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Prelicensed in Private Practice
eptemer 12, 2016 Miranda Palmer
Come hang out with us in
There are a lot of things to consider if ou are going to go into private practice as a person!
pre-licensed clinician.You ma first think aout things such as fee splits, entit https://t.co/xGA7Y55RfK
formation, and which supervisor to choose. That's totall normal (and all important stuff) https://t.co/D9tZI3FGwR
ut here are some things that an pre-licensed clinician can do FOR the start their 5 months ago
private practice.
Follow @MFTGuide
If ou are considering going into private practice here are some top tips to get started.
RAD MOR
Prelicensed in Private
Practice
3 Likes hare Pre-licensed Private Practice
Kell HIgdon / Comments
Pre-Licensed Private Practice
Pre-Licensed Private Practice, Private Practice Internship, Finding A Jo After Graduation, Getting A Internship The Next Chapter: xam
Restructure; Featuring
Info And Answers
The Next Chapter: xam Restructure; Featuring Wh ou should alwas go
straight to our state oard
Info And Answers Hours
Decemer 16, 2015
Wh this log matters... A
The road to licensure is a long and wind road! Well, it just took another turn. We are LOT
Paid internship
now entering new territor and it’s called the 2016 XAM RTRUCTUR!! With new
exams, new format and time frames. HR W GO… Get our seatelts on and get
read for the ride! 5 Reasons Wh Having to
Take the MFT xams is
RAD MOR GRAT!
MFT xams
mail Address *
Miranda Palmer / Comments 5 Likes hare
UMIT A TOPIC OR QUTION
Wh ou should alwas go straight to our state oard FOR TH LOG
Januar 20, 2015
Did ou know that sometimes people get it wrong? It
happens... all the time. I was doing research on another
pre-licensed topic and realized- I was out of the loop! I UMIT
had a piece of information stuck in m head that was no
longer accurate. Thankfull nood had asked me this
particular question in awhile, ut it could've happened and
I would have proal confidentl answered the question-
and I would've een wrong.
Wherever ou are in our licensing process- whether ou
are supervising others, or just starting our path as a
student, I want to share with ou some tips to sta on top
of the most accurate information.
Tip #1: Get to know our state oard wesite
ach state in the United tates, es all 50 of them have at least one wesite where the share the laws and regulations
that relate to mental health providers. If ou live in one state and are going to school in another. Or, if ou are going to
school in one state and plan to relocate to another- I recommend ou get to know OTH wesites. ookmark those
aies. And, if there is an option- like in California- to have updates emailed to ou- suscrie to it.
Tip #2: Read the updates
I know it can e overwhelming to navigate these wesites. Man of them aren't user friendl. ven if the are user friendl-
these wesites are extensions of legislation. And, let's face it, legislation or laws are not known for eing streamlined and
succinct. This is our career, swallow that itter pill and start reading these laws and FAQs, send in questions and start
getting reall informed. Don't rel on supervisors, or even our professional organization to tell ou exactl what needs to
happen.
Tip #3: Keep our records
Have a spot where ou keep track of the changes and shifts. You don't have to e perfect, ut have a clear spot to look
for the information ou need. While ou are at it- e sure to keep our sllaus, hours collection, and universit catalog
hand in that same spot. If ou ever plan to move from one state to another- ou might e surprised at what data ou will
need to provide!
o, are ou wondering what update I missed? In California, as of Januar 2013- ou can gain hours of credit for
workshops, and trainings- with our supervisor's approval in a week where ou didn't get supervision. Not a huge change
for sure. ut this change makes O much more sense! It alwas felt odd to me as a supervisor. If I send m intern or
trainee to a week long training the can't count it ecause I wasn't there with them?
Anwas- share our tips for staing up to date with the laws and changes in our state in the comments elow!
Hours
Tips For Prelicensed Therapists, Moving tates As A Therapist, License Reciprocit
Wh this log matters... A LOT
Januar 13, 2015
There are times when I wonder wh I do all this. Times
when I get overwhelmed or even feel crank after having
done this work for so long. It is hard to see the same
issues continue for so long and not see changes to the
sstem. Then, I get emails like this... and it trul makes m
da. This is wh I write this log. This is wh I continue to
put mself out there. This is what makes it all worth it!
"Hi Miranda-
First I want to sa thank ou again for our news letter and
log. It has reall helped me to keep m ee on the prize.
I finished m masters in Decemer and figured that there
were going to e no opportunities or at least limited
opportunities for me as a trainee awaiting m intern
numer. I thought retail was imminent.
I rememered reading our log where ou said that a lot of interns go around cring that their are no jos that pa and
that some are getting multiple interviews. This was m second week sending applications and I am so encouraged to sa,
that as of toda, I have FIV interviews all for positions that pa.
I also was ale to appl for the MFT consortium stipend program which I did get for $18,500. I did not send this to toot m
own horn. I just want to echo to interns that it is not that leak out there and with a little creativit and a positive outlook I
think we can all make it to licensure.
Again thank ou for encouraging people in m position to fight the good fight.
Happ New Year!"
What would this person have done if the didn't think a jo was possile? I LOV it when we have truth in front of us- and
it keeps us motivated to do what needs to e done. Get out there pre-licensed therapists- I won't promise it will e eas-
ut I can promise it will e worth it!
Paid Internship
Counseling Jos, Mft Intern Jos, Finding A Jo After Graduation
5 Reasons Wh Having to Take the MFT xams is
GRAT!
Januar 08, 2015
1. If ou’ve een letting our self-care slide, these exams
will force ou ee-to-ee with how much ou’re NOT
doing what ou teach our clients. In these exams it
doesn’t matter if ou can memorize gos of stuff or
whether ou were a good test taker in school. These
exams are aout whether ou can manage our anxiet
and make well-reasoned decisions while enduring
uncertaint. Which, face it, is what our profession requires
from us on a fairl regular asis. If our “tank” is on empt
ecause ou haven’t een taking care of ourself that will
limit our ailit to do well on these tests. Therefore, use
this time not onl to stud ut to reevaluate the current
alance of our life.
2. These exams will ring ou ee-to-ee with the
misinformation ou’ve picked up over the ears from
professors and supervisors who don’t take the time to sta
current with professional guidelines. The license ou will e issued is precious, and these exams make it clear what ou
need to know and do to make sure ou never lose that precious commodit. Passing these exams means ou’ve een
launched into our licensed career with the most up-to-date legal and ethical guidelines – now it’s up to ou to maintain
them.
3. These exams are a ig deal. And everthing that comes after taking and passing them is ALO a ig deal. You’ll e
licensed and as such have options availale to ou. The “goal” of getting licensed has now turned into a crossroads.
What do ou do with the wide open space spreading efore ou? Taking and passing these exams uilds our
confidence. Taking and passing these exams lets ou know that ou have what it takes to forge ahead. Taking and
passing these exams gives feet to our dreams.
4. Taking and passing these exams isn’t possile without support. If ou haven’t learned the importance of networking
et, ou will learn it now. You need a network of colleagues whom ou can count on for information and encouragement.
That same network will e there on the other (licensed) side when ou’re looking for a well-paing jo, starting a private
practice, uilding a non-profit… The relationships ou uild and maintain with our peers while ou’re walking through this
crucile together is VALUAL.
