Guides
Guides to becoming licensed.
Requirements, supervision, hours and forms, written plainly and sourced to the Board of Behavioral Sciences. Free to read, no account.
Requirements
Become a therapist
- The whole path, step by stepFrom first thought to license, in 23 steps.
- What therapists actually doThe work, the settings, the pay and the cost to you.
- Which license is right for youLMFT, counselor, clinical social worker or psychologist.
- Choosing a graduate programAccreditation, portability and the questions to ask.
- Paying for itLoans, forgiveness programs and paid placements.
- The timeline, first class to licenseYears, money, and the background check.
- Human developmentLifespan, attachment and the family life cycle.
- Psychopathology and the DSMHow diagnosis works and why it matters.
- Theories of therapy and the evidenceThe families of therapy and what research says works.
- Couples, families, children and groupsWho you will be trained to see.
- Culture and differenceCultural humility, identity and language access.
- The brain, the body and substancesStress, sleep, medication and substance use.
- Ethics codes and boundariesThe codes, dual relationships and how to decide.
- Confidentiality and its limitsHIPAA, mandated reporting and duty to warn.
- Risk and crisisAssessing risk, safety planning and emergencies.
- Documentation and notesProgress notes, treatment plans and medical necessity.
- Telehealth and state linesWhere the client sits, and the interstate compacts.
- Practicum and internshipFinding a site and making the most of it.
- Associate years and supervised hoursRegistering, supervisors and what counts.
- The psychologist trackDoctorate, internship match, postdoc and the EPPP.
- Licensing examsWhich exam, when you can sit it, how to prepare.
- The license applicationTranscripts, fingerprints, verifications and delays.
- Where to work and getting paidAgencies, group and private practice, insurance.
- Specialties and lifelong learningCertifications, continuing education and renewal.