Badass Therapists Building Practices That Thrive

163 From Class To Couch: A Clear Path To Texas LPC Licensure

• Dr. Kate Walker Ph.D., LPC/LMFT Supervisor • Season 3 • Episode 163

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If you’re trying to become an LPC Associate in Texas, this episode is going to save you stress, money, and a whole lot of confusion. I invited Dr. Tara Fox to walk us through the entire Texas LPC licensure process, because no one breaks it down more clearly than she does. Together, we unpack what future counselors actually need to know—how to pick the right LPC supervisor, how to avoid supervision nightmares, and how to navigate the NCE or NCMHCE without getting blindsided by outdated or incorrect information.

I share the questions I wish every associate would ask during the supervisor interview, and Tara explains how to evaluate supervision styles, spot red flags early, and choose someone who aligns with your clinical needs and long-term goals. We also talk about why accurate documentation, up-to-date knowledge of Texas counseling board rules, and maintaining your own liability insurance are non-negotiable for protecting your future license.

If you’re a Texas grad student, new associate, or anyone preparing for LPC licensure, this is the step-by-step guidance I wish I’d had when I started.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How to prepare for the Texas LPC Associate application, including which exam to choose, how to study, and how to document your clinical hours the right way.
  • What the NCC certification actually means, why it’s not a license, and how misusing it can trigger a board complaint.
  • How to interview and select the right LPC supervisor in Texas, including must-ask questions, contract essentials, fee expectations, and the supervision structures that signal competence.
  • Why you should avoid doing “coaching” while waiting for your associate license—and how to protect your career with liability insurance, boundaries, and an accurate understanding of state rules.

If you want a smoother, more confident transition from grad school to LPC Associate, you’re in the right place.

If you’re ready to lead with confidence, join the 2026 Supervisor Course waitlist for early access to bonus tools, templates, and fast-track grading. Strengthen your systems today with the free Supervision Onboarding Checklist, and get ongoing CEUs and live coaching inside the Step It Up Membership. You’re not just building a practice, you’re building a legacy.

Get your step by step guide to private practice. Because you are too important to lose to not knowing the rules, going broke, burning out, and giving up. #counselorsdontquit.

SPEAKER_02:

Have questions to ask the LPC supervisor regarding their supervision style. Really make sure you know what you're looking for and create questions based on what you have identified as important to you. Make your grocery list of items you're looking for in an LPC supervisor so that you don't get lost in the sauce.

SPEAKER_01:

Today we're digging into one of the biggest pain points for future Texas counselors: how to navigate the supervisor search and licensure process without getting tripped up by confusing rules, especially if you're a grad student. Dr. Tara Fox is taking the lead on this one, guiding you through what you need, what to avoid, and how to actually get licensed in Texas without the usual chaos. I'll share how to grab this month's bonus later in the episode. Now, let's get to work. So this is in Texas. So if you're listening to this, you're going to get the information as of 2025. So it's September 2025. And Dr. Tara Fox is going to present it to us because she knows way more about this stuff than I do. So, Dr. Fox, tell us where you are right now and what you're doing and how do you know all this?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, welcome tonight to Bridge the Gap, your path to LPC Associate, or I like to call it, you know, from class to couch, because that's just fun. But yes, my name is Dr. Tara Fox, and I am currently the clinical director and an assistant clinical professor at Sacred Heart University, which is based out of Connecticut. But prior to that, I was the director, program director, program coordinator, graduate coordinator, clinical experience coordinator for a program in Texas. So I'm very well versed in what it takes to transition from being a graduate student to being an LPC associate in Texas. So that's exactly what we're going to be talking about here tonight.

SPEAKER_01:

And um, I'm going to ask you questions because I know for me, I teach the 40-hour training to become a supervisor in Texas and other states. So I've got questions. I'm always going to have questions about how folks get from grad school to provisionally licensed or what we have in Texas, the associate license, and then on to fully upgrading. So yeah, where do you want to start?

SPEAKER_02:

I think I can start a little bit background more about me of um, you know, what led me to want to become a supervisor. Because I think that's always an interesting story, is what leads us to want to become supervisors. And honestly, for me, I was a grad student in a rural. I started working in a rural area, and I realized how important it is to feed back into rural areas. And I wanted to do that to the best of my ability. And that started with becoming a supervisor. And so rural mental health has always been a passion of mine. I've been a rural provider since 2009. And I've always wanted to give back and mentor the future generation of students. And that's why I wanted to go back and get my PhD as well, is because I feel like that is the best way that I can pay it forward professionally, is to give back to this profession and to the future generation of counselors. So that's just kind of a little bit about me and what led me to want to be a supervisor and to be a counselor educator.