5. Finall, taking and passing these exams is a rite of passage that inserts ou into a top notch group of people who not
onl sa the want to help to make the world a etter place, ut have actuall put their time, mone, sweat, and tears
toward that goal. It means ou’ve come through the tests, papers, theses, comps, field experiences, pratica, internships,
personal therap, late nights, low pa, and, es, 2 seriousl kick-utt exams in order to stand our values. You AR a
Licensed Marriage and Famil Therapist!
Angela French is a licensed marriage and famil therapist,
and is making her dream of private practice in Manteca,
California a realit. Angela loves working with women
who care deepl aout others ut are losing their sense
of self in the middle of all the do. he is passionate
aout helping women to unhook from feelings of guilt or
fear, and encouraging them to develop a deep satisfaction
in who the are and how the live life. Angela has
extensive experience working with women and
adolescent girls, as well as couples, to reestalish
relational wholeness and uild personal fulfillment. To find
out more aout Angela click here.
MFT xams
Mft, Mft xams
Tips for Getting Your Paperwork Done On Time
Decemer 18, 2014
What’s one of the most common prolems I see with students and
recent grads? The have troule getting their paperwork done! I’m the
Qualit Assurance Manager for a communit mental health agenc
and it’s m jo to make sure I give all our students and therapists the
est tips and tools to make the documentation part of their jo easier.
I know, I know, ou thought m jo was to make their lives miserale,
right?
As a student or a recent graduate ou usuall have external
Y DR. MALIA HALL, DOCUMNTATION XPRT
requirements for our paperwork. You have deadlines, ou have
people reviewing our notes, and someone else has likel chosen the
template for ou. If ou’ve had multiple supervisors ou’ve proal also gotten disputing opinions on how much to write and what should go
where. ut I’m sure ou also got one overarching message- get our paperwork done on time!
as Tips for Timel Documentation
Here are some eas tips for getting our paperwork done on time. You can start using these right awa. Warning: Not ever method works for
ever person! e disciplined aout sticking with a method for at least two weeks and then evaluate whether or not it’s working for ou.
1. Write in chunks. ome people are ale to see a client for 45 minutes, write a 10 minute note, see the next client for 45 minutes, etc. If ou can,
stick to it and more power to ou! Most of us aren’t ale to do that, though. An alternative is to write notes in chunks. For example, see 6 clients on
Monda from 11am-5pm and then spend an hour writing notes for all those clients. The time ou select will depend on our schedule and flexiilit,
ut tr to keep it within 72 hours of our session so ou don’t get acked up or forget what happened. When I worked at an agenc I alwas
scheduled assessments in the morning and made sure m afternoon was clear so I could finish it that same da (and then it was off m plate!). For
regular sessions, I often saw clients in the late afternoon/evening so I didn’t want to sta until 8pm writing notes. I would schedule an hour or two
in the mornings the next da and do all m previous da’s notes then.
72
Shares
2. e consistent. Regardless of whether ou write in chunks dail, ever other da, or hourl ou have to e consistent! Missing one da’s notes
39 means adding an extra 60-90 minutes on the next da ou come in. Find the schedule that (realisticall) works for our lifestle and then write it in
our calendar. Documentation time has to e kept as sacred as a client’s weekl appointment time and our lunch reak or ou’ll alwas find other
25 things to do.
3. Create a plan to catch up. If ou do get ehind in our notes (and most of us do, at some point or another), the workload can spiral out of
control ver quickl. e honest with ourself and create a plan as soon as ou notice the prolem. A common mistake new therapists make when
catching up is neglecting their current notes to complete the older notes. This keeps them in a constant attle of catch up. ta consistent with
our current notes schedule and make additional time in the short-term for writing the overdue notes. tart with the oldest notes and just move
forward until the’re all done. Once ou catch up, ou’ll e glad ou staed up on our current notes and ou can get right ack to our regular
schedule!
4. Get support. If ou’re having difficult figuring out which schedule works for ou or find that writing notes seems to take ou longer than our
colleagues, seek out help from our supervisor. Tell them our struggles earl on so ou have someone to keep ou accountale as ou prolem-
solve. Also, talk with colleagues to find out what strategies work for them. It’s great to sta connected with others so ou know our struggles are
normal and ou can also find others who have worked through them. If ou’re not a part of the MFTGuide Faceook group, click here to join and
connect with likeminded therapists who are making the transition from student to working professional.
Follow these tips and ou should e successful in completing our documentation on time! I know it’s not the most exciting part of what ou do,
ut it’s just as necessar as eing present during sessions. If I’ve learned anthing from reviewing hundreds of client charts it’s that timeliness has
a significant impact on the qualit of documentation. I can tell when a therapist wrote an assessment or progress note within 24 hours and I can
definitel tell when the waited 24 das!
As therapists, we deal with such amiguous ut powerful feelings and ideas. Much of what we do is intangile and it’s sometimes difficult to put
into words. Comine that with the stress of studing for exams, dealing with client crises, and lapses in memor over time and ou have a recipe
for disaster when ou procrastinate writing notes.
If ou’re looking for more tips on time management and making documentation more relatale to our clinical work, check out m free online
training: The Private Practice Paperwork Crash Course. Regardless of what stage ou are in our career, there are helpful tips that appl to
therapists working in all settings. Now, use the strategies aove and map out our plan to get our paperwork done in no time!
Author io:
Dr. Maelisa Hall is an expert in clinical documentation who loves
teaching therapists how to create rock solid documentation so the
can spend more time focusing on their clients and less time worring
aout paperwork. Click here for instant access to her Private Practice
Paperwork Crash Course for mental health professionals.
DR. MALIA HALL OF QA PRP
Pre-Licensed Private Practice, upervision
Pre-Licensed Private Practice, Clinical Documentation, Private Practice Internship
Help, I just failed m licensing exam
Decemer 10, 2014
There is little more devastating for a therapist than failing a
licensing exam. The onl wa to e taking a licensing
exam is if ou have spent ears eing successful taking
exam. ATs, GRs, Mid-terms, finals, exam papers... ou
have to get past all of those to even come close to sitting
for a licensing exam.
If ou have failed a licensing exam, ou are not alone!
And ou don't want to hear this- ut it's not the end of the
world. In fact, I'm extremel grateful for m experience of
failing m licensing exam. o toda, I wanted to give ou a
few tangile tips of what to do after failing our licensing
exam:
1. e kind to ourself.
Nood will e harder on ou than ou will e. 99% of our colleagues will not think of ou an differentl, and will have
compassion for our experience. Your colleagues know ou are a good therapist from working with ou- a sill exam isn't
going to change that.
2. Take a rest.
The preparations ou made up to the da of our exam were proal exhausting. Your od and mind trul need rest
efore ou will e ale to make sense of all of this and make a game plan to pass on our next attempt. Now is NOT the
time to make an long term decisions.
3. Celerate.
You took the exam. You made the attempt. The are therapists out there avoiding this exam like the plague- afraid of failing-
ou did it- and guess what- ou are still standing! And ou still get to do therap. And ou still get to e ou!
4. xplore our anxiet.
There is nothing people hate more than me letting them know that the iggest preparation the need to e successful on
their next attempt is anxiet reduction. I talked to a wonderful woman who called me for exam coaching after she failed
her exam 1 or 2 points. We talked aout what happened- turned out her child had to e rushed to the doctors at 2am...
and she had gotten some pitiful amount of sleep.
