SB119.html

Chapter 10A of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, the "Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists Licensing Law," is amended by striking paragraphs (8) and (10) of Code Section 43-10A-3, relating to definitions, and inserting in their respective places the following:
"(8) 'Marriage and family therapy' means that specialty which evaluates and treats emotional and mental problems and conditions, whether cognitive, affective, or behavioral, resolves intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts, and changes perception, attitudes, and behavior; all within the context of marital and family systems. Marriage and family therapy includes, without being limited to, individual, group, couple, sexual, family, and divorce therapy. Marriage and family therapy involves an applied understanding of the dynamics of marital and family systems, including individual psychodynamics, the use of assessment instruments that evaluate marital and family functioning, designing and recommending a course of treatment, and the use of psychotherapy and counseling."
"(10) 'Professional counseling' means that specialty which utilizes counseling techniques based on principles, methods, and procedures of counseling that assist people in identifying and resolving personal, social, vocational, intrapersonal and interpersonal concerns; utilizes counseling and psychotherapy to evaluate, treat, and recommend a course of treatment for emotional and mental problems and conditions, whether cognitive, behavioral, or affective, provided that the counselor shall have training and experience working with people with mental illness, mental retardation, or substance abuse; administers and interprets educational and vocational assessment instruments and other tests which the professional counselor is qualified to employ by virtue of education, training, and experience; utilizes information, community resources, and goal setting for personal, social, or vocational development; utilizes individual and group techniques for facilitating problem solving, decision making, and behavior change; utilizes functional assessment and vocational planning and guidance for persons requesting assistance in adjustment to a disability or disabling condition; utilizes referral for persons who request counseling services; performs service planning; and utilizes and interprets counseling research."

Said chapter is further amended by striking paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Code Section 43-10A-11, relating to requirements for licensure in professional counseling, and inserting in its place the following:
"(1) For licensure as an associate professional counselor, a master´s degree from a recognized educational institution in a program that is primarily counseling in content or in a program of applied psychology, which degree includes a supervised internship or practicum as part of the degree program and registration with the board of an acceptable contract for obtaining the post-master´s experience under direction and supervision required for licensure as a professional counselor; and".

Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 43-10A-11, relating to requirements for licensure for professional counseling, by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (a)(2)(D) and inserting in its place "; or" and by adding a new subparagraph (a)(2)(E) to read as follows:
"(E) A master´s degree from a recognized educational institution in a program of applied psychology with supervised internship or practicum and four years of post-master´s directed experience under supervision in a setting acceptable to the board. Up to one year of such experience may have been in an approved practicum placement as part of the degree program. Supervision of the practicum or internship and the post-master´s directed experience shall be provided by a supervisor, as defined in paragraph (16) of Code Section 43-10A-3, except that such supervision may be provided all or in part by a psychologist or, before January 1, 2004, by a person with a master´s degree from a recognized educational institution in a program of applied psychology."