Future Psychotherapist

Dear Linneá,

I ran across your website through your YouTube channel. I am a freshman in college studying Psychology and I do not have a mentor. In one of your videos you shared the importance of having a mentor but I do not really know anyone who has studied Psychology that I would feel comfortable going to. Most of my family work in the elementary education field and others work doing something in aviation. So, I need some advice on what I need to do. I would like to be a therapist in the state of Georgia. I currently attend school in Florida. Do I need to attend school in Georgia in order to be licensed in Georgia?

- Future Psychotherapist - 

Dear Future Psychotherapist,

I’m happy to hear that you have seen a few of my videos online. They do have really good content but you are right. I did not go into detail on how to go about finding a mentor in your field. Well here are some ideas. There is a school counselor in the psychology department that you should be able to schedule an appointment with to learn more about your options. It may also be listed in your school directory as career counseling. You will need to get an idea of what type of psychotherapist you want to become. There is addictions counseling, marriage and family counseling, community counseling, clinical counseling and many others. Some degrees cater more to persons who want to eventually teach Psychology. There are even some social work degrees with a specialty in counseling that may be of interest to you. 
What I would also suggest is looking at the state licensure website in Georgia and printing out receiving the web link to the criteria needed in order to become licensed therapist. You can be a licensed psychotherapist with a counseling degree or social worker counseling degree. The criteria needed for credentialing varies based on degree so also take note of that. In some states you have to graduate with your bachelors and Masters degree before you can apply for a graduate license and then after having completed your supervision hours you can earn your full licensure. A full licensure allows you to practice as an independent psychotherapist. Another important thing to be aware of is the accreditation for your program. This is mostly relevant to your graduate studies but still research it now so that you have the information in the event the licensure board in Georgia or your future grad school has specific rules for undergrad degrees. I don’t want to overkill you with information but wanted to provide you with something so you could begin your research. My final recommendation is to look on psychology today. Find a therapist in the state of Georgia that closely resembles what you would like to become and send them an inquiry. That clinician may be willing to be your mentor and as they are licensed in Georgia would be able to provide you with the best information on how to do so. You are very early on in this process so try not to do too much but it’s good to have an idea of what you need to do so that time and money isn’t wasted. Thank you for reaching out and if there are any other questions you have, feel free to email me again.

Best wishes!
Linneá Willis, LCPC, LPC