If you’re interested in pursuing a degree in counseling but don’t know where to start, this article is for you! Maybe you’ve already enrolled in a program, but see it’s not CACREP accredited. Seeing acronyms like “CACREP” or words like “accreditation” can be daunting for those students determining which graduate programs are the best fit for them and what it all means. To get caught up to speed on what makes a program accredited, read our article here.
This article breaks down the different counseling and psychology accrediting bodies to help students understand how their program choice can impact licensure and career options. It explains why CACREP is often considered the gold standard for counseling programs while also highlighting other solid options like COAMFTE for marriage and family therapy, MPCAC for more general psychology and counseling paths, and APA accreditation for doctoral-level psychologists. The piece also discusses where these accreditations overlap with related fields like education and social work and clarifies the difference between accrediting bodies and professional organizations like the ACA.
CACREP is considered to be the gold standard when it comes to accreditation for counseling programs within the United States. CACREP stands for Council for Accreditation for Counseling and Related Education Programs. Individuals who are interested in pursuing careers in general counseling, school counseling, addictions counseling, rehabilitation counseling, and marriage counseling could benefit from graduating from a CACREP-accredited graduate school program. Although CACREP is the gold standard, there are other counseling accrediting bodies that prepare individuals for a career in the field.
COAMFTE
Another counseling accrediting body that is popular is the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, or commonly known as COAMFTE. This accreditation is recognized by CHEA to meet high educational and clinical standards, so students who graduate from a COAMFTE-accredited program are often considered highly eligible individuals for licensure.
The COAMFTE-accredited programs are wonderful for those who want to have a niche in the field of marriage and family therapy. For individuals who feel passionate about helping couples in their relationships, reunification therapy, collaborative divorce, or general family therapy, an LMFT (licensed marriage and family therapist) track is a great option. Similar to CACREP, this accreditation will ensure graduates are prepared for licensure within the field.
My Experience Graduating from a COAMFTE Accredited Program
As an LMFT and an approved supervisor in Texas, my degree from a COAMFTE-accredited program has helped me gain licensure and the supervisor credential with ease. Upon applying for my intern/associate status, I was approved very quickly and was not required to take any additional courses, as all of my academic requirements were met during graduate school. Additionally, when I relocated, obtaining a license in my new state was easy, both because of state reciprocity guidelines and again, because my COAMFTE program prepared me for my career very well.
In my clinical work, I am able to see couples, families, and individuals, so although I don’t have the CACREP accreditation backing me, COAMFTE prepared me well for the application of clinical skills and clinical education.
MPCAC
The MPCAC accreditation, or the Master’s in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council, is an accrediting body that focuses on both counseling and general psychology. These programs are great for individuals who want to pursue a Master’s degree in the field of psychology, but don’t want to go on to get a doctorate degree or want just a generalized education with no specific niche.
The MPCAC is also CHEA recognized; however it is not conducive with licensing boards across this nation. This means that individuals who graduated from an MPCAC-accredited program may be required to take additional courses to meet licensure education standards.
APA-CoA
The American Psychological Association (APA) is unique in the fact that it accredits doctoral programs that focus on psychology, but does not accredit master’s programs. They offer the APA Commission on Accreditation (APA-CoA), which is recognized by CHEA for programs where graduates will obtain a doctorate degree.
The APA oversees programs training those who want to be psychologists. Within these programs, students can choose different focuses, such as clinical psychology, school psychology, or even sports psychology. Just as CACREP is the gold standard for generalized counseling accreditation, the APA is the standard accreditation for psychologists.
More information about their accreditation can be found by visiting the APA’s website.
Other Accrediting Bodies Where CACREP Does Have Some Overlap
Many of the accrediting bodies have overlap with CACREP, such as the ones listed above. The overlap is seen when looking at the primary focus of each of the accrediting bodies, which is clinical work. Other bodies that have overlap with CACREP will be explored below.
CAEP
There are some programs that are accredited by both the CACREP and CAEP, or the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. The primary overlap between these two accrediting bodies is that both prepare professionals to work within the education system or in educational practices. The primary example would be school counselors, who must know the clinical piece but also the educator preparation element that CAEP focuses on.
CSWE
In addition to counselors and therapists who gain licensure from CACREP and COAMFTE programs, clinical social workers also have an accrediting body. The CSWE, or Council on Social Work Education, accredits programs whose primary focus is social work. Social work can differ from other clinical roles with the ability to do case management rather than therapeutic services. There are also clinical social workers, who do more counseling and therapy, so the overlap with CACREP is in the clinical realm.
ACA
The American Counseling Association is not an accrediting body, but it is a great resource for those who have been through CACREP-accredited programs. The ACA’s primary goal is to help advance the field of counseling through continuing education, building community, advocacy, new research, and inclusion. According to their website, ACA believes that being a member of its association can provide professional credibility and support for counselors.
Membership to the ACA is annual and provides different regional bodies of the organization across the country. Regions include the North Atlantic, the Midwest, the South, and the Western regions to cover the states.
How CACREP Accreditation Relates to Specific State Requirements
Other accrediting bodies discussed above can be good for state licensure requirements, but CACREP is the standard for counseling professions across the United States. In any state in our country, an individual must be licensed as an LPC (licensed practical counselor) in order to practice. This means someone must hold a license in order to provide counseling or therapeutic services.
The states of Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina, and, recently added, Florida, require licensure applicants to be graduates of a CACREP-accredited program. If someone has not received their diploma from a program accredited by CACREP, they cannot be licensed as a professional counselor in these states. The other states in our nation do not require CACREP accreditation; however, it can be helpful when getting licensed.
It can be confusing to navigate the world of accrediting bodies and find a program that is the right fit for you and your future career goals. CACREP, COAMFTE, and MPCAC programs are the best for easier licensure for clinical work upon graduation.
Accredited Programs vs. Accreditation Alignment
Reading this article may have brought up thoughts of, “I graduated from a program that’s not CACREP accredited…what now?” Have no fear; many programs aren’t accredited but are aligned with accreditation. Accredited graduate programs have fully met rigid guidelines for educational standards and requirements for state licensure.
If you’ve graduated or are enrolled in a program that isn’t accredited, that is okay, as it may be in alignment with accreditation. What this means is that although the program hasn’t officially met all requirements for accreditation, it does follow the structure of a specific accrediting body (like CACREP) to position the program in the best possible way for different state licensure requirements.
Many programs offered in a specific state allow graduates to obtain licensure in their home state even if they are not accredited by a large body like CACREP. These programs are generally built to serve the needs of their home state, but getting licensed in other states that are not yours can be more difficult. It may mean that you need to take an extra course or two to meet the new state’s licensure requirements.
What Should I Do If My Program Is Not Accredited?
The first thing to do would be to determine what states your program meets state licensure requirements within. For most programs, on the program website, this information is available or there are links out to resources that provide insight into this.
The second thing to do would be to contact a program administrator. This is most likely a very common question that gets asked, and they should have this information readily available. Many programs that aren’t accredited by a large national accrediting body do have a focus on meeting not only their home states licensure requirements, but also surrounding states.