Guess what I told her? he is fine! he needs to do ver little to prep- missing 1 or 2 points on no sleep after our
child's sick is faulous! Now, she just needs to watch the anxiet the next time she takes the exam and realize that the first
exam experience was not representative of her ailit to pass the exam.
5. Reach out to communit
Connect with great people. e social. Have fun. Use this as opportunit to uild some great connections and network with
other people. You might just meet some of our favorite humans through this experience.
6. Take our power ack.
Tap into our strengths, take care of our od, our mind- and make a game plan to pass on attempt #2. You can and ou
will do this!
Hope this helps inspire ou toda!
MFT xams, LCW xams, xams
Mft, Mft Intern, s xams, Failed M Licensing xam, Failed M Clinical Vignette xam
Tips to urvive the tandard Written xam
Decemer 02, 2014
Tips From the Other ide, or What I learned from urviving
the W
: Melanie Masters M.A., MFT Intern
Preparing for the exam
Choose the right stud program for ou and our learning
stle.
Therapist Development Center
Gerr Grossman
AAT
erkele Training
Tips for Making the most of our stud materials
Make sure to sign up for a program to review the A GUT POT Y MLANI MATR, M.A.
material that fits with the wa ou like to learn
Pace ourself and go through the program once or
twice
Take the mock exams
Make sure to review the rationales of the mistakes ou made so ou understand the concepts and wh ou had
prolems
How to take care of ourself while ou are studing
Tr to stud in 1 hour sessions with reaks as needed
at well
leep well
Continue seeing friends and loved ones
xercise
Meditate
Use Hpnosis
Practice Relaxation Techniques
Develop Positive Affirmations
Practice taking mocks in exam mode or using similar time frames as the test. Take our reaks and have our juice
or snack when ou practice
Take a practice run to the testing center to time how long it will take to get there, at the same da/time that ou will
e taking our test
Visit the testing center so ou will e ale to visualize where ou will e, and make sure ou will e comfortale
Appl for pecial Accommodations
If ou have a verified disailit, appl for special accomodations (check out this tutorial here). This is not a crutch, it is self-
care
Tpes of disailities might e GAD, Depression, Firomalgia, ack Issues, Vision Prolems, Learning Disailities,
ADHD, etc.
xtra time can reall help
A pillow for our ack
reaks, stretching, moving our od, athroom
e drops, tissues
The da/night efore the exam
Make sure ou have everthing read to go
Your ID
Directions
Accommodation letter (if using them)
Pillow
nacks
elect clothes ou will wear (no pockets, hoodies, scarves, etc). Laer, so that ou will comfortale, not e too hot
or cold.
Tr to take our mind off of the exam
Visit with friends
Have a massage, pedicure
xercise
Go to a movie
The da of the exam
Give ourself plent of time to get read
Tr to eat something nourishing, and sustaining
Meditate
xercise/tretch
On the wa to the exam
Gra all the things ou set out last night
Leave earlier than ou need to, this will allow ou to chill in the car when ou get there
Listen to motivating music on the wa (our favorite, or the theme to Rock)
Tape the word PA onto our dashoard and realize ou will e seeing this at the end of our test
When ou egin the test
efore ou start, ground ourself, feet on floor, look around, touch the desk
If ou feel it will help, use the ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones
Write our affirmations at the top of our paper to use as reminders during the test
Jot down anthing ou are worried ou might forget (DM timelines or such)
If ou feel the need, write down some time markers for ourself for completing so man questions what time (ie
the first hour I will e done with 50 questions…)
After the computer practice test, reground ourself efore ou egin
ta present with the information, pretend ou are in the room with the client or doing a case consultation. What
would ou do?
Make sure to take our reak, eat our snack or drink some juice
Take the test in chunks, 20 questions at a time, Tell ourself, ”Ok I’m almost there”, as ou near the end of each
sections, then stop and close our ees or look awa from the computer, do a few ee circles or rolls
Pretend the stem is a puzzle to solve, read it first and efore ou look for the answer, ask ourself what ou would
do
Take the stem literall, do not read or assume more info than is given
Do not take time to read the DM 5 questions if ou are taking it efore 1/1/15, these do not count, so don’t waste
our time. If ou want to, mark something and move on
Mark the ones that feel hard or that ou are unsure, if ou want write down the ones ou think ou might change
later on our paper. You can ke these in at the end and take another look.. Jot down the two answers ou have
narrowed down to, so ou do not have to read them all again later
Rememer there are experimental questions on the test. If it seems impossile, it proal is, and does not count
Mark an answer for ever question. At the end of the test look at the top of the test to make sure ou didn’t leave
skip or leave an unanswered. There is a utton for “unanswered” questions. If ou did, go ack and put
something in, even if it is a guess
Go ack, if ou have time, to check onl our marked answers, onl change them if ou are sure ou made a
mistake and have the “aha” factor of knowing it was wrong. Leave all other choices alone, our gut was most likel
right.
After the exam
No matter what the outcome, rememer this exam does not define ou as a therapist
Celerate our success at having come this far and having worked this hard
If ou passed, take some time to rejuvenate and get read for our next exam
If ou do not pass, consider how much ou learned from this experience, and how much more prepared ou will e
next time
Rememer ou are not alone. Connect online to others, take it one step at a time. Good luck!!!
Melanie Masters, M.A., MFT Intern has completed her tandard
Written xam, and is in the process of preparing for her Clinical
Vignette xam. In addition to eing a MFT Intern, she is a Learning
Disailities pecialist at Moorpark Communit College, where she
teaches tud trategies and does counseling and testing for
learning disailities. he specializes in working with ADHD and
Learning Disailities and hopes to e ale to re-open her practice in
the Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village, CA area as soon as she
completes her licensing.
MFT xams
ecoming A Therapist, ecoming A Counselor, Licensing xams, pecial Accommodations For Licensing xams, How To tud For The Mft xam,
How To tud For The tandard Written xam
ecoming a Therapist: How to choose a school
Novemer 13, 2014
While this log is mostl focused on what happens AFTR ou start our graduate degree in Pscholog or Marriage and
Famil Therap- I've een getting more questions aout how to choose the right school if ou want to e a counselor,
MFT, social worker, or therapist.
Questions like:
“The closest on campus school is 1.5 hours away. I could go to one school that’s accredited according to the MFT website.
However, there is another school, Liberty Univ, that gives a discount to veterans(me). But I’m nervous that its not accredited
and practices may not want to hire me because of that. Is that critical in my decision. Online would be better for me. Going
with Liberty would also be thousands less expensive.”
and
“I am considering programs for my Masters in MFT. I am considering 2 online programs and since you are a consultant in
the field i thought you may be able to shed some light on the topic of online education for MFT’s. The 2 programs I am
considering are both COAMFTE Accredited and meet my states requirements. do you know how important the school you get
your degree is? is there professional sigma attached to either Capella or North Central University? Or are the therapist’s
internships more important?”
These are wonderful questions to e asking prior to appling to grad school. I want to give ou a few tips for choosing the
right graduate school for ou- in no particular order. I also hope that some of the other people in the MFTGuide
communit will post their suggestions in the comments elow:
xplore the enefits of accreditation:
I didn't go to a COAMFT accredited school-GAP! Honestl, when I applied to graduate school- I was completel lost. I
didn't know that aout additional accreditations and chose the school that was closest to me and that fit in m udget.
