June 23, 2025 • 22 mins
More and more school counselors are saying, “I’m getting my LPC and getting out.”
But is licensure really the answer- or just a new kind of stress?
In this episode, we take a candid look at what licensure changes, what it doesn’t, and why your next move deserves more than burnout logic.
Plus, I’ll walk you through the hidden costs, the unexpected trade-offs, and what clinical work actually involves (spoiler: it’s not school counseling in a cozier office).
We’ll talk salary.
We’ll talk supervision.
We’ll talk what it really feels like to carry clinical liability.
And most importantly, we’ll ask:
Are you chasing licensure because it aligns with your goals…
Or because you’re trying to escape something no one ever taught you how to fix?
If you’ve ever wondered whether you should get your LPC, this one’s for you.
*********************************
⭐️ Want support with real-world strategies that actually work on your campus? We’re doing that every day in the School for School Counselors Mastermind. Come join us! ⭐️
**********************************
Our goal at School for School Counselors is to help school counselors stay on fire, make huge impacts for students, and catalyze change for our roles through grassroots advocacy and collaboration. Listen to get to know more about us and our mission, feel empowered and inspired, and set yourself up for success in the wonderful world of school counseling.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
More and more these days, I feel like I'm seeing
online social media posts fromschool counselors saying I'm
done, I'm getting my LPC and I'mgetting out.
I'm working on my licensurebecause schools are not for me
anymore.
And hey, listen, I get it.
When you are dismissed by youradministration, your abilities
(00:24):
are ignored by your schooldistrict or you feel like you're
getting shoved into everycrisis and coverage duty on your
campus, it's only natural tothink about escaping all of that
baloney and heading to thepromised land.
You start imagining what lifewould be like if you just ran
that cozy, peaceful privatepractice and got to wear jeans
(00:49):
or leggings every day and onlytalk to people who actually
wanted to be in your office.
But before you get too deep inthat fantasy, let's pump the
brakes just a little bit.
Today we're going to look atthe LPC decision and we're going
to look at it beyond the lensof burnout and through the lens
(01:13):
of reality.
We're going to look at the pros, the cons and all the hidden
costs and realizations that noone's talking about, because
leaving your school counselingjob might solve some problems,
but it just might create a wholebunch of new ones too.
Hey, my friend, welcome back.
(01:38):
I'm Steph Johnson, a licensedprofessional counselor and
full-time school counselor, justlike you.
If you're tired of schoolcounseling advice that sounds
like it came from Pinterest,you're in the right place.
Around here, we're keeping itreal, we're keeping it grounded,
and I'm giving you tools andideas that actually work,
(02:01):
because you deserve more thanpretty graphics and empty
promises.
There is a growing group ofschool counselors who are sort
of treating clinical licensurelike a parachute.
You'll see them post thingsthat say I'm so sick of being
micromanaged so I'm just goingto jump into clinical practice,
(02:23):
or I want more time freedom, orI just need to leave education
and becoming an LPC is my wayout.
And for some folks that mightbe true.
But here's the thing Most ofthose posts that you see were
written in a moment offrustration.
They most often are not writtenin a moment of clarity.
(02:45):
And here's something else thatI've noticed about those
situations For all the talkabout leaving schools, I rarely
see posts from former schoolcounselors after they make the
leap.
I'm in school counseling groups, I'm in therapist groups and I
know a lot of people in reallife on both sides of that aisle
(03:08):
, and I have never seen or hearda flood of best decision I ever
made updates.
Maybe they're off living theirdream I hope so or maybe, just
maybe, the dream isn't quitewhat they expected, and if
that's true, shouldn't we beasking why?
(03:29):
This is a conversation thatmatters, because what looks like
your parachute could actuallyjust be a trade-off.
So as I'm talking about this,you're going to hear me using
the term LPC.
I'm sure you already know thatthat stands for licensed
(03:52):
professional counselor.
