So You’re Thinking of Becoming a Therapist?

I get a lot of questions about how to become a therapist. To be honest, the track isn’t very clear and I didn’t have much guidance in which track to take as there are several. Let me give you the run down!

There are technically two paths to take:

Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

To pursue either of these tracks you’ll need to follow these steps:

1. Earn a Bachelors Degree

This typically takes four years and doesn’t have to necessarily be in counseling or psychology. However, you would absolutely benefit from obtaining your Bachelors in a therapy related field, putting you ahead of the game by the time you apply for graduate school!

2. Obtain a Master’s Degree

If you’re wanting to take the LPC route, look for a program that is CACREP accredited. CACREP accredited programs provide "the recognition that the content and quality of the program meets the standards set by the profession”. Basically, any potential internship or job respects an accredited program. Along the same lines, for an LCSW you would want to look for a CSWE-accredited program.

3. Take your Post-Graduate Exam

Both LPC and LCSW have post-graduate exams you must pass in order to begin post-graduate requirements under a provisional license until your hours are met.

4. Complete Your Post-Graduate Requirements

As an LPC-A, you’re post-grad requirements are 3,000 total hours. These hours consist of 1,500 direct client contact hours and 1,500 indirect hours (notes, podcasts, research, supervision, etc). Each state has different requirements, but this is typically the case. All states vary regarding the necessary hours of supervision per month. As an LCSW, you must complete 3,600 hours of post-graduate work between 2-5 years and received 90 hours of supervision.

5. Apply for Your Full Licensure

In some states you have to take an additional exam to move forward to full licensure, but in most states you can simply submit your hours for approval, signed by your supervisor, and be granted licensure within the week!

After these steps, the world is your oyster! You can start a private practice, join a private practice, be apart of local non-profits or organizations. I’m biased to the LPC route, I believe that there are so many options to branch out and personalize your license.