Maryland Health Occupations Section 17-302

      (a)      To qualify for certification, an applicant shall be an individual who meets the requirements of this section.

      (b)      The applicant shall be of good moral character.

      (c)      The applicant shall be at least 18 years old.

      (d)      (1)      The applicant shall have a master's or doctoral degree in a professional counseling field from an accredited educational institution that is approved by the Board.

            (2)      In the case of an applicant holding only a master's degree, the applicant shall have completed, either as a part of the applicant's master's degree program or after the award of the master's degree:

                  (i)      A minimum of 60 graduate credit hours in counselor training approved by the Board; and

                  (ii)      Not less than 3 years, with a minimum of 3,000 hours, of supervised experience in counseling approved by the Board, 2 years of which shall have been completed after the award of the master's degree.

            (3)      In the case of an applicant holding a doctoral degree, the applicant shall have completed, either as a part of the applicant's doctoral program or after the award of the doctoral degree:

                  (i)      A minimum of 90 graduate credit hours in counselor training approved by the Board; and

                  (ii)      Not less than 2 years of supervised experience in counseling approved by the Board, 1 year of which shall have been completed after the award of the doctorate.

            (4)      In this subsection, "counselor training" includes but is not limited to instruction in:

                  (i)      Counseling theory and ethics;

                  (ii)      Counseling techniques;

                  (iii)      Human growth and development and maladaptive behaviors;

                  (iv)      Group dynamics, processing, and counseling;

                  (v)      Social and cultural foundations;

                  (vi)      Lifestyle and career development;

                  (vii)      Appraisal of individuals;

                  (viii)      Research and evaluation;

                  (ix)      Participation in a supervised practicum in professional counseling;

                  (x)      Marriage and family therapy; and

                  (xi)      Alcohol and drug counseling.

            (5)      In this subsection, "training in marriage and family therapy" includes, but is not limited to, instruction in the following specialized areas:

                  (i)      Analysis of family systems;

                  (ii)      Family therapy, theory, and techniques;

                  (iii)      Couples therapy, theory, and techniques;

                  (iv)      Gender and ethnicity in marriage and family therapy; and

                  (v)      Sexual issues in marriage and family therapy.

      (e)      Except as otherwise provided in this title, the applicant shall pass an examination approved by the Board under this subtitle.