States use all kinds ofclinical designations, but we're
going to use LPC as a catch-allfor all of those in this
episode, really just meaning thelicensure that allows you to
work and serve as astate-licensed counselor in a
clinical capacity.
All right, so what does thatpath to licensure really involve
(04:17):
?
It's complicated and it variesby state, but here's the short
version.
First, it's not a direct path.
Most school counseling programsdo not meet the coursework
requirements for an LPC.
You're likely going to needsome additional classes, maybe
(04:38):
some additional internship hoursand lots and lots of supervised
clinical hours.
For instance, in my home stateof Texas, in order to gain my
LPC licensure, I had to complete3,000 supervised hours of
practice.
Secondly, you need to know youpay for those supervised hours.
(05:01):
In most places supervision isnot free and in many states
you'll pay somewhere between $75and $125 per hour for
supervision over a span ofseveral years.
Going back to Texas, justbecause that's my best frame of
(05:21):
reference, minimum supervisiontime in Texas is 18 months,
which means that supervision ata rate between $75 and $125 an
hour is going to run you between$6,000 and $10,000.
Sometimes you can sign up towork within a counseling
practice that tells you thatthey're going to provide free
(05:44):
supervision in exchange for youworking there, but most often
they're taking a bigger cut ofwhat you are charging clients.
So beware.
Third, you need to know thatlicensure takes time.
Between the leveling classesand the clinical exams, like the
(06:05):
NCE and post-grad supervision,you're looking at a minimum of
two to four years after yourleveling courses before you'll
be able to practiceindependently.
And fourth, you need to realizethat there are ongoing costs,
(06:27):
that there are ongoing costsContinuing education units,
licensing fees, liabilityinsurance and all of that is
before you ever see a client orengage in any
practice-affiliated costs.
All that to say, if you areimagining getting your clinical
licensure as a quick escapehatch clinical licensure as a
quick escape hatch it's morelike climbing out of a window
(06:48):
into another burning building.
So before you jump, make sureyou know the floor plan.
For argument's sake, just for aminute, let's imagine you've
made it, you are fully licensed,you can practice counseling
independently and you are alsoexhausted, because here's what
(07:10):
no one tells you about thatscenario.
The math doesn't always work outthe way it's presented online.
There are a lot of people inthe social media world right now
trying to convince others thatclinical mental health can be
done on a cash-only basis andmake you a millionaire in a
(07:31):
short amount of time.
I think if that were true, wewould see more mental health
counselors and we would not havethe shortage that we currently
have we currently have,according to the US Bureau of
Labor Statistics, the mediansalary for school counselors in
2024 was $65,140.
(07:52):
So, depending on your schooldistrict, your degree and your
years of service, you couldpotentially end up making well
into $80,000 or $90,000 as aschool counselor, if not now
eventually.
Plus you've got healthinsurance, sick days and,
depending on your state, youmight even have a pension.
(08:16):
Now let's compare that to aclinical role.
The median salary for aclinical mental health counselor
, again according to the USBureau of Labor Statistics, was
$59,190 in 2024, and socialworkers sat at $61,330.
(08:40):
But keep in mind, even thoughboth of those salaries are
within $4,000 to $6,000 of themedian salary for school
counseling, they're both withoutsummers off and without sick
days.
So if you don't work, you'reprobably not getting paid, and
it's also without anyone elsehelping fund your retirement,
(09:02):
but you.
So not only are you building aclinical presence and perhaps a
whole business from scratch,you're doing it without a lot of
the benefits.
So then let's talk aboutinsurance billing.
Insurance companies often delaypayments.
Sometimes they'll deny theamounts that you build outright.
(09:26):
You'll probably, as a licensedclinician, spend hours fighting
rejected codes and you don't setyour rates.
The insurance companies do, andthey're often um, oh, what's
the nicest way I can say this?
They are often disappointing.
I actually know a lot oftherapists in real life that
(09:49):
routinely wait a year or two fora reimbursement bump from an
insurance company and finallyget this big grand announcement
that they're getting a raise ofsomething like 14 cents a
session.
