a licensed LPC plus completion of a 40-hour board-approved supervisor training course.
Summary
3,000 clock hours of supervised experience (including ≥1,500 hours of direct client contact) earned over not less than 18 months. Monthly supervision cadence: at least 4 hours per month with at least 1 hour individual. Supervisor must hold an active Texas LPC license with the LPC-Supervisor designation (5+ years as LPC and a 40-hour board-approved supervisor course). Supervisory Agreement must be on file before hours count.
Hour requirements
- Total practice hours
- 3,000
- Total supervision hours
- 72
- Group session max
- 12 attendees
- Duration window
- 18 to 60 months
Checks AuditHalo runs
LPC-Associate license issued AND Supervisory Agreement filed with the board before any hour can count
pre_registration_required · blocker
Each supervision session must have a Texas LPC-Supervisor (5+ years as LPC, 40-hour training completed)
supervisor_credential_required · blocker
At least 1 hour of individual supervision per ~30 days (Texas's monthly cadence floor)
individual_supervision_cadence · warning
No group supervision session may exceed 12 supervisees
group_size_limit · blocker
3,000 clock hours of supervised experience (22 TAC §681.93)
total_practice_hours · info
Supervision hours total (derived from monthly cadence × 18+ months)
total_supervision_hours · info
3,000 hours earned in not less than 18 months and (LIKELY) not more than 60 months from LPC-A license issuance
duration_window · warning
At least 1,500 of the 3,000 supervised hours must be direct client contact (22 TAC §681.31)
direct_client_contact_minimum · info
Supervisor qualifications
- Must hold an active Texas LPC license with the LPC-Supervisor designation (not just a standard LPC license)
- LPC-Supervisor designation requires a minimum of 5 years as a licensed LPC and completion of a 40-hour board-approved clinical supervision course
- A Supervisory Agreement must be filed with TSBEP before any hours begin counting — verbal agreements do not satisfy this requirement
- The LPC-Associate must also have an active LPC-Associate license issued by TSBEP before any hours are creditable
- Group supervision may not exceed 12 supervisees per session (pending verification)
Common mistakes to avoid
- Both the LPC-Associate license AND the Supervisory Agreement must be on file with TSBEP before any hours count — missing either one invalidates hours logged during that period
- Texas requires at least 1,500 of the 3,000 hours to be direct client contact — track these separately from day one, as the split between direct and indirect hours matters at application
- The LPC-Supervisor designation is a separate credential from the LPC license — verify your supervisor holds both before signing any supervision agreement
- Counseling Compact (HB 4533, 2023): Texas joined the Counseling Compact, but Compact privileges apply to fully licensed LPCs, not LPC-Associates — your supervision requirements are not affected by the Compact
- Texas requires the title 'LPC Associate' on all professional materials — using 'LPC' without the Associate designation is a licensing violation
Verification
- Last verified
- 2026-06-02
- Verified by
- founder (preliminary — drafted from training data, no live TAC source pulled)
This encoding is preliminary — drafted from public sources, awaiting QA by a licensed clinical supervisor in this jurisdiction. Use the citation link to verify anything that matters for your specific situation.
Evidence package
Required signers: supervisor, supervisee
Immutability: sha256_signed_json
Track your TX hours
AuditHalo evaluates every hour you log against this rule and flags issues before they become problems.
Start freeTX LPC-Associate — common questions.
How many supervised hours does a Texas LPC-Associate need?
3,000 total supervised experience hours, of which at least 1,500 must be direct client contact hours. The supervision period must be at least 18 months, and you must receive at least 4 hours of supervision per month with at least 1 of those hours being individual supervision.
What is the LPC-Supervisor designation and why does it matter?
The LPC-Supervisor is a separate designation that Texas LPCs must earn before they can legally supervise LPC-Associates. It requires 5 years of post-licensure experience as an LPC plus a 40-hour board-approved clinical supervision training course. If your supervisor does not hold this designation, the hours they supervise do not count toward your licensure — regardless of their clinical qualifications.
What is a Supervisory Agreement and when do I need to file it?
The Supervisory Agreement is a formal document filed with TSBEP that establishes the supervision relationship, the setting, the supervisor's credentials, and the terms of supervision. It must be on file with the board BEFORE you begin accumulating supervised hours. Hours logged without a filed agreement are not creditable.
How does AuditHalo handle Texas's monthly supervision cadence?
AuditHalo tracks supervision hours on a rolling monthly basis and flags any month where you logged fewer than 4 total supervision hours or fewer than 1 individual supervision hour. Supervisors see this on their dashboard 30 days before the end of each calendar month — enough time to schedule a session before falling out of cadence.
Can a Texas LPC-Associate work in another state while completing their hours?
Texas joined the Counseling Compact in 2024. However, Compact privileges apply to fully licensed LPCs, not LPC-Associates. If you need to work across state lines during your associate period, you must hold a license or registration in each state where you practice.
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