(a) The board may license, without examination, a professional counselor applicant who is currently licensed in another state if the applicant’s qualifications meet the licensure requirements under this part.
Terms Used In Tennessee Code 63-22-116
Counseling: means assisting an individual, through the counseling relationship, in a manner intended to facilitate normal human growth and development, using a combination of mental health and human development principles, methods and techniques, to achieve mental, emotional, physical, social, moral, educational, spiritual and/or career development and adjustment throughout the life span. See Tennessee Code 63-22-122
Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(b) The board may enter into a reciprocal agreement with any other state that licenses, certifies or registers professional counselors, if the board finds that such state has substantially the same or higher licensure requirements than Tennessee. This agreement shall provide that the board shall license any resident of another state who is currently licensed, certified or registered by that state, if such resident has met the same or higher requirements as provided for in this part.(c) If the board has entered into a reciprocal agreement with another state as described in subsection (b) on or before January 1, 2024, then the board shall grant a license to a person who:
(1) Has a master’s degree in counseling or education;(2) Has a valid, unencumbered license in the state with which this state has such reciprocal agreement;(3) Has actively practiced for at least the preceding twenty-four (24) months in the state with which this state has such reciprocal agreement; and(4) Has passed the examination offered by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) or such other examination approved by the board.