Y'all 14 cents.
If you think our raises in theeducational world are sad, wait
(10:10):
till you see some of thesereimbursement rate increases.
They're crazy.
That's even before we bringinto the conversation these
venture capital-backed platforms.
You've probably seen commercialsfor them, things like
BetterHelp or Cerebral.
They promise flexibility and afull caseload and the ability to
(10:33):
work from home to clinicians,but behind the scenes they've
been involved in some tremendouslegal battles centered around
their ethics as well as theirfulfillment of their promises to
their clinicians.
You would be pressured to meetquotas, you'd be paid far less
than the market average, youmight be assigned clients with
(10:56):
little regard for whether or notthey're a right fit, and you're
often prohibited from buildingyour own brand or your own
practice on the side, eitherexplicitly or just due to the
time constraints.
Those companies do not exist toempower clinicians and give
them a path toward clinicalfreedom, as they often imply.
(11:18):
They are here to extract profit.
So while they might help youget started, they are no
substitute for a sustainableethical practice and they
certainly are not a long-termsolution.
So if your plan has been, I'lljust get my LPC and then
everything will be better, let'stake a step back.
(11:40):
So this far into the episode.
Let me make another point veryclear Clinical licensure is not
the enemy.
I'm not opposed to it at all.
As a matter of fact, if you'vebeen listening, you've heard me
say I have my clinical licensure.
There are absolutely times whenpursuing your LPC is the right
(12:06):
move.
Maybe you are passionate andwant to learn more about
providing deep therapeutic worklike EMDR or true play therapy
or family systems work.
Maybe you feel a call to servepopulations that you can't
ethically or legally work within the schools anymore.
(12:26):
So many states are passingmandates that limit our capacity
to help certain studentpopulations.
So if you have a burning desireto make an impact in those
areas, you might want to look atclinical licensure.
You may already have a clearbusiness plan and some stable
backup income to support youwhile you establish your
(12:48):
clinical presence.
And, most importantly, youmight be making the switch just
to do it for you and not as areaction to school counselor
burnout.
In those cases, becoming an LPCcan open doors, it can expand
your skill set and it can helpyou serve others in ways that
(13:08):
you could never do in the schoolsetting.
But make no mistake about itClinical work is a different
profession.
As school counselors, we oftenoperate in short bursts within
systems.
We are time limited.
We have a tremendous amount ofvariety in our day, even though
(13:29):
sometimes we don't enjoy it.
Clinical therapists operateover time, often through deep
diagnosis, treatment planningand legal accountability for
that client care.
It is not school counseling ina different office.
It is not school counseling ina different office.
It is a different kind of joband it also means that you're
(13:52):
not just accountable to yourschool anymore.
You're assuming clinicalliability when you diagnose and
treat clients.
So if you do not have a clearplan for a clinical journey or
if your expectations are basedoff of some sort of fantasy of
clinical counseling, licensurecould become a whole new form of
(14:14):
stress.
So don't mistake the promise offreedom for a lack of
responsibility.
You could gain a little bit offreedom in your day-to-day work,
but you take on a whole new setof responsibilities and
obligations as a clinicalcounselor.
All right.
(14:36):
So if you are looking towardbecoming an LPC, I hope that I
haven't dissuaded you yet.
There is an idea that doesn'tget enough credit in my opinion,
especially in the schoolcounseling world.
Here it is Sometimes for schoolcounselors, just having your
(14:56):
LPC license changes the way youshow up at work because it
builds confidence in yourclinical thinking.
You can't go through all of thecourses and training and CEUs
and hours of supervised practiceand not build more confidence
in your abilities.
It's just almost virtuallyimpossible if you're doing it
(15:19):
right.
It also gives you a depth oftraining and understanding that
stands out even if you're notformally using that expertise in
the schools, and it can signalcredibility, both directly and
indirectly with administratorsand district leaders.
I can tell you from experienceI don't put my LPC credential on
(15:44):
school paperwork.