SPEAKER_01:

And you've always been passionate about, you know, students and making sure they're successful and making sure they transition and find a good supervisor. And you and I've done this together for years now, just trying to get people connected with good information because there's so much bad information out there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

I think when you hear horror stories, it really makes you understand how important it is for to connect students with the information to set them up for as much success as they can possibly have. And finding an LPC supervisor that aligns with what they need and what they want to challenge themselves is such a big part of that. That I love to mentor students and help them to make good decisions. I feel like we are similar in the fact that we learned a lot of trial by fire and trial and error and what not to do or what we didn't want because we experienced it. And so if I can save someone, heartbreak, I really like to do that.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, because I mean this is something where, you know, you are in the same Facebook group I'm in, the Texas Supervisor Coalition. And we know there are some really unhappy associates out there. We know that there are some really bad situations. I just did three podcast episodes about toxic supervision, how to empower associates to speak up and advocate for themselves in supervision. And a lot of supervisors, if I flip it, they think, oh, if I just have the perfect interview, then I'm going to be able to have this wonderful bunch of associates. And it it just doesn't work like that. I mean, it's part of it, but it really is about the ability to have a conversation and the ability to have a relationship with someone. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

I completely agree. And I always like to explain theoretical orientation as a theory meal. And I haven't really heard anyone else talk about it like this, but this is how I teach it. And this is how I like to explain it of your main theory is your protein. Like this is the tried and true theory that you feel the most comfortable in that feels the most natural to you. And then you have your side theories that supplement your main theory, what it may not be providing to clients, so that you can try to have top-down, bottom-up theories, type A, type B theories, a well-rounded theoretical orientation. But then I also like to talk about how an approach is different than a theory. And the approach in the meal is the napkin. Because if anyone has ever had a meal with me, they know I cannot have a meal without at least five napkins with me, right? And so I love to talk about the approach being like a napkin where it doesn't matter what you're eating, you always have your napkin. And so I like to explain how your approach is what's always turned on. It's always on. It never shuts off. So for a lot of people, that's gonna be person-centered, feminist theory, multicultural, strength-based. Like it's gonna be a lot of theories like that. But for me, it's RCT, it's relational cultural theory. That is my napkin. And I really do approach teaching supervision and everything really. It's very much who I am as a person that I bring into that. And RCT is all about understanding that there has to be a connection in order for growth to happen. And we do not do that on our own. We are not on an island. And so making connections personally, professionally, and making them about equity. Like, I'm not the expert of you. Like, we don't think we're the experts of our clients, but we're not the experts of our associates or our students either. That is still them. And so understanding that it's a collaboration, we come together. There's trying to get rid of that, that hierarchy, that power dynamic that can really skew some relationships and really trying to empower our students and our associates to teach them how to go through an ethical decision-making model instead of just telling them the answers. And so RCT is very much understanding that there has to be a really good connection between the teacher or educator and the student or the supervisor and the supervisee in order for that relationship to navigate through the necessary growth process.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I love that. I mean, it is. It's all about the relationship. All right. So where do we start? Where do you start your students on this journey?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, part of that is what can I do while I'm still a graduate student? I think that's a lot of what students think is okay, I know once I graduate, I'm gonna have to do this, this, and this. But what do I do until then? Well, the first thing you can do is build community. You know, join that grad to couch Facebook group, you know, get involved, find an online community or an in-person community, or find your people, find, you know, professional connections because you will not stay in the field long term if you do not have community, the ability to consult and things like that. So it's super important to have that community, to have those connections, to have people you know you can you can ask questions to so you don't feel like you're just by yourself. Another one is get to know your professors and your classmates. I used to always have my students create a group me between themselves. And I told them I do not want to be in the group me. Please do not put me in the group me. But I wanted my classes to have their own group me so that they could remain a support throughout the semester. And I've had former students tell me, we still use the group me. And so no longer when they're still staying in touch, they're updating each other. But yes, as a student, get to know your professors. These can be faculty mentors long term for you. And so get to know them. What are their research interests? What are their specialty areas? What would you want to learn from them? Like it's one thing to be in their class and learn from them, but what do you want to learn from them professionally? And then, you know, if you're towards the end of your clinical semesters, what do you need to be looking for in an LPC supervisor? If you're towards the end of your graduate semesters and you're in your clinicals, practicum, internship, internship two, then you kind of know what kind of supervision aligns with you and helps you grow and what maybe doesn't. So take that knowledge from the classroom, from your clinical placement sites, and think to yourself, what am I looking for in an LPC supervisor? What am I looking for someone with a specific certification? Am I looking for someone who with a specific theory or theoretical orientation? Am I looking for someone who I trust that they're never going to ask me to do something that they wouldn't do themselves? Like, what is the most valuable thing for you and seek out a supervisor who's going to fulfill that? Because you can have the best supervisor, but if you don't align, if you can't talk to them, then it's it's not as effective.