Was it the end of the world? No. Did it have some drawacks? Yes.
COAMFT Accreditation
If ou are planning to move around the countr and want to e a MFT specificall- I'd consider springing for the COAMFT
accreditation. When it comes to licensure as a MFT- it is a state state process. Man states see COAMFT as a national
standard and it can make the process of getting licensed in those states a little less complex. In other words- ou won't
need to sumit sllaus of each class ou took in grad school.
While we are at it- keep those sllaus. I know it sounds craz. I wouldn't have VR considered that the would e useful
for anthing- ut scan them in- put them in a file so ou have them in case anone asks during the licensure process. Your
grad school should keep them on file- ut it can e a pain to get them to send them to ou sometimes.
Has m ailit to earn an income een stilted not going to a COAMFT program? No. However, I'm self-emploed. In
m particular area of the world, there were few COAMFT programs- and it wasn't a determining factor when I was out in
the jo market. In our area- it might e. Check it out, make some connections- ou might even find a local mentor along
the wa!
Check out the jo market for therapists in our area
Go and look at the jo descriptions of positions in our area that ou would love to have. What do the ask for? Is it
considered a "desirale" qualification to have a specific accreditation- take that into account when choosing schools.
While ou are at it- see if ou can schedule a quick chat with a supervisor or emploee at our dream jo. You might even
pa them for an hour of consultation (ver much worth it)- and find out what the market is for internships in our area. Will
that make the difference in getting a paid internship?
Or, will ou simpl have an extra 100k in students loans and still e working for free? I know wonderful people who paid to
have an XCLLNT grad school education- who still couldn't find paing gigs out of grad school.
How eas is it to get an internship?
To e honest, m iggest questions that I would e researching would e related to the relationship the college has in the
communit with internship sites, the % rates of emploments of graduates, etc.
In some cases, ou ma e etter of going to a state school at a low price, and investing that additional 50k in advanced
training and certifications like getting trained in MDR, motionall Focused Couple's Counseling, DT, etc. These
advanced certifications will also give ou more hands-on expertise for working with clients in the real world- which will
make ou a etter therapist!
Get an internship now
Ok- not exactl possile in most cases. However, I'd recommend tring to move into a paing jo related to the field asap.
It isn't alwas plausile- ut even volunteering 5 hours a week with a local non-profit while working our Full-time gig can
put ou miles ahead of our classmates when ou interview for practicums, internships, and jos.
I was luck to gra a jo at a local non-profit right as I started graduate school. M oss at the insurance agenc I worked
for, handled the non-profit's insurance polic. He gave me a glowing recommendation which helped in making such a
drastic shift! Never underestimate the power of personal relationships and connections!
What aout online vs in-person graduate programs?
The truth is, our world is changing. The iggest concern emploees have related to our degree program is its
preparation for ou to do great work. I've seen in-person programs e therap mills, and some RALLY cool online
programs. However, whether in-person or online- ou need to immediatel find a place to start implementing what ou are
learning. The sooner ou start working in the field- the etter.
It won't just change our jo prospects- it will transform the wa ou take in information. Your questions will e at a
different calier than our classmates, ou can start to develop expertise efore ou ever graduate! I rememer shortl
after I graduated a professor coming to me to consult on a domestic violence case. I was shocked- ut she knew from
having me as a student m passion, expertise, and knowledge in the area.
Ok- so this is getting LONG! I might have to do a follow-up- I feel like I have O much more to share! If ou have particular
questions- or want to share our tips: hare them in the comments elow!
Graduate chool
Choosing A Grad chool, Pscholog, ecoming A Therapist, Coamfte, Online Pscholog Program
Pre-Licensed Therapists uilding Communit
Octoer 30, 2014
We talk a lot aout the free online stud group for therapists on here. Wh?
ecause it is awe-some. And, I'll e honest- it has ver little to do with me!
Toda, I logged into the free stud group and could have cried with
everthing I saw on there:
Therapists sharing their exam success and getting cheers.
Therapists sharing failing their exam and getting support, empath,
and encouragement.
Therapists sharing stud tips and tricks.
Therapists sharing jo opportunities with one another.
Therapists sharing important information and getting answers to
specific questions that can reall help them succeed!
Ultimatel, it is simple a place where we've somehow attracted thousands
of awesome counselors, marriage and famil therapists, social workers and
more into one place. verone has the same asic goal: Help and e
helpful- and it works!
It sounds sill, ut m favorite example toda are people sharing that there is a heating and cooling issue in one of the
California testing sites. To e honest, I wouldn't have ever considered calling a testing center to find out if the were
having an issue, or een prepared for it eing NINTY degrees in a professional testing center!
I'd e prepared with warm clothes for the traditional ice ox that is testing centers- wouldn't ou? ut, several people have
shared that this has een an issue for several weeks, people have dressed in summer clothes (in the Fall) just in case- and
some have een ale to make the determination to drive a little farther to take their exam so the could e more
comfortale.
Those little gems make me O happ! The stud group that I started out of m own selfish needs ack in 2005 is more
than I ever imagined, and here it is 10 ears later provided support and encouragement to people who are looking for
stud materials, therapists who have failed the written licensing exam and don't know what to do, and therapists who just
need a communit to keep them inspired!
How are ou creating communit in our life? How are ou eing helpful? Where are ou getting help? ign up for the
free online stud group toda if ou need some awesome communit!
o let's talk aout the 5 steps to uilding communit as a pre-licensed therapist. Realize that the work ou do NOW to
uild an awesome communit- will also uild up our professional reputation and help ou when ou start a counseling
practice!
1. e on the lookout for a great communit. Look, search, and e dogged aout finding people ou can trust to
connect with.
2. tart with clear oundaries as ou watch and learn the culture of the group, and determine how safe it is to e "real"
in the group (online or offline).
3. As ou find safe places, e old, rave, and authentic!
4. e a safe person for other people- hold what people tell ou in confidence, e helpful, empathetic, and model what
ou'd want from others.
5. Don't e afraid to "keep looking" if our first attempts at communit uilding lead to some disappointments.
Let's create more communit! That is how we are therapists grow, develop, and sta inspired (just like we did in grad
school!). hare our ideas for creating great communit elow!
p.s. I'll e in eattle, LA, and an Diego in Novemer, and have free trainings ever month on all aspects of starting a
counseling practice. Check out the upcoming events here.
xams, LCW xams, MFT xams
Acsw, California, Communit, Lcsw, Licensing xams, Mft, Mft Intern, Therapists
Podcast: You are enough!
August 19, 2014
I'm so excited to e interviewed Joe
anok, LPC from the Practice of the Practice
podcast! He interviewed m usiness partner
and I aout ZnnMe and growing private
practices. However, I got to talk aout how
failing m exam 1 point was reall the
jumping off point for me in learning how to
authenticall grow a private practice (even
though I didn't know it at the time!)