I don't advertise it or talkabout it.
It's not in my email signaturebecause I don't want to confuse
parents about the scope of myability to help.
But more than once I've hadprincipals, and sometimes even
parents, ask me about mytraining.
Just based on how I explainclinical concerns, counseling,
(16:07):
follow-up and what the next beststeps are, your training will
shine through and maybe mostimportantly, it also gives you
options.
You may not want to leaveschools right now, but there is
a certain peace of mind thatcomes from knowing you could is
a certain peace of mind thatcomes from knowing you could and
(16:28):
sometimes having that parachuteis enough to help you walk
taller and be more assertive.
You may never need to pull thatripcord, but knowing it's there
and available changeseverything.
So now that we've looked at thepros and cons of clinical
licensure, let's zoom back out,because most school counselors,
(16:53):
I believe, don't really want toleave their work in schools.
Often, when they head down thispath of considering licensure,
what they really want is to berespected, to have a clear role
day to day, to use some of theskills they trained for and to
(17:18):
have the ability to say no tosome of the school-level
nonsense and yes to making moreof an impact.
When you look at it this way,clinical licensure sort of looks
like the answer, but here'swhere we have to pause and get
really honest, because the jobtitle alone isn't what improves
your mental health.
It's not what brings you backaround from burnout or makes
(17:40):
your life unicorns and rainbows.
The structure of your work iswhat makes or breaks your
well-being.
Let me explain what I mean.
In school settings, you knowbecause you're there, we often
feel underutilized ormisappropriated.
We are shuffled between lunchduties and crisis response and
(18:04):
these random tasks that ouradministrators give us that have
absolutely nothing to do withour jobs, and that lack of role
clarity can wear us down.
It leads us down a path ofstress and guilt and sometimes
burnout.
But it's not because we'redoing the wrong job.
It's because we're not beingallowed to do it well.
(18:25):
And let's be clear switching toclinical work does not
magically solve that problem.
Yes, it can give you moreautonomy, yes that deeper
therapeutic work can feel moresatisfying, but it also brings a
new kind of pressure thepressure of diagnosing and
(18:47):
treating serious mentalillnesses, of managing the
emotional fallout from prolongedexposure to trauma cases or
navigating inconsistent incomeexposure to trauma cases or
navigating inconsistent income,maintaining documentation,
(19:08):
handling stress and enduringprofessional isolation.
And in a group practice,counselors can often experience
some of the very same stressorsthat caused them to leave their
school in the first place.
There is very, very littleresearch to suggest that
embarking in clinical workactually improves counselor
well-being.
So then, if the switch toclinical counseling doesn't
(19:34):
change things, what does helpdoesn't change things.
What does help?
Studies show that well-beingimproves when counselors,
regardless of their setting,have protected time for their
actual counseling work, havereasonable caseloads, supportive
peers and opportunities forreflection and professional
(19:56):
autonomy.
So instead of immediatelyjumping to do I need to leave my
work in schools to feel better.
You might ask what about mycurrent work condition?
Is hurting me, and are thereways to change that without
walking away from the wholeenchilada, instead of jumping to
(20:17):
private practice and completelystarting over.
You might just need a newstructure.
You might need more clarity ora different kind of support.
That's exactly what we focus onin the School for School
Counselors Mastermind.
We use a smart schoolcounseling framework to promote
sustainable school counseling.
(20:39):
We help you rebuild where youare with the tools and the
reflection and the peer supportthat actually protect your
mental health, because when thesystem won't change for you,
you've got to change what you'redoing within it.
That's truly the heart ofsustainable counseling, and you
(21:00):
don't have to become a therapistto feel capable.
You don't have to leave theschool system to feel respected,
but you do need to work in away that supports your
well-being, your values and yoursense of professional integrity
.
Really, you need a model likeour Smart School Counseling
(21:22):
Framework that supports yourgrowth from the inside out.
So should you get your LPC?