SPEAKER_01:

You know, you bring up a really good point because using that practicum experience to trust yourself, right? I mean, a lot of times I think students think, oh, it must be me. This the site doesn't feel good, or I don't like this boss, or I don't like it's gotta be me because I'm the new person here. But yeah, what I hear you saying is use that to find the next supervisor and really trust your feelings about the experience there. And I wonder if a lot of the the times that associates and supervisors get crossways, at least from the associate point of view, is that they're just looking for somebody to sign their paperwork instead of really looking for that experience that will enrich them, you know. And I get that. I get that. I mean, they you don't know what you don't know, right?

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. I heard a quote the other day that overthinking is when you ignore your intuition. Ah and uh it stopped me dead in my tracks as someone who has anxiety, ADHD, and is an overthinker. You know, it's because we often intellectualize things and give the benefit of the doubt so often as counselors, that's just part of our nature. But the problem with that is we have those intuition feelings for a reason. And sometimes we train ourselves to ignore them for professional reasons, but personally, we still need to listen to our intuitions there. And so if you are having a decision about, let's say you have three LPC supervisors you're considering, and intellectually you're feeling one way, but your intuition is seeing another. You know, the things that you are stressing about in the beginning are probably going to be the things that lead you to make a change later. And so we really need to remember that when we're navigating the process of listening to how am I, how is my body feeling about this? Like, am I feeling anxious or am I feeling calm about this? You know, if you are making this decision and you're really activated and triggered, and you may not make the decision that's going to be best for you. So really listening to yourself of what you want and what you need is so important when making that big decision.

SPEAKER_01:

When you said that I had a flashback to couple counseling, you know, I think one of the questions I always ask is did you have concerns when you first got together? It's like, well, yeah, but it was cute back then. So yeah, pay attention. Pay attention to that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

And I think another thing to remember is we don't want it to get lost, is keep meticulous records. I think that's easy to say for me as someone who's type A. But I imagine being type B, that may not be a strong suit of keeping those meticulous records. But make sure you have access to your time logs. If your university is using some sort of program that you track your logs on, make sure you're downloading those because if you delay trying to, you know, get your LPC associate license, if you want to get licensed in another state, eventually they may want to see your time logs to prove that you have met the requirements. And if you don't have those, sometimes they say, well, then you have to redo. And that's the last thing you want to have to do is have to go back into school and redo an internship semester in order to become licensed. So really make sure you're keeping track of your time logs, making sure that you are saving those and keeping those in your records. You know, it would be a travesty to have to repeat anything due to misplaced logs.

SPEAKER_01:

And I know you and I both we pay attention to the board. And one of the things that are still open to the public are application issues, right? Folks who are coming from other countries or they're coming from other states and they have a counseling-related degree or they think they do. And the board staff always says, We reviewed the syllabi. We reviewed the syllabi. And I mean, like a course title can make all the difference in the world. If you know, Texas isn't in the compact. So if you're listening to this and you're in Texas and you want to go to another state, you're gonna have to look for a state where you can get licensed or they have some sort of a portability option because Texas, we don't have that. So making sure you've got those records of your courses and the hours and the practicum, all of those white sheets of paper that with your practicum site and the signatures. Yeah, keep those records.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. And I know we touched on the fact that faculty can be mentors, but just having professional mentors outside of your education, connecting with counselors who are in the field, maybe in your local area, and finding mentors that way is also really important. I cannot stress enough the importance of mentoring, being a mentee so that you learn how to one day be a mentor. And then last but not least, study. I know that's not the fun answer, right? But study, study for the national counselor examination, study for the national clinical mental health counselor examination, whichever one you're taking, study. If you have free time, study, you know, just keeping it fresh. Because what happens is it could be a year since you've been in career when you come to test. And career is typically pretty big on those exams. And so sometimes it's classes you haven't been thinking about for a while, you haven't reviewed any notes. So study, make sure that you are keeping it fresh. That's so important.