You can listen to the podcast in full here:
http://www.practiceofthepractice.com/session
45/
We talk aout what:
1. Five things ever counselor should e outsourcing.
2. One thing counselors should never outsource.
3. How to grow a private practice toda.
4. What ever new counselor needs to know
5. One thing that ever counselor in America must know.
Comment elow and tell me what ou learned, or even what ou didn't like! I highl recommend ou check out a few of
the other podcasts as well. The are all fantastic!
xams, Guest Posts
Failed M Clinical Vignette xam, Failed M Licensing xam, Podcast
Understanding the Difference etween Law & thics
August 19, 2014
The California MFT Licensing exam, and several other state licensing
exams for LCW, LPC, Pschologist make a clear distinction etween our
legal requirements, and our ethical requirements. For man pre-licensed,
and licensed individuals the two can easil get jumled together in the
carring out of our dail duties.
In addition, sometimes, cultural norms within our professions can e
perceived as ethical duties or legal requirements- when there is no such
requirement. Not onl can this hinder us when attempting to pass the
licensing exams- it can e confusing in our future independent clinical
practice. And that is what licensing exams are aout- it is the licensing
oards est effort to ensure we are read to practice on our own without forced oversight.
I wrote an article for ZnnMe aout Is it thical for me to ________ in private practice? While the questions I answered
might not e on our mind for a it if ou aren't in private practice et- definitel check out the recommendations for
developing a clear understanding of our ethical oligations, and developing our own personal code of ethics!
Here are some of the questions I cover:
It is unethical not to accept insurance.
It is unethical not to offer sliding scale to everone who calls ou.
It is unethical to charge a certain fee.
It is unethical to hire contractors to work within our private practice- no matter the situation.
It is unethical to refer a colleague to an other usiness if that usiness offers an sort of thank ou, or perk, for that
referral.
It is unethical to offer coaching if ou are a licensed or unlicensed therapist.
It is unethical to start to market or rand ourself prior to licensure.
Read the entire post aout common ethical questions in private practice here.
Did ou know that one of the things people search this site for is free stud materials? The ethical code of our
professional organization is one of those free stud guides! Go and read it, soak it in, understand it- it will help ou
prepare for our exams and doesn't cost a dime!
AAMFT Code of thics
CAMFT Code of thics
NAW Code of thics
xams, MFT xams, Pre-Licensed Private Practice
Code Of thics, Free tud Prep Materials, Law And thics, Mft xams
Guest log: pecial Accommodations for MFT xams
August 15, 2014
o excited to have the wonderful Maria hufeldt sumit an informative
article outlining the process for appling for accommodations. Give it a
read, explore, and ecome informed aout the options and process for
asking for special accomodations when taking licensing exams in
California.
Maria hufeldt
Melanie Masters contriutor
tate and federal laws require the to give exam applicants with
documented disailities an equal opportunit to perform on the licensing
exams. Disailities are generall defined as a condition or impairment that
limit one or more major life activities. The ma also include mental or pschological disorders, and specific learning
disailities.
If ou elieve our test performance would e affected such a condition, ou ma file a written request with the at
least 90 das efore scheduling our exam. The will evaluate our eligiilit for “pecial Accommodations” within the
legal mandates.
Accommodations must fall within certain limits, and ma not alter the exam’s measurement of knowledge or skills. pecific
accommodations approved will depend on evaluation process, and ma include: up to time and a half for exam
completion, a private room, reaks to take care of special needs or use management strategies, or special equipment like
seat cushions. You ma also request to take the test pen and pencil.
A request is another form of application to the , so make sure that ou are timel, accurate, and thorough. e patient:
it’s the , after all! Here are some steps that ma help during the request process. I used clinical terms ecause it ma
help to rememer this is a sstemic process. Keep focus, not frustration in mind.
1. Assess ourself, the situation, and the presenting prolem.
Assess how all the io/pscho/social factors of the testing process ma affect ou if ou have a pre-existing condition. Tr
to visit the test site to assess the environment and ask questions of the facilit staff. Think carefull aout our dail
functioning, and compare that with the exam conditions.
2. Refer out for expertise
Consult with a qualified medical or educational professional as soon as ou determine ou want to request
accommodations. requires testing and/or medical diagnosis, and will consider the length of time ou have een in
treatment, as well as requirements and recommendations for management during the exam.
ome conditions ma not qualif if corrected aides or medication. (xamples: wearing eeglasses, or taking ADHD
meds). Finall, keep “test anxiet” out of our mind and vocaular. It is not in the DM.
3. Advocate for ourself.
This is what we do ethicall for our clients, ut can e difficult for ourselves. Finall getting to exam stage requires man
sacrifices and admirale qualities such as persistence and self-sufficienc. Yet the exam is not the time to “white knuckle”
a known condition, hesitate to request assistance, or to ignore the possiilit that a disailit or non-diagnosed condition
is affecting ou. Rememer (as if ou didn’t know): it’s a 6 month wait to retake the exam.
4. Recognize (and keep) our role in the sstem
follows its own defined process within the legal mandates of pecial Accommodations. Here is what ou should
expect – in order of likel occurrence:
umit our Request for Accommodations to the pecial Accommodations pecialist at least 90 das efore
scheduling our test date.
The will evaluate our request and mail ou a letter of official approval with specific accommodations. You can
check on status phone or email to the pecialist.
If our request is approved, will send ou a letter that specifies our pecial Accommodations. You will
schedule our exam phone onl with PI’s Accommodations Unit onl. When ou call, ask PI if the have
received an upload of our accommodations approval from . You cannot schedule until this is in place. You can
follow up with and/or ask PI to call ou when it is received.
Once ou are scheduled and starting our stud process, ou ma want to ask our test coach how to incorporate
accommodations in our mock exams.
On test da, e sure to ring everthing ou have een allowed for our accommodations, including the letter of
accommodation from the .
Generall, will appl approved accommodations for the 1st. You will receive another mailed letter for the second
accommodations, and ou should follow the same steps outlined aove.
1. Confidentialit and Disclosure
maintains confidentialit on our pecial Accommodations status, ut ou will make the decision ourself aout
disclosing to colleagues and friends or famil. This decision generall comes up when people ask ou “how long did it
take,” or other details aout the testing conditions.
2. Celerate the “pass”.
You did this with special accommodations, not ecause of them.
Resources:
Marriage and Famil Therapist tandard Written xamination Candidate Handook, p. 6 (pecial Accommodations and
Reporting to the Test ite) www.s.ca.gov/pdf/pulications/mft_swhk.pdf
Request for Accommodation Form from : www.s.ca.gov/pdf/forms/specaccom.pdf
pecial Accommodation pecialist: Mar Miranda: 916-574-7862 xt. 62 Mar.Miranda@dca.ca.gov
PI pecial Accommodations cheduling: 1-800-367-1565, xt. 6750
Clinical upervision Horror tories
August 05, 2014
Did ou know that therapists are imperfect people?
hocking- I know! We all come to this profession down a different path-
and we all have our aggage that we ring with us. ecoming aware of
our "stuff" and doing our own work is often an important piece of eing
health and effective ourselves. Just one reason wh doing our own
personal therap work can e so powerful as a therapist.
However, personal therap work isn't alwas required, and just ecause
we experience therap- doesn't mean we are read to e transformed
from it. Getting licensed as a therapist doesn't require a clean ill of
emotional health, nor does eing emotionall unhealth keep ou from
ecoming a clinical supervisor.
What do ou do when our clinical supervisor is struggling?