Maybe, but don't do it becausefrustration or burnout told you
to do it.
Do it because you're ready,because it aligns with your
long-term goals or because itgives you something you want,
(21:47):
not just because it's a way torun away from something that
feels really hard.
With the right tools andsupport, you can thrive in the
educational world and, for thatmatter, whether or not you have
letters behind your name.
You can absolutely becomeundeniable as a school counselor
(22:09):
, and in the next podcastepisode, I'm going to tell you
exactly how to do that.
So keep listening, and I'll beback soon with another episode
of the School for SchoolCounselors podcast.
In the meantime, I hope youhave the best week.
Take care.
More and more these days, I feel like I'm seeing
online social media posts fromschool counselors saying I'm
done, I'm getting my LPC and I'mgetting out.
I'm working on my licensurebecause schools are not for me
anymore.
And hey, listen, I get it.
When you are dismissed by youradministration, your abilities
(00:24):
are ignored by your schooldistrict or you feel like you're
getting shoved into everycrisis and coverage duty on your
campus, it's only natural tothink about escaping all of that
baloney and heading to thepromised land.
You start imagining what lifewould be like if you just ran
that cozy, peaceful privatepractice and got to wear jeans
(00:49):
or leggings every day and onlytalk to people who actually
wanted to be in your office.
But before you get too deep inthat fantasy, let's pump the
brakes just a little bit.
Today we're going to look atthe LPC decision and we're going
to look at it beyond the lensof burnout and through the lens
(01:13):
of reality.
We're going to look at the pros, the cons and all the hidden
costs and realizations that noone's talking about, because
leaving your school counselingjob might solve some problems,
but it just might create a wholebunch of new ones too.
Hey, my friend, welcome back.
(01:38):
I'm Steph Johnson, a licensedprofessional counselor and
full-time school counselor, justlike you.
If you're tired of schoolcounseling advice that sounds
like it came from Pinterest,you're in the right place.
Around here, we're keeping itreal, we're keeping it grounded,
and I'm giving you tools andideas that actually work,
(02:01):
because you deserve more thanpretty graphics and empty
promises.
There is a growing group ofschool counselors who are sort
of treating clinical licensurelike a parachute.
You'll see them post thingsthat say I'm so sick of being
micromanaged so I'm just goingto jump into clinical practice,
(02:23):
or I want more time freedom, orI just need to leave education
and becoming an LPC is my wayout.
And for some folks that mightbe true.
But here's the thing Most ofthose posts that you see were
written in a moment offrustration.
They most often are not writtenin a moment of clarity.
(02:45):
And here's something else thatI've noticed about those
situations For all the talkabout leaving schools, I rarely
see posts from former schoolcounselors after they make the
leap.
I'm in school counseling groups, I'm in therapist groups and I
know a lot of people in reallife on both sides of that aisle
(03:08):
, and I have never seen or hearda flood of best decision I ever
made updates.
Maybe they're off living theirdream I hope so or maybe, just
maybe, the dream isn't quitewhat they expected, and if
that's true, shouldn't we beasking why?
(03:29):
This is a conversation thatmatters, because what looks like
your parachute could actuallyjust be a trade-off.
So as I'm talking about this,you're going to hear me using
the term LPC.
I'm sure you already know thatthat stands for licensed
(03:52):
professional counselor.
States use all kinds ofclinical designations, but we're
going to use LPC as a catch-allfor all of those in this
episode, really just meaning thelicensure that allows you to
work and serve as astate-licensed counselor in a
clinical capacity.
All right, so what does thatpath to licensure really involve
(04:17):
?
It's complicated and it variesby state, but here's the short
version.
First, it's not a direct path.
Most school counseling programsdo not meet the coursework
requirements for an LPC.
You're likely going to needsome additional classes, maybe
(04:38):
some additional internship hoursand lots and lots of supervised
clinical hours.
For instance, in my home stateof Texas, in order to gain my
LPC licensure, I had to complete3,000 supervised hours of
practice.