SPEAKER_01:

I want to pause, and you may you may address this later, but I see a lot of new graduates who become NBCC certified, and then they carry that certification like it's a license, right? Because I mean you have the choice, you can take either one of these exams. So they take the NCE, and I'm sure there's a box to check somewhere. Like, do you want it to be certified? And I mean, they don't know. So they check the box, and then they're having to pay money to keep the certificate up. Can you talk a little bit about that? Absolutely. This is so funny.

SPEAKER_02:

Right before this, I was in supervision with one of my associates, and she actually brought this up and said, you know, I have to renew my NCC and what is it really doing for me? And I just was honest with her. I said, you know, I'm not NCC. I don't know that it's kept me from anything. I really couldn't tell you other than it looks really cool behind your name. I don't know what it does for you. But this is a thing that everyone needs to be able to make a decision for themselves of if they want to do that. So some people really do want NCC. They really want it. Of course, you can't do it unless you come from a K-Crep program. So that is something to keep in mind is if you are not graduating from a K-Crep program, you cannot go forward with the NCC. So that's something to keep in mind. But, you know, it's entirely on you. No judgment at all. If if someone wants NCC or doesn't want NCC, it's not going to be a determining factor of whether or not you're licensed with an LPC associate license. Those things are not connected. Since Texas is not in the counseling compact, it also doesn't mean we get grandfathered into other states if you have an NCC. Unfortunately, that's not the case either. And so I would just say do your research, see if you want something else to keep up with, if you want something else that you have to log continuing education hours in, because even as an LPC associate, you do have to put in those continuing education in even as an LPC associate for the NCC. So that's something to keep in mind. Whereas when you're an LPC associate, you aren't having to do any continuing education because you're in supervision. You're getting plenty of continuing education. But that's just something to keep in mind. I know that's not a black and white answer of like you should do this, you shouldn't do this, because it's a very personal decision. But it's not going to help you become an LPC associate in Texas. It's also not going to hurt you if you do have that NCC designation.

SPEAKER_01:

Unless you use it as your license. And I see that sometimes. So I'm just going to throw it out there. If you are using your NCC credential and saying, well, that enables me to practice, it does not. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Because it isn't a license. Correct. And that also doesn't enable you to practice in a different state. So even if you're a Texas LPC associate and you are NCC, that doesn't mean that you can see anyone in any state. So if you have even your own clients, if they're Texas based, but they're on vacation in Kansas and they're not, they're in Kansas and you're in Texas, you can't see them. You know, if you want to arrange something like that, you have to contact the board and you have to do that way ahead of time because the board takes time to respond to you. You're not going to get a 48 to 72 hour response. Like it's going to take a while. And so if you need to make arrangements like that, and again, it's not always going to work out. Not every state's going to allow it. So that's something to keep in mind too. An NCC does not mean you can seize clients nationwide. Nope.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, good. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02:

So I do have resources to study. So those those of you who are here, it's a PDF that's in the platform. So you have access to this. I'm not going to really go over it, but I have resources. This is in your profile, everybody. So yeah. In the profile, whether you're taking the NCE or the NCMHCE, there are resources there. I do also want to touch on accommodations. So you can get exam accommodations, but it takes a long time. And so you want to make sure that you are putting in for accommodations way ahead of time, not if you want to try to take the exam within the next month or two, really like four to five months ahead of the time you want to take the exam, you need to start contacting them about accommodations and getting that set up. I do also want to talk about that there are different ways to take the exam. So there are certain universities that are still doing like the pen and paper, you know, come to university, come to campus and take the exam the old school way. I mean, that's how I took it the first time. But then there's also you can go to like a Pearson view, you can go to a testing site and take it on the computer. You can even now do it in your own home, but you do have to have a camera that allows them to see what is around you. You have to show your environment. And I will say, if anything happens, like if they feel like you are cheating in any way, if your camera cuts off and cuts back on, if your internet goes out, they deem it a failed test and you have to reapply to take it. So that is just things to keep in mind when you're thinking about scheduling these exams. If you're like, I would love to take it from home, just understand that if you have internet issues, if anything goes wrong and you're not at the testing center, it's going to be logged as a failed and you're going to have to reapply to take the exam. So that's just a cautionary tell to make sure, like really think about do you want to take it at home or would you rather take it as a testing center? So that's something to consider. So how to find an LPC supervisor? Well, of course, the Kate Walker Training LPC Supervisor Directory. That's gonna be my first suggestion there. And the reason why is because I get to know you, like an information for everyone listed on that directory. Whereas if you go through the find a supervisor through BHEC, you're just getting name and location and contact information. You're not getting anything else information-wise. That's why I really love Kate that you did this supervisor directory because I do feel like it helps so many people make a more informed decision, which is so important. And I think that would be my go-to resource. But of course, you can go through BHEC and see who's in your area if you're looking for someone more local. But remember, you can do supervision on Zoom. I do 98% of my supervision on Zoom. I have done in person a couple times, but we do it for special occasions. But supervision on Zoom is great. But I'm also used to teaching on Zoom, so it's not that big of a deal for me. But whatever is your preference, if you want to go in person, if you want Zoom, that is also something to be asking when you're interviewing your LPC supervisors of what is their modality for supervision? Is it in person? Is it hybrid? Is it on telehealth platform? That's part of the process, and we will definitely get more into that. But you can also rely on word of mouth. I love a word of mouth referral. That's also how I like to get my associates as well, is word of mouth and people sending people to me. So talk to the counseling community in your area, speak with your graduate faculty to see if they know anyone, any LPC supervisor contacts that they have that they've worked with before. And of course, the Class to Couch Facebook group. That's also a great resource for it. So, how to approach an LPC supervisor to inquire about supervision? First and foremost, do not email them like you're sending a text message. I would say use a very professional email. This is your first impression that you're giving this person. And it is a professional relationship. So if you are approaching them very casually, then they may think you're not taking it serious. And you may approach the supervisory relationship very casually, and that could be a red flag for a supervisor. And so they may not even want to interview you based on how you approach them in an email. So make sure you're sending a professionally worded email. Introduce yourself, give some background about your clinical experience thus far, attach your resume, and you always want to ask if they have any open space for taking on an additional associate. Don't just assume that they have space for you because they should be wanting to interview you. It should not be, yes, I have space, come on, let's go, with no interview. You want to interview them and they should want to interview you because it needs to be a mutual match. So if the LPC supervisor has space available to take on an additional associate, really push for that interview, whether it's phone, Zoom, or in person, but make sure you get that interview so that it helps you in your decision-making process. Remember, it needs to be mutual, like we said. And the majority of the time you're paying for this service. So you want to make sure that you're getting your money's worth and getting what you want, and that it's a good fit for both the associate and the supervisor. So have questions to ask the LPC supervisor regarding their supervision style, how they approach supervision, and really make sure you know what you're looking for and create questions based on what you have identified as important to you. It's kind of like when you go to the grocery store but you don't have a list and you end up coming out with, you know,$200 worth of things that you didn't need but sounded great at the time. So have your list. Make your grocery list of items you're looking for in an LPC supervisor so that you don't get lost in the sauce.

SPEAKER_01:

Quick break. If you haven't grabbed December's bonus yet, go get it. I put together the practice reset cheat sheet to help you clean up your systems, tighten your HIPAA basics, and walk into 2026 without dragging this year's mess behind you. It's totally free for podcast listeners. Just go to KateWalkertraining.com slash bonus. So I'm going to throw out some questions based on just the issues that that are popping up. And this has been going on for years. But one thing I would ask, actually, I have about five things I would ask a supervisor. Number one is what is your flexibility? Because you may have a wonderful supervisor, but they can only meet you at three o'clock on Tuesdays, and that's it. And if you've got kids, if you have family members depending on you, or if your job goes to four, it's just never going to work. You're going to have times that you have to miss. So if they are inflexible, red marker, cross them off. Ask them if they have a contract. You guys are going to think I'm crazy, but there are supervisors out there who will not provide you with a contract. How do you know what fees are? How do you know what the late cancel no-show policy is? How do you know what the evaluation schedule is if you don't have it in writing? And a lot of what we're seeing about associates who are upset and rightly so, we have supervisors who are changing fee structures or fees and just like, oh, well, you know, if you want to continue with me, I'm now$100 more a month. I mean, that's I couldn't do that. I mean, that's a that's a huge increase. So a contract, it's not binding, it's protecting. And it's something that can be modified and changed over time. But if your supervisor to be does not have a contract, get your red marker, cross them off. You know, a little trick question you might want to ask them is what was the last rules that dropped? See if they know when the the newest, latest rules were. And it was July 2025. So if they look at you and go, Oh yeah, 2024, or ask them like how long should records be held? I don't know. There are the just ask them so that you get a feel for how well they know the rules, because if they don't, how are they gonna teach you? And uh last but not least, look at their schedule for group offering. A lot of supervisors in Texas don't understand that only half of supervision can be in a group, and that's three or more. So they might put you in a supervision with one other person and call that individual. That's okay. But if you look at the schedule for supervising and every week, it's five to ten people and it's group, group, group, group. That's reportable, actually. So if you have questions about that, post them in the from class to couch group, go into Texas Counselors Creating Badass Businesses, tag somebody, ask somebody. There are so many people who would be happy to help you with questions to ask so that you find folks who are competent.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. My personal structure of how I do it is I do a two-hour group because it feels like class. And a lot of times my associates love it. They love transitioning into a cohort, an associate cohort. So I do a two-hour group every month, and I do a two-hour individual for all of my associates. And I really feel like that's the best of both worlds to where they get the cohort feel, but they're also getting that individual attention every month. I love that. So possible interview questions. I have more as well. Theoretical framework. You know, you may need to talk about your theoretical framework. Again, you could talk about your theory meal. That's theoretical framework there. Deficits from graduate program. I always ask, what do you feel like you did not get enough of in grad school? Because that helps me to know where I would need to fill the gap. Is it theory? Is it diagnosis? Is it treatment planning? Is it progress noting? Where do you feel the deficits are? How do you want to receive feedback? Do you prefer written feedback? Do you like verbal feedback? Would you prefer it be over Zoomed so you can see my face? Like having this information, again, that's the RCT approach about connection, but really understanding how I can best meet you so that the goal is growth. And so, how do you like to receive feedback? That's a really important thing. Do you have a mentor and talking about that? Case conceptualizations. How are your case conceptualization skills? Some supervisors will provide a case and want you to provide a case conceptualization for them in the interview. So that's a possibility as well. Ethics. Do you have an ethical decision-making model you follow? Are you aware of the code of ethics? Are you aware of our licensure ethics and our codes? And, you know, understanding that we are bound by these things and it's not just one or the other, it's both. And so really having a good understanding of that. And of course, clinical background. What sites were you at for practicum and internship? What populations did you see? And again, going back to that theoretical framework of what do you have experience using in practicum and internship? And where would you like to see that grow? What would you like to get into? I always like to ask that because there are trainings that people can do for DBT, CBT, EMDR. And so if I know that an and that a potential associate wants to get trained in those, that can be part of their growth plan of finding appropriate trainings and get them geared up for that. And so that by the time they are done with their hours, they're ready to roll to get that certification cashed in. Because many of those certifications, DBT, EMDR, don't fully go into play until once they upgrade into an LPC. And so understanding timing, like if an associate does all that training the first six months, then they're sitting on it for at least a year and they can't do anything with it certification-wise. But so just keeping that in mind, and and I have a growth plan for every single one of my LPC associates. And I move it from I have at the top strengths, currently working on lack of exposure and challenges. And the first session we do of individual, we we go through it. And the goal is to migrate everything up into strengths one day, right? And so it really, and I and I review it quarterly, and it's it's a wonderful process to go back through and and see things being moved from lack of exposure or challenges into working on, and then eventually strength. It's such a wonderful process to be a witness to. Yeah, I absolutely can talk about that. So there are a couple of different ways that you may have interacted with your LPC supervisor. So, in some regards, you may work in a agency or group practice where there's an LPC supervisor built in, and you may get supervision through that. And in that regard, you may not pay for that supervision. It may be a perk of the job. Now understand that free supervision is wonderful if it's also in a supervisor that aligns with you. So I do know some people who have been offered free supervision through something like that and have still chosen their own LPC supervisor to pay because it better aligns with them. And then there may be where you're in a group practice with your LPC supervisor, you're working for them and you're receiving supervision from them. And so that's more of an interesting situation because then it comes into how are we classifying? How are we doing this? And I know Kate, you know a little bit more about this, like the whole 1099 W-2 contract.

