Counseling Bill Breezes Through State Senate

Michigan’s 10,000 Licensed Professional Counselors will be able to continue their practices under legislation that unanimously passed the Michigan Senate yesterday.

The measure to assure that LPCs would be able to continue to counsel patients had unanimously passed a House vote last week.

At issue were new guidelines from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, which re-interpreted the rules for the profession that were established in 1988. The new guidelines would have stopped the LPCs from diagnosing and treating patients in a clinical setting.

LPCs currently provide care to around 150,000 patients.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has indicated that she will sign the bill into law.

For background, see our previous story here.