Secondly, you need to know youpay for those supervised hours.
(05:01):
In most places supervision isnot free and in many states
you'll pay somewhere between $75and $125 per hour for
supervision over a span ofseveral years.
Going back to Texas, justbecause that's my best frame of
(05:21):
reference, minimum supervisiontime in Texas is 18 months,
which means that supervision ata rate between $75 and $125 an
hour is going to run you between$6,000 and $10,000.
Sometimes you can sign up towork within a counseling
practice that tells you thatthey're going to provide free
(05:44):
supervision in exchange for youworking there, but most often
they're taking a bigger cut ofwhat you are charging clients.
So beware.
Third, you need to know thatlicensure takes time.
Between the leveling classesand the clinical exams, like the
(06:05):
NCE and post-grad supervision,you're looking at a minimum of
two to four years after yourleveling courses before you'll
be able to practiceindependently.
And fourth, you need to realizethat there are ongoing costs,
(06:27):
that there are ongoing costsContinuing education units,
licensing fees, liabilityinsurance and all of that is
before you ever see a client orengage in any
practice-affiliated costs.
All that to say, if you areimagining getting your clinical
licensure as a quick escapehatch clinical licensure as a
quick escape hatch it's morelike climbing out of a window
(06:48):
into another burning building.
So before you jump, make sureyou know the floor plan.
For argument's sake, just for aminute, let's imagine you've
made it, you are fully licensed,you can practice counseling
independently and you are alsoexhausted, because here's what
(07:10):
no one tells you about thatscenario.
The math doesn't always work outthe way it's presented online.
There are a lot of people inthe social media world right now
trying to convince others thatclinical mental health can be
done on a cash-only basis andmake you a millionaire in a
(07:31):
short amount of time.
I think if that were true, wewould see more mental health
counselors and we would not havethe shortage that we currently
have we currently have,according to the US Bureau of
Labor Statistics, the mediansalary for school counselors in
2024 was $65,140.
(07:52):
So, depending on your schooldistrict, your degree and your
years of service, you couldpotentially end up making well
into $80,000 or $90,000 as aschool counselor, if not now
eventually.
Plus you've got healthinsurance, sick days and,
depending on your state, youmight even have a pension.
(08:16):
Now let's compare that to aclinical role.
The median salary for aclinical mental health counselor
, again according to the USBureau of Labor Statistics, was
$59,190 in 2024, and socialworkers sat at $61,330.
(08:40):
But keep in mind, even thoughboth of those salaries are
within $4,000 to $6,000 of themedian salary for school
counseling, they're both withoutsummers off and without sick
days.
So if you don't work, you'reprobably not getting paid, and
it's also without anyone elsehelping fund your retirement,
(09:02):
but you.
So not only are you building aclinical presence and perhaps a
whole business from scratch,you're doing it without a lot of
the benefits.
So then let's talk aboutinsurance billing.
Insurance companies often delaypayments.
Sometimes they'll deny theamounts that you build outright.
(09:26):
You'll probably, as a licensedclinician, spend hours fighting
rejected codes and you don't setyour rates.
The insurance companies do, andthey're often um, oh, what's
the nicest way I can say this?
They are often disappointing.
I actually know a lot oftherapists in real life that
(09:49):
routinely wait a year or two fora reimbursement bump from an
insurance company and finallyget this big grand announcement
that they're getting a raise ofsomething like 14 cents a
session.
Y'all 14 cents.
If you think our raises in theeducational world are sad, wait
(10:10):
till you see some of thesereimbursement rate increases.
They're crazy.
That's even before we bringinto the conversation these
venture capital-backed platforms.
You've probably seen commercialsfor them, things like
BetterHelp or Cerebral.
They promise flexibility and afull caseload and the ability to
(10:33):
work from home to clinicians,but behind the scenes they've
been involved in some tremendouslegal battles centered around
their ethics as well as theirfulfillment of their promises to
their clinicians.