SPEAKER_01:

Honestly, at this point, after the the webinars that we've hosted with Kate Walker Training, I get a lawyer. Absolutely. Somebody offers you a 1099 position, you take that contract to an attorney and you verify it. I yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

And so there are a lot of different ways you can have an LPC supervisor who's not connected to your job at all. You know, in practicum and internship, your site supervisor had to be on site, it had to be affiliated with where you were on site and placed. LPC supervision is not the same. If, you know, Jane Doe is placed in this agency over here, but she's my LPC associate. I don't have to have any affiliation with that facility in order to be the LPC supervisor. And so there's a lot of different ways they can manifest, but you do want to make sure it's a good fit because when you are working for your LPC supervisor, that can sometimes be a little bit of dual relationship if it's not done correctly. And also there can be that power dynamic. And so you can feel like maybe you can't speak up as much. Is there anything more you wanted me to say about that dynamic, Kate?

SPEAKER_01:

I would just also make sure that you have a policy and procedures or a job contract that's separate from your supervision contract and make sure you understand how you will pay for supervision. I see a lot of wonky ways that supervisors want to get paid when their supervisees work for them. So just make sure you're very clear about how that works.

SPEAKER_02:

And again, the importance of that contract. I put in my supervision contract good faith estimates and I let them know whatever price it is that you sign off on is your price until you're done. And so I give good faith estimates. This is what it's gonna cost you if you do it for 18 months, this is what it's gonna cost you if you do it for 24 months, this is what it's gonna cost you if you do it for 36 months. And I give those estimates, and that's a contract. That I think that should be a best practice. I think of course. That's great. Yeah, if you signed at this price, I am not changing on you. You start me at this price.

SPEAKER_01:

So it might make people change their minds about how they accrue their hours. I know a lot of supervisees they go slow, but if they had that good face faith estimate, you know, they might change their minds. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02:

And I've had supervisees who have done, you know, 18 months, 19 months, 20 months, you know, two years is about average. And then I've also had some taking three years or a little over three years. And it just depends what is the best way to do it, because you do not have to do it full time in order to get your hours. I have several associates who are part-time counselors and they are working another job that's gonna be their retirement and they're counseling nights and weekends and they're making it work. And so picking what's gonna be the best for you and your family and your lifestyle, that's so important to find a good fit. And if that's not full-time, but that's still part-time, it is doable. It is doable to do that. So, of course, how do I apply to take the NCE or the NCMHCE? You can go through NBCC, Pearson View, State Licensure Exam Registrations, the CCE Global, NCMHCE. That one is always a mouthful for me, registration. So there's a lot of links there, and that's in your handout. So I won't spend too much time on that. But how do I apply to be an LPC associate in Texas? So you have to pass the exam first. So that is criteria number one. You have to pass the exam. But once you pass the exam, you can go on into apply for licensure on BHEC. You can utilize the online system in order to submit that application. You must have an LPC supervisor on record before you apply for licensure. So they will not grant you an LPC associate license without an LPC supervisor on record. So that is something to keep in mind. All the forms and publications of BHEC are right there. And I always recommend, I know Kate you'd say this all the time too, sign up for those email updates. Stay informed. BHEC is always sending out updates. You can attend meetings, get involved, look at what's changing, possible rule changes, give feedback. There's so much advocacy in our profession that I think goes untalked about that we really need to remember to pass on is that we are also always advocating to make the profession better. And part of that is staying really on top of the rules and regulations and trying to make better environments for future counselors.

SPEAKER_01:

And the how-to user guides, BHAC has some great, just if you go to it's it's an FAQ page, basically, but it answers everything in such detail. And I think it's, you know, it gosh, I wish they'd had that. Well, a lot of stuff I wish they'd had when I was going through. But I think it's so helpful for associates, especially because things can change quickly. I mean, at first, I I know there was a you had to get fingerprinted before you could apply, or no, you applied, then you got the code to get fingerprinted, and then you had to get fingerprinted again when you upgraded, but then that changed. I mean, it changes fast.