I rememer going into m first meeting with a clinical supervisor and feeling completel out of m depth and unsure. I had
no sense of choice, no direction, and I had no idea what to do. M poor clinical supervisor was overworked,
overscheduled, and mentioned that she didn't know how or when she would fit me in.
I left the meeting feeling disheartened and lost. he was a wonderful clinical supervisor, alwas made time for me- ut I
rememer feeling rejected and unwanted in that first meeting. Now I know this was m own stuff coming up. At the time, I
rememer not even eing sure if she was going to have time- thinking mae I wouldn't have an supervision at all. he
wasn't anthing like that. he was an amazing supervisor in O man was!
I was lessed to have a simple misinterpretation or misunderstanding when meeting m first clinical supervisor. However,
I've heard more than a few stories that were far from misunderstandings or misinterpretations. o, what do ou when
clinical supervision isn't going so well?
Here are some steps to take to get out of a nightmare clinical supervision situation:
1. tart to write things down
tart to write down what is happening. Consider keeping a journal that just has dates, times, incidents, and a second one
where ou explore our thoughts, feelings, and reactions to the situation. Make sure to create a alanced list and include
an good experiences ou have with our supervisor.
est case scenario, this will help ou create some distance, and explore if there are areas that ou will need to grow in-
self-advocac, oundar setting, veralizing needs, etc. You ma ecome aware of some misinterpretations ou are
having, or aware that our clinical supervisor isn't perceving ou accuratel. What is the est thing to do when someone
isn't getting an accurate picture of ou? Model who ou trul are. Feelings of defensiveness don't ring out the est parts
of me, and the ma not ring out the est parts of ou. Take care of ou, and tr to get into a calm state where more of
the real ou can come out.
Worst case, this will e documentation if things go too far south.
2. xplore our part without laming ourself
In a true nightmare or ulling situation, people commonl take 100% of the lame for the nightmare situation. tart to
work out areas where ou do have options, power, control- areas where ou can grow-without taking responsiilit for the
other person's ehavior. est case ou find that this is just a rock start to the relationship, or ou grow in some areas that
will help ou in our clinical practice.
Worst case, ou will come to a realization that ou've done all ou could, conducted ourself with integrit, did our est
to solve the prolem- and that ou can move on with no second guessing or inaccurate levels of self-lame.
3. xplore our supervisor's part without villianizing them
I didn't even realize when I started m practicum and internship that I had somehow put m clinical supervisor on a
pedestal. I assumed that the things the told me were asolutel right 100% of the time. Truth is, supervisors are infallile
just like the rest of us. As a clinical supervisor, I modeled for m supervisees the skills I wanted to take with them- like
calling for legal consultation- or looking up documentation. I didn't just tell them what was right, or what I wanted them to
do- I showed them the processes that I used and helped them practice the same process. Wh? ecause I don't want m
supervisees to put me on a pedestal- I want them to learn good judgment skills.
xplore multiple perspectives and tr to view our clinical supervisor as a human. Have the ever een a clinical
supervisor efore? Are the feeling unsure or anxious? Are the overwhelmed personall or professionall? While ou
these ma not e excuses for poor ehavior, creating a sense of understanding can sometimes lead to resolutions of
issues.
Worst case: Think of this as practice in our work analzing people's patterns or ehaviors and creating a sense of
separation.
4. Finall, look for was to create options and movement
I've seen particular non-profit, agenc, and for-profit organizations where there is ver little room to get support or
feedack if there is a ig issue. Create options for ourself networking, looking at alternate jos, and reaching out for
support within our organization.
No matter how nast the situation is with our current supervisor, focus on developing was to avoid ad-mouting or
complaining aout our current supervisor. Find a true wa to talk with jo aout what ou have learned, and to veralize
what ou are looking for in our next position. If ou aren't alread in therap- consider getting a therapist. Therap can e
an amazing experience to help ou keep things in perspective- and an tpe of nightmare or ulling situation is sure to
ring some stuff to the surface- wh not use this as an opportunit to get this stuff taken care of in therap?!
What aout our? What advice do ou have for peope in nightmare clinical supervision relationships? hare our advice
and comments elow!
p.s. I'm reall excited and proud to e co-leading the next usiness chool ootcamp for Therapists. If ou are looking for
support in uilding a private practice- click here.
Clinical upervision, Clinical upervision Horror tories, Clinical upervisor
MFT tud Guide for xam
Jul 22, 2014
It is interesting to me that man therapists either put too little emphasis, or too much emphasis on licensing exams. While I
don't elieve most people enefit from "studing for the exam" for an extended period of time (it can lead to urn-out,
overwhelm, anxiet, and test trauma)- I do elieve in preparing for the exam over an extended period of time.
From the moment ou enter graduate school, and mae even efore that- ou are preparing for licensing exams. Your
exams cover cumalative material that ou will learn, experience, and practice in the several ears it takes to finish our
degree, finish our supervised hours, etc.
If ou are a student, an intern, or a clinical supervisor- I highl recommend ou locate the list of topics that will e covered
on the exam toda. Not so ou can start studing ears or months in advance- ut so ou can start expanding our
awareness.
Look over the list for fun topics that interest ou, or that relate to our current caseload. ring those in to our individual or
group supervision. Find ooks that inspire ou, talk aout these things in a wa that isn't stressful or anxiet producing.
Get confident knowing that ou have the knowledgease and theoretical ackground, pla with the clinical expression of
the material...
When ou are read to schedule our licensing exam, stud materials should simpl e aout filling an remaining gaps in
knowledge, developing confidence in the expereince in actuall taking the test, and learning strategies to translate our
face-to-face clinical knowledge and judgment into a pencil and paper setting!
Here is the California overview of what is covered on the current standard written exam, and the clinical vignette exam.
ut wait! I hear the exam in California is changing, or the national MFT exam is changing. What do I do? reath. There will
e some changes on the 2015 version of the exam (unless the push it ack again). Understanding the DM IV and the
clear changes to the DM V won't e a waste of time. It is important for ou to understand the histor of diagnosis as ou
talk to new clients.
For example, I have clients who still refer to themselves as manic depressive- even though that isn't listed in the DM. It is
important to know the histor- so I clearl know the are talking aout ipolar disorder! Rememer, this is our career
path, our passion- NON of this will e wasted time or energ!
Have ou joined our free online stud group for exams et? uscrie to the newsletter to get our invite and our free
podcasts! Are ou urnt out on exam studing? Clear our mind and start dreaming of private practice- we've got some
groov free trainings over http://www.znnme.com including our newest live training- how to develop our specialt!
xam, Free Mft xam Group, Mft tud Guide
Wh logging Is Awesome (for Pre-Licensed
Therapists)
Jul 07, 2014
I started a log in March 2013 without reall knowing where I was going to
go with it. At the time I was considering famil/parent coaching as a wa to
uild m name efore I was licensed. I was also having tons of
conversations with professionals who would reall dig what I was saing
aout parenting and how to help parents. o, I started logging and
directing people to m log as another wa of networking. As I started
writing more, I egan to develop m voice and egan to see that I had a
ton of information to give to others. I also realized that I was reall getting
to know m niche.
o, how did I start logging as pre-licensed
therapist?