You would be pressured to meetquotas, you'd be paid far less
than the market average, youmight be assigned clients with
(10:56):
little regard for whether or notthey're a right fit, and you're
often prohibited from buildingyour own brand or your own
practice on the side, eitherexplicitly or just due to the
time constraints.
Those companies do not exist toempower clinicians and give
them a path toward clinicalfreedom, as they often imply.
(11:18):
They are here to extract profit.
So while they might help youget started, they are no
substitute for a sustainableethical practice and they
certainly are not a long-termsolution.
So if your plan has been, I'lljust get my LPC and then
everything will be better, let'stake a step back.
(11:40):
So this far into the episode.
Let me make another point veryclear Clinical licensure is not
the enemy.
I'm not opposed to it at all.
As a matter of fact, if you'vebeen listening, you've heard me
say I have my clinical licensure.
There are absolutely times whenpursuing your LPC is the right
(12:06):
move.
Maybe you are passionate andwant to learn more about
providing deep therapeutic worklike EMDR or true play therapy
or family systems work.
Maybe you feel a call to servepopulations that you can't
ethically or legally work within the schools anymore.
(12:26):
So many states are passingmandates that limit our capacity
to help certain studentpopulations.
So if you have a burning desireto make an impact in those
areas, you might want to look atclinical licensure.
You may already have a clearbusiness plan and some stable
backup income to support youwhile you establish your
(12:48):
clinical presence.
And, most importantly, youmight be making the switch just
to do it for you and not as areaction to school counselor
burnout.
In those cases, becoming an LPCcan open doors, it can expand
your skill set and it can helpyou serve others in ways that
(13:08):
you could never do in the schoolsetting.
But make no mistake about itClinical work is a different
profession.
As school counselors, we oftenoperate in short bursts within
systems.
We are time limited.
We have a tremendous amount ofvariety in our day, even though
(13:29):
sometimes we don't enjoy it.
Clinical therapists operateover time, often through deep
diagnosis, treatment planningand legal accountability for
that client care.
It is not school counseling ina different office.
It is not school counseling ina different office.
It is a different kind of joband it also means that you're
(13:52):
not just accountable to yourschool anymore.
You're assuming clinicalliability when you diagnose and
treat clients.
So if you do not have a clearplan for a clinical journey or
if your expectations are basedoff of some sort of fantasy of
clinical counseling, licensurecould become a whole new form of
(14:14):
stress.
So don't mistake the promise offreedom for a lack of
responsibility.
You could gain a little bit offreedom in your day-to-day work,
but you take on a whole new setof responsibilities and
obligations as a clinicalcounselor.
All right.
(14:36):
So if you are looking towardbecoming an LPC, I hope that I
haven't dissuaded you yet.
There is an idea that doesn'tget enough credit in my opinion,
especially in the schoolcounseling world.
Here it is Sometimes for schoolcounselors, just having your
(14:56):
LPC license changes the way youshow up at work because it
builds confidence in yourclinical thinking.
You can't go through all of thecourses and training and CEUs
and hours of supervised practiceand not build more confidence
in your abilities.
It's just almost virtuallyimpossible if you're doing it
(15:19):
right.
It also gives you a depth oftraining and understanding that
stands out even if you're notformally using that expertise in
the schools, and it can signalcredibility, both directly and
indirectly with administratorsand district leaders.
I can tell you from experienceI don't put my LPC credential on
(15:44):
school paperwork.
I don't advertise it or talkabout it.
It's not in my email signaturebecause I don't want to confuse
parents about the scope of myability to help.
But more than once I've hadprincipals, and sometimes even
parents, ask me about mytraining.
Just based on how I explainclinical concerns, counseling,
(16:07):
follow-up and what the next beststeps are, your training will
shine through and maybe mostimportantly, it also gives you
options.
You may not want to leaveschools right now, but there is
a certain peace of mind thatcomes from knowing you could is
a certain peace of mind thatcomes from knowing you could and
(16:28):
sometimes having that parachuteis enough to help you walk
taller and be more assertive.
