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Colorado State Board of Licensed Professional Counselor Examiners
Licensed Professional Counselor Frequently Asked Questions
Information about the Board of Licensed Professional Counselor Examiners including licensure, renewals, and much more.
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Licensed Professional Counselor Frequently Asked Questions
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Professional Counselor HOME

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Welcome to the Professional Counselor Homepage

The Colorado State Board of Professional Counselor Examiners regulates Licensed Professional Counselors in the state. Board activities include the review of licensure applications and complaints and enforcement of disciplinary actions against violators of the Mental Health Practice Act or Board Rule. The Board is made up of seven members, three public and four professionals, who meet six times per year.

Program Information

Program/Board Members

Reina Sbarbaro-Gordon, Program Director

State Board of Professional Counselor Examiners
1560 Broadway, Suite 1350
Denver, CO 80202

Phone: 303-894-7800  |  Fax: 303-894-7764  |  Email: dora_mentalhealthboard@state.co.us

 

Board Members:

  • Vacant
    Professional Member| Term Expires:

  • Amy Skinner, LPC
    Professional Member | Term Expires: August 31, 2024

  • Karen Van Zuiden, LPC
    Professional Member| Term Expires: August 31, 2024

  • Ralph Kenneth O'Neal, II
    Public Member| Term Expires: August 31, 2022

  • Maki Sonoda-Sutton, LPC
    Professional Member| Term Expires: August 31, 2022

  • Daniel Zarnowski
    Public Member | Term Expires: August 31, 2022

  • Richard Glover
    Public Member| Term Expires: August 31, 2024

Public Notices

Joint Stakeholder Meeting - August 12, 2022

The Division of Professions and Occupations' will hold a Joint Stakeholder Meeting for all Healthcare Boards and Programs to allow stakeholders an opportunity to provide feedback, and help develop new and/or revised rules to implement Colorado House Bill 22-1284 (Concerning updates to state surprise billing laws to facilitate the implementation of surprise billing protections, and, in connection therewith, aligning state law with the federal "No Surprises Act").

 

Joint Stakeholder Meeting - July 29, 2022

The Division of Professions and Occupations' held a Joint Stakeholder Meeting for all Boards and Programs that allowed stakeholders an opportunity to provide feedback, and help develop new rules to implement the directives of Executive Order D-2022-034 (Protecting Colorado’s Workforce and Expanding Licensing Opportunities).

 

Joint Stakeholder Meeting - July 22, 2022

The Division of Professions and Occupations' held a Joint Stakeholder Meeting for all healthcare Boards and Programs that allowed stakeholders an opportunity to provide feedback, and help develop new rules to implement the directives of Executive Order D-2022-032 (Directing State Agencies to Protect Access to Reproductive Health Care in Colorado).

 

Joint Stakeholder Meeting - June 10, 2022

The Division of Professions and Occupations (Division) will hold a Joint Stakeholder Meeting to allow stakeholders an opportunity to provide feedback on the implementation of Colorado Senate Bill 22-116 (Concerning the ability of an individual to obtain an occupational credential through the occupational credential portability program) which amends the Red Tape Reduction Act (HB20-1326/Section 12-20-202, C.R.S.); and subsequent proposed draft rules for each Board/Program. In an effort to provide advanced notice of this meeting, the draft rules for each Board/Program will not be available until Friday, May 27, 2022. To review the draft rules, please click on the "Notice, SB22-116, and Draft Rules" link below, on or after the availability date

 

Permanent Rulemaking Hearing - September 10, 2021

The State Board of Licensed Professional Counselor Examiners held a Permanent Rulemaking Hearing on September 10, 2021, that allowed stakeholders a final opportunity to provide feedback before the Board considered adopting revisions to Rule 1.8(B), to implement Colorado Senate Bill 21-077 (Concerning the elimination of verification of an individual's lawful presence in the United States as a requirement for individual credentialing).


Permanent Rulemaking Hearing - July 9, 2021

The State Board of Licensed Professional Counselor Examiners held a Permanent Rulemaking Hearing on July 9, 2021, that allowed stakeholders a final opportunity to provide feedback before the Board considered adopting revisions to Rules 1.12, 1.23, and Appendix A to correct language in the rules that conflicted with portions of the statutes in Colorado House Bill 20-1326 (Concerning an expansion of an individual's ability to practice an occupation in Colorado through creation of an occupational credential portability program), and Colorado Senate Bill 20-102 (Concerning required disclosures to patients regarding formal actions based on sexual misconduct).


Permanent Rulemaking Hearing - March 5, 2021

The State Board of Licensed Professional Counselor Examiners will hold a Permanent Rulemaking Hearing to consider adopting revisions to Rule 1.6(A), to implement Colorado House Bill 19-1129, which prohibits mental health care providers from engaging in conversion therapy with patients under eighteen years of age.


An Important Message about LPC Licensing and Regulation

The July 14, 2020 signing into law of House Bill 20-1206, Sunset Mental Health Professionals has prompted changes affecting the licensure requirements for professional counselors in Colorado. The new law requires that the supervised postgraduate practice in professional counseling include at least 2,000 hours of professional counseling, 1,500 hours of which must be face-to-face, direct client contact under clinical supervision.  

In addition, HB 20-1206 modifies the requirements for a licensed professional counselor to serve as a supervisor for another mental health professional to include education and training as determined by the Board. 

The Board of Licensed Professional Counselor Examiners is working diligently to implement these specific changes as well as the remainder of the Mental Health Sunset bill, HB20-1206.   As rules are being promulgated, the Board will continue to process applications for licensure as a professional counselor under the previous requirements.  Those persons who began supervised postgraduate practice before July 14, 2020, may continue completing the previous supervised practice requirements as the Board completes the rules.  

The new requirements for Licensed Professional Counselors supervisors are currently slated to become effective upon renewal in August 2021, and current supervisors who meet the requirements of Board Rule 1.14 may continue supervision in the interim.

Please review the Revised Proposed Draft Rules

Visit the Colorado State Board of Licensed Professional Counselor Examiners website for the latest information, as it becomes available. Questions may be referred to and written feedback on the proposed rules may be submitted to dora_dpo_rulemaking@state.co.us. 

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