I started with a free WordPress log and I committed to writing one log a week titled The Weekl kill, since I was
focusing on parenting developing their parenting skills. After I got the flow of logging, I also committed to doing one
series log a month (i.e., do a series on parenting concepts posting one in the series a month). I created a schedule of
how the series would span out over the next ear (so, this was Ma 2013). With that schedule set, it gave me motivation to
egin this task of getting m ideas out of m head and onto “paper”!
eginning the log with a schedule set for how I would post made it easier to digest and I felt more confident that I could
actuall pull this off. ut, it did feel like a lot at the time ecause I was still in m full time communit mental health position.
As I egan to network and share m posts, I egan to get feedack that people were not onl sharing m posts, ut the
liked them! And, that was great motivation.
Now, wh is this a good thing for ou?
How can logging enefit ACW and MFT Interns while accruing hours (or
waiting on hours to e approved)?
Well, I’m glad ou asked.
Here are 5 was that logging is great while ou are pre-licensed:
1. It gives ou a space to carve out our niche, or ideal client, well efore ou reak out on our own.
2. It can help ou get our ideas and thoughts aout helping clients sorted and organized
a. Note: When I first started m log in 2013, I just wanted a place to put m thoughts aout parenting out and
keeping them from eing unorganized in m mind
3. It allows ou a creative space to develop our voice without the pressure of solel marketing to client.
4. As ou write, ou will egin to nurture the confidence in how much knowledge ou have aout working with our
ideal client, or within our niche.
5. It’s also a great place to for others to find out aout who ou are.
a . It can e used in connection with our other social media profiles to give a whole picture aout ou and our
work!
6. It let's Google "get to know ou" so when/if ou launch a private practice ou won't e starting from scratch!
Now that ou see the enefits, and understand how having a log can add value to our work and development as a
clinician, what can ou do to start logging?
logging Tips for Therapists tarting Out
Pick a platform
WordPress.com and logger.com are two of the most prominent log platforms, and I would honestl start there. oth
platforms have free accounts so ou can egin immediatel. The enefit of using either one of these platforms is that
there are tons of help on forums, Google, and Youtue to help ou get started. ut, to e honest, the simplest wa to
egin logging is to sign up, pick a cool theme, and start writing!
Decide on a schedule
One of the iggest arriers that I have heard from other prelicensed clinicians aout logging is knowing when to log
and how much to log. The short answer is that it’s reall up to ou; do whatever ou feel is comfortale. ut, the longer
answer is that ou should start with at least once a week for at least a ear. I give this suggestion ecause ou will see so
much progress in our writing, inspiration, and voice if ou write more. ssentiall, the more ou log the more
comfortale ou will ecome.
Write aout what ou’re interested in
Of course, a pre-licensed log should focus on helping clients, ut also it should talk aout who ou are clinicall and
professionall. I recommend not worring aout focusing on an ideal client for each post just et, ut write aout topics
that interest ou in the field (mental health awareness, gender roles and its effect on societ, ga rights, advances in
pschotherap).
Find a log challenge
There are a few cool log challenges that are swimming around on the we right now. One that I used is from Julie Hanks’
Private Practice Toolox log (ou find the challenge here). These challenges give ou inspiration for thinking aout log
topics that can reall get our creative juices flowing. It can e difficult to think aout relevant topics sometimes, so having
a list of topics that ou can chose from will help with the writer’s lock or the arriers that come with writing our log.
Don’t worr and have fun
Lastl, just have fun! logging does not have to e stress inducing or anxiet provoking. Understand that ou’re not
uilding a wesite et, and ou’re not worried aout O, search engines, or marketing et. And, look eventuall ou can
link it to our wesite, ut right now, just enjo!
Here’s a little onus, ou can add a separate page to our log and add our resume/curriculum vitae. doing this, ou
can send the log link to potential supervisors or add it to our email signature when ou’re looking for an internship. It
will give them a good picture of who ou are as a clinician and the’ll e prett impressed too (trust me!)
Overall, logging can e a real enefit to our prelicensed journe if ou are willing to use the steps aove and use it to
enhance our alread impressive skill set.
Happ logging!
*A huge thank ou Mercedes amudo for reaching out and offering help to other MFT Interns and ACW who are the
journe to eing licensed as a therapist. Check out the awesome resources she provides parents at
http://theparentingskill.com/ This ma e a great resource for the parents ou work with who are struggling, or parents of
children that ou are working with!
Guest Posts, Pre-Licensed Private Practice
logging As A Acsw, logging For Mft Interns, Pprivate Practice Internship, Pre-Licensed Private Practice
Marketing a Counseling Practice Can Make You a
etter Therapist
Jul 06, 2014
Man pre-licensed therapists and student therapists enter a graduate
program with the express intention of working in private practice.
Unfortunatel, not man (if an) pscholog, counseling, or social work
programs are developed to prepare ou for launching a private practice.
The focus for most pscholog students and graduate students is "after I'm
licensed I will..." The vision is that once the go through this strenuous
process of licensure- the other pieces will come together.
I help licensed therapists market their pschotherap practices dail. And
guess what? The process of getting licensed doesn't necessaril prepare
ou for the process of opening a private practice successfull.
Good news for pre-licensed therapists who plan to go into private practice!
Here is the good news. Actuall, here is the great news. The process of preparing for private practice WILL make ou a
etter therapist, counselor, or clinician. How cool is that? In fact, the process of preparing for our future private practice
might even help ou gather hours faster, develop a etter clinical intuition, navigate the process of licensure with more
ease, pass our licensing exams, and get paid etter!
Preparing for private practice WILL make me a etter therapist?
Ok, that might e a it of an over-statement. If ou prepare for private practice the right wa, I elieve it will. Here are just
a few was ou can prepare for a future private practice and how it can make ou a etter therapist now and in the future:
1. uccessful private practices have referral sources.
Now, this might sound simplistic, and redundant. tick with me for a second. In order to have a consistent pool of clients,
people have to know ou exist. impl putting up a wesite, or sharing our usiness cards won't magicall fill a private
practice with paing clients. You need to e known. People need to know what ou do, understand the value, and e
excited enough to rememer ou and share our name with others.
How does this make me a etter therapist?
It forces ou to uild relationships in our communit. This doesn't mean ou have to e an extrovert, or e on TV if that
isn't our thing. However, ou do need to uild solid relationships with people out in the world. That means getting to
know them as well. This means ou will have more access to resources when our clients need them. This also means
ou are less likel to e isolated, stressed out aout getting clients, and urn out in the future. All of that means ou will
e a etter counselor!
2. uccessful private practices understand their unique value.
I know ou ma have een taught in school aout man theories, pschotherap processes, evidence ased practices,
etc. However, here is the truth: You ring something unique to the tale. I agree that in most cases, just ringing our
"ou-ness" without an ackground or training won't e clinicall impactful. I also elieve that reall great therapists egin
to understand wh the are good at what the do, what the are good at, what the need to work on, and who the
should refer out.
How does that make me a etter therapist?
If ou can't identif what ou are good at, how ou can identif what ou aren't doing well in? If ou don't elieve what ou
specificall do as a therapist has value, wh would anone else elieve that and pa ou for it? If ou don't elieve what
ou do has value- will ou e looking to our clients to validate our work? How will that impact our clinical work?
3. uccessful therapists in private practice can conve their value to others
This ma seem like a repeating of #2- ut it isn't. Man therapists who understand the ring something deepl unique
and valuale to their work- struggle to conve that in words to others verall and in writing. This ailit to conve our
value in words is an extension, or sometimes even a precursor, to finding our deep clinical voice.
