LPC-Associate stands for Licensed Professional Counselor Associate.

No, An Associate has completed their graduate degree, at least 300 hours of direct counseling experience via practicum, internship and other experiential training in graduate school, successfully passed the National Counselor Examination (NCE), and have been temporarily licensed by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors. The associate has the knowledge and skills to provide professional counseling in a number of different settings.

When one is receiving services from an associate, he or she is getting the benefit of having two clinicians with different skill sets and expertise, because associates are required to meet weekly with a supervisor. While these meetings vary in content from week to week, the primary purpose is to conceptualize cases, review interventions and techniques, collaborate on treatment options and much more. Essentially, one receiving treatment from an LPC-associate gains the benefit of not just that person's knowledge, experience, and expertise, but also that of the associate's supervisor.