You may never need to pull thatripcord, but knowing it's there
and available changeseverything.
So now that we've looked at thepros and cons of clinical
licensure, let's zoom back out,because most school counselors,
(16:53):
I believe, don't really want toleave their work in schools.
Often, when they head down thispath of considering licensure,
what they really want is to berespected, to have a clear role
day to day, to use some of theskills they trained for and to
(17:18):
have the ability to say no tosome of the school-level
nonsense and yes to making moreof an impact.
When you look at it this way,clinical licensure sort of looks
like the answer, but here'swhere we have to pause and get
really honest, because the jobtitle alone isn't what improves
your mental health.
It's not what brings you backaround from burnout or makes
(17:40):
your life unicorns and rainbows.
The structure of your work iswhat makes or breaks your
well-being.
Let me explain what I mean.
In school settings, you knowbecause you're there, we often
feel underutilized ormisappropriated.
We are shuffled between lunchduties and crisis response and
(18:04):
these random tasks that ouradministrators give us that have
absolutely nothing to do withour jobs, and that lack of role
clarity can wear us down.
It leads us down a path ofstress and guilt and sometimes
burnout.
But it's not because we'redoing the wrong job.
It's because we're not beingallowed to do it well.
(18:25):
And let's be clear switching toclinical work does not
magically solve that problem.
Yes, it can give you moreautonomy, yes that deeper
therapeutic work can feel moresatisfying, but it also brings a
new kind of pressure thepressure of diagnosing and
(18:47):
treating serious mentalillnesses, of managing the
emotional fallout from prolongedexposure to trauma cases or
navigating inconsistent incomeexposure to trauma cases or
navigating inconsistent income,maintaining documentation,
(19:08):
handling stress and enduringprofessional isolation.
And in a group practice,counselors can often experience
some of the very same stressorsthat caused them to leave their
school in the first place.
There is very, very littleresearch to suggest that
embarking in clinical workactually improves counselor
well-being.
So then, if the switch toclinical counseling doesn't
(19:34):
change things, what does helpdoesn't change things.
What does help?
Studies show that well-beingimproves when counselors,
regardless of their setting,have protected time for their
actual counseling work, havereasonable caseloads, supportive
peers and opportunities forreflection and professional
(19:56):
autonomy.
So instead of immediatelyjumping to do I need to leave my
work in schools to feel better.
You might ask what about mycurrent work condition?
Is hurting me, and are thereways to change that without
walking away from the wholeenchilada, instead of jumping to
(20:17):
private practice and completelystarting over.
You might just need a newstructure.
You might need more clarity ora different kind of support.
That's exactly what we focus onin the School for School
Counselors Mastermind.
We use a smart schoolcounseling framework to promote
sustainable school counseling.
(20:39):
We help you rebuild where youare with the tools and the
reflection and the peer supportthat actually protect your
mental health, because when thesystem won't change for you,
you've got to change what you'redoing within it.
That's truly the heart ofsustainable counseling, and you
(21:00):
don't have to become a therapistto feel capable.
You don't have to leave theschool system to feel respected,
but you do need to work in away that supports your
well-being, your values and yoursense of professional integrity
.
Really, you need a model likeour Smart School Counseling
(21:22):
Framework that supports yourgrowth from the inside out.
So should you get your LPC?
Maybe, but don't do it becausefrustration or burnout told you
to do it.
Do it because you're ready,because it aligns with your
long-term goals or because itgives you something you want,
(21:47):
not just because it's a way torun away from something that
feels really hard.
With the right tools andsupport, you can thrive in the
educational world and, for thatmatter, whether or not you have
letters behind your name.
You can absolutely becomeundeniable as a school counselor
(22:09):
, and in the next podcastepisode, I'm going to tell you
exactly how to do that.
So keep listening, and I'll beback soon with another episode
of the School for SchoolCounselors podcast.
In the meantime, I hope youhave the best week.
Take care.
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