How does that make me a etter therapist?
eeing a therapist tap into, and settle into their deep clinical voice is like watching our child take their first steps. It is an
amazing, eautiful, tear producing, scream in delight sort of moment. And hearing how that newfound confidence and
peace transforms their work with clients- it is the stuff that makes m jo awesome.
Allister Walking
Have ou ever met a therapist where it just feels good to e around them. When the talk aout what the do- it makes
ou smile? That is someone who has tapped into their passion, into their clinical voice and the have the words and
confidence to conve it.
I'm just an intern...
ut, ou don't understand... I'm just a student... I'm just an intern... I've got ears for these things to naturall
develop!
Truth moment: These will onl develop if ou give them attention. Just like we teach our clients, where we put our focus
and energ is where we see development. If ou focus our attention in these areas starting toda, ou will see major
shifts etween now and licensure. If ou focus on simpl "getting licensed" ou will find ou "get licensed" ut not
necessaril feel confident, e known, and know who ou trul are as a therapist.
The coolest part? When ou focus on these aspects of our development, ou will find major opportunities will come to
ou. You will find out aout jos efore the get posted online, ou will get letters of reference that land ou interviews,
ou will get people offering ou opportunities that the just wouldn't offer to someone the didn't know and elieve in.
Go out, get to know our communit, let our communit get to know ou- and get to know and love ourself. All of these
are pieces of successfull marketing a private practice now and in the future! Go! e great!
Now, comment elow what ou will do TODAY to go out into the world and e great! And, of course, if ou want more fun
stuff like this- feel free to get on the list for free tip sheets, podcasts, and trainings geared towards the needs of pre-
licensed therapists and clinical supervisors.
Paid Internship, Pre-Licensed Private Practice
Marketing A Counseling Practice, Pre-Licensed Private Practice, What I Wish I Knew Aout Marketing
Private Practice Internships
June 25, 2014
Getting a private practice internship isn't eas. And truth e told, getting one is easier than having a successful private
practice internship.
What ou don't know aout private practice internships:
1. In California, and some other states, ou are required to e a w-2
emploee. That means ou get paid for everthing ou do in the
usiness.
2. If ou don't have an clients, and ou are spending 20 hours a week
working to find clients- technicall our emploer should e paing
ou for all of those hours.
3. That is good right? Yes, and no. What if ou spent 25 hours a week
for 10 weeks looking for clients, or even just learning on the Internet,
ut ou don't see an clients? ven if our emploer/supervisor was
onl paing ou $10 (a it aove minimum wage)- the have just lost
thousands of dollars!
4. In addition to our pa, the have to invest in paroll taxes, insurance, worker's compensation, provide oversight,
training, etc. The ma have lot even more income in lost wages.
5. Taking on a private practice intern is a ig deal and a it of a gamle.
6. Most clinical supervisors don't have time to walk ou through ever aspect of getting clients.
7. ut won't the just give me their overflow? What if their overflow doesn't click with ou? What if ou dont' instill
confidence on the phone? What if ou slide the fee evertime?
For a therapist in private practice who is primaril seeing clients as their income- the are looking to invest their time and
energ into an intern who will e a good investment. You are kind of like stock! You need to show them that ou have
done some pre-work, ou know our stuff, and ou are read to hit the ground running and ou know how to not just do
good therap- ut how to get good therap clients.
A private practice internship will help ou start our private practice
I know that can e overwhelming and anxiet provoking. However, it will e an amazing training ground for our future
private practice. I recommend that anone who plans to go into private practice in the future- start toda!
Wait- I'm still getting m Master's degree- can I start toda? Yes.
Wait- I'm not done with m hours- should I start toda? Yes.
It ma e a period of time efore ou can legall start seeing pschotherap clients in private practice. However, that
doesn't mean ou can't start the process of growing a practice toda.
What can I do as a pscholog student or pre-licensed therapist to prepare for private practice?
1. Launch an online presence. Commit to logging at least 6 times per ear (I'd recommend 12) on the topics ou are
most passionate aout. onus points if ou alread know what area ou want to specialize in- write on those topics.
2. Launch a communit presence. Commit to attending at least 6 trainings per ear, and follow-up with 2-3 people ou
meet at each of those trainings after the event.
3. Develop a list of people to refer to. Get to know what people are passionate aout- if the are awesome- refer
people to them.
4. tart creating a vision for our practice and add in 3 usiness trainings per ear- even if ou don't think ou will need
it now. tart to create a mental foundation or schema for what uilding a profitale private practice will look like.
Here is a free private practice 101 training ou can watch toda.
There are more things ou can do to uild a private practice- ut let's keep it simple! Post our private practice internship
questions elow. Did ou do something awesome to snag a private practice internship? Tell us aout it!
Pre-Licensed Private Practice
Pre-Licensed Private Practice, Private Practice Internship, tarting A Private Practice
Interview: What ou need to know aout marketing
June 16, 2014
rnesto from http://www.flmit.com/ was kind enough to interview me last week as part of his presentation to pre-licensed
therapists aout marketing a private practice. Give it a watch and find out what I shared with his classes to help shift their
mindset aout eing a pre-licensed professional.
Interview with Miranda Palmer, business coach for small busines…
Pre-Licensed Private Practice
Pre-Licensed Private Practice, What I Wish I Knew Aout Marketing
Free LCW tud Materials
June 04, 2014
Yeah... I know.... the site is called MFTGuide... I get wh ou wouldn't think we have an connection to ACW and LCWs.
To e honest, I let some reall well meaning, awesome usiness advisors convince me to name m site mftguide... If I was
to go ack in time- I'd choose something else. ack to the point.
While the process that prelicensed therapists go through to get licensed is quite similar, and exam formats ma e similar,
the material can e quite different. It is important to choose stud materials that understand the material that will e on the
exam for our particular license. While I empathicall recommend picking up a paid stud program efore taking licensing
exams- I also elieve studing for licensing exams should start in graduate school.
Ok... I'm not talking aout sta up ever night stressing and sweating for hours studing. I'm just talking aout digesting
material throughout our process of gathering hours that will make the process of preparing for licensing exams less
stressful.
It isn't uncommon for interns and associates to realize, during the studing process that the had een doing some things
wrong, or een misinformed for YAR! Man sa- I wish I would've known this at the start of this process.
One fun wa (if ou can let go of the text anxiet aspect) to start prepping is with free LCW stud materials online and
LCW stud apps. I'm sharing these resources here as a fun wa to ring material into supervision, consultation, or even
into a monthl exploration of- wow I didn't know that! session.
TA xams Lite is a free program developed a LCW and professor at UC erkel in California. It has 25 free
questions and is availale on Android and Iphone.
LCW Quiz: California has a small ank of 15 questions developed Gerr Grossman seminars.
Are ou a Pinterest lover? Check out this oard and this oard for some fun links to materials.
Free 10 Question LCW xam Prep Test
AW ocial Work xam Questions Here
People sharing flash cards the developed to stud for exams here. Make sure to verif information is correct!
Do ou have materials that ou've used to stud for the LCW or LMW exam? hare them in the comments elow!
xams, LCW xams
Acsw, s xams, Free LCW tud Material, Free Lmsw tud Material
NXT