The sharp increase in requests for counselor license protection highlights the growing professional risks

Adverse license protection incidents and complaints against counselors at the Board of Professional Counselors have nearly doubled over the past five years.

A new report from the Healthcare Providers Service Organization, a division of Aon Affinity, shows that there were 4,080 adverse license protection incidents reported and complaints made against advisers in 2024, up from 2,082 in 2019.

According to the report, the average total incurred for professional liability claims increased by nearly 40%, from $113,642 to $157,492.

Major exposures include professional liability claims, subpoena assistance matters and license protection matters. Citation assistance accounts for 66% of the distribution of claim accounts.

The report also shows an increase in the number of requests that occurred when counselors used virtual technology: 3.9 percent of requests in 2024 involved counseling administered via telebehavioral health.

Claims involving telebehavioral health also have the potential for exposure to high-severity losses, with a greater potential that the lines of professionalism can be blurred and standards and regulations can be neglected. The average total loss incurred in 2024 for these claims reached $317,516, according to the report.

Other findings in the report include:

• The average total amount incurred for professional liability claims is $157,492.
• The average cost for license protection is $5,524
• There was an increase in valuation, appraisal and interpretation claims, which incurred an average total loss of $460,671.
• Sexual misconduct, failure to meet professional standards, and breach of confidentiality most commonly led to licensing board complaints.