SPEAKER_02:

So you really do have to check the website. Absolutely check the website. And I mean, I still remember sending my application for licensure certified mail. You know, I still remember doing it that way. So the online system is amazing. You know, I feel like we're we're way ahead of the times now. Absolutely. So, how can I renew or obtain my own liability insurance? So, hopefully, your graduate program has spoken to you about the importance of liability insurance, and you've had liability insurance during your practicum and internship semesters, but you need your own. That is not for a student counselor, not for a graduate student liability insurance. It's gotta be for a professional. You are now licensed. You need your own liability insurance with your name on it. I know some jobs, that's a perk. They will say you're under an umbrella liability insurance. I know, Kate, I see you shaking your head. I'm the same way. I don't ever trust that. I've always had my own liability insurance with my own name because that is protecting me, whereas an umbrella policy is protecting the agency or the site. And so I want something that's gonna protect me. So here's my nice rule of three referrals of liability insurance. I personally have CPH, and that's one that I've had for over a decade now. So that is the one that I have. So you can take that information and do with it what you will. And it's cheap. Get it. There's no reason not to. Absolutely. It's well worth it. It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. So, what are the ins and outs of supervision? Once you've been approved by the state with your LPC associate license, you will begin gaining your 3,000 hours under the supervision of your LPC supervisor. You must meet with your LPC supervisor four hours a month. 50% of this supervision can be group supervision, as Kate was saying. And individual supervision can be one-on-one or one-on-two, which we call triadic. Unless you are at a job that provides LPC supervision for you, you will have to pay for your LPC supervision every month. Prices vary based off location, but you can plan on anywhere from$250 to$500 a month. And it really depends on where you're at. And so, for some people, if you are looking for not paying$500 a month, I would encourage you to explore LPC supervisors not in your area who would have to be over telehealth platform, over Zoom, over something like that, and really make a decision that is best for you, even financially best for you. So keep that in mind as you're searching for an LPC supervisor as well. LPC supervision can take place in person via telehealth or a mixture of both. And the state does not approve sites, the LPC supervisor approves your sites. So if you are in a scenario where you are going to have multiple sites, the state doesn't keep record of that. That is something that yours LPC supervisor will keep record of, and that is a conversation with them. Now, previously, this the state did keep record of that, and that was quite the thing to keep track of. So how can you contact me? My website is choosingchangewellness.com. My sacred heart email is there, my work gmail is there, drtererafox at gmail.com. Very easy to remember. I am happy to answer questions if you have any questions. I am happy to assist you, guide you. If it's not me, I'm happy to direct you in a different direction if you're looking for something else or if I can't answer your questions. But if nothing else, I'm happy to be a resource to assist you in navigating this process that comes with such high stress and uncertainty at times.

SPEAKER_01:

I I have a question. All right. If it's taken, oh, I don't know, a month between graduation and my associate license. If it's taken a month to get that associate license, can I call myself a coach and see clients or even my old practicum clients? Can I just see them under the coach name? Because anybody can be a coach, right?

SPEAKER_02:

So I like to say just because we can doesn't mean we should. I like to use that analogy of in theory, can you do that? Yes. Should you do that? Absolutely not. No, absolutely not. You should not do that. And the reason is is because it's very confusing. Coaching is there's no regulation, there's no certification, there's nothing to protect you, there's nothing to protect the client. It's very messy. You may open yourself up to you know lawsuits coming towards you and legal issues. Oftentimes you're not going to be set up correctly. And then when you transition back, then it's very confusing. No, as soon as your last internship semester ends, you are done seeing clients clinically until you receive your LPC associate license from BHEC. Really, you do not want to muddy that water, you do not want to start your career with a board complaint. That is not something that you want. Because even if a board complaint doesn't really have much to stand on, it takes weeks to resolve a board complaint. And that is not something you want to mess with. So, no, I do not recommend anyone trying to be a coach in the interim. That is not the way you want to start your professional career.

SPEAKER_01:

I can think of a board complaint, a couple right now, where the client was confused because they were a counselor, then they were a coach, and then so the complaint was filed. So but once you become licensed, yeah, you can be a coach. You can be a coach and a licensed person. Absolutely okay. But it's in that interim. So I think we covered all the questions I could think of. Before you go, grab December's bonus, the practice reset cheat sheet. It's your quick guide to starting 2026 with clearer systems and less chaos. Get it at KateWalker Training.comslash bonus. See you next week. If you love today's episode, be sure to leave a five-star review. It helps other badass therapists find the show and build practices that thrive. Big thanks to Ridgley Walker for our original fun facts and podcast intro, and to Carl Guyanella for editing this episode and making us sound amazing. See you next week.