Protecting the Public
Dear Anthony,
I wanted to thank you for writing such an interesting article in the November issue of Counseling Today regarding Life Coaches. I am a recent graduate in Community Counseling and just passed the LPC exam.
Here in Dallas, a lot of so-called “hypnotist/hypnotherapists” pass themselves off as therapists and life coaches. It’s amazing because they have NO clinical training to practice mental health. I’m wondering if there are any laws out there to protect the public.
For example, there is a guy in Dallas who is top listed on Google for Hypnotherapy.
The guy claims to be a “board certified hypnotherapist”…but in reality it requires no formal education nor licensure. If you look at his site, he claims to treat all kinds of clinical issues … including addictions. There are an awful lot of people out there claiming to by hypnotherapists, but are not licensed by the state to perform therapy. I’m wondering what I can do as a counselor to change this situation?
Sincerely,
Jeremy Porter
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Dear Jeremy,
Thank you so much for reading, and for your comments about, my column!
The issue of licensure you describe is complicated, evolving all the time, and differs by state.
In Massachusetts, where my practice was founded, the term “Mental Health Counseling” is regulated. However, other terms, such as “psychotherapy” and “counseling” have not always been regulated. Note: they might be now, but in my discussions with the board of licensure in the mid 2000s there were not regulated.
Hence, at that time persons could hang a shingle and provide services called “psychotherapy” or “counseling” and –depending on what they were actually doing—they might be working within the law. Truly, every time a term is regulated it seems someone comes up with a new title that’s note regulated. Consider “life coaching”, “mentorship”, “listening services”, “life consulting” or who knows what else.
It seems, you are having a similar experience, with someone providing services under the term “Hypnotherapy.”
However, regardless of the title one is using, they might still be in violation of laws for practicing medicine, or psychology / mental health services, without a license. It seems the person you’re citing is claiming to treat additions, depression, etc…. I’m not sure about your local laws, but it seems such claims might very well might cross the line in your state.
If you’re trying to practice in the same marketplace, I think that a good approach for you and other licensed mental health professionals (counselors, social workers, psychologists) is to emphasize your strengths to potential clients. This might include:
1 – Showing the difference in caliber of education and licensure you possess
2 – Being eligible to accept clients’ insurance (which unlicensed providers can’t do)
3 – Patient/Client Privilege — The legal protection of client privacy licensed counselors have, but others don’t.
Jeremy, I hope this helps!!
Sincerely,
Anthony
Dr. Anthony Centore
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Anthony Centore
Here’s the deal. Licensure is a messed up process where highly educated folks are asked to work for free, to pay to work, or to work for about minimum wage for several years after graduation- at least on the MFT track in California. Having gone to graduate school and obtained an MA in Psychology, I voluntarily chose not to get licensed- out of respect for myself, the value of the offering, and out of respect for my clients. (I don’t operate on a diagnostic or mental health model, rather, I am strengths based). As a consumer, would you rather go to the practitioner who stands in their value, and will help you stand in yours? Would you choose the helper who builds on strengths or looks for illness??? Or would you prefer to go to the licensed person who was seriously underpaid for a few years, to deepen their attachment to a system that encourages calling human emotion and experience “mental illness?”. I advertise as a womens’ healing advocate, and avoid terminology used by the mainstream, and ONLY work within my one specific area of expertise,…outside of the licensure world. Doing this I can help a specific population (women who have been through abuse) quite deeply, while referring the rest elsewhere. Being a healer is about a.personal experience. b.education. c.integrity, morals, ethics, and boundaries. Licensure is the external system imposed and is purely optional.
I am an LMHC from MA who recently relocated to the midwest; I am having difficulties getting licensed here even though I have been licensed in MA and practicing counseling in an agency and private practice; if you have a masters’s degree and licensed, the reciprocity process should be very easy; the licensing board here in the midwest are telling me that since my previous supervisors were all psychologist and social workers, it does not meet their requirements of being supervised by a professional Counselor; is it right to deny me a license because I was supervised by a social worker? Social work and professional counselor are comparable profession. The process is insane and stupid; it takes far too much paperwork and signatures to apply for licensure even if you are licensed in a different state; you have to wait for months at a time since the board all meets a few times a month and the entire process is very inefficient, unfair and totally pointless. Now, I either have to return back to Boston or become a life coach or something to earn a living. There are far too many egotistical bureaucrats calling the shot on who should or should not be licensed in the pretext of looking after the interest of the public when in fact it is just creating work for themselves for job security. I think the whole licensure process is a scam and as counselors we should find a respectable alternative.
Interesting view point. I know of some very successful and extremely helpful professionals without a license. I was surprised just how amazingly helpful these individuals are without formal education. Just because one does not have a formal education does not mean he or she is not qualified. I think life experience, an open mind, and a desire to help others are big on the list, I will call these “informal education pathways”. For myself, I have chosen to get licensed. I lived through some experiences, but my education and future licensure is the cherry on the topping for me. I have learned so much more and can not wait to get to work.