If you’ve been keeping up with legislative updates from CAMFT and other professional organizations for mental health professionals, then you may have noticed a lot of talk about AB 5. For those who aren’t familiar with the case law that preceded AB 5, here’s a quick summary of what’s being discussed in California: It’s now presumed that workers who perform services for employers are employees (and not independent contractors). In order to be classified as an independent contractor, all the criteria of the “ABC” test must be met. AB 5 would “codify” the decision in the case law, clarify its […]

Part one of this series (The Prelicensed Vote) talked about the voting process for CAMFT’s prelicensed members. Per CAMFT’s Bylaws (Article IV, Section B (2)), prelicensed members are only able to vote for one board member (the Pre-Licensed Director-at-Large) in every other year’s election. Peter Cellarius and Joseph Gutierez are this year’s candidates… and part two of this series explores their viewpoints in more detail! Per CAMFT’s Bylaws (Article VI, Section A (3)(b)), only one of its twelve board members can be a prelicensed therapist (all others must be licensed therapists). This means the Pre-Licensed Director-at-Large bears the responsibility of […]

(The viewpoints expressed in this blog article are solely those of Robin Andersen, LMFT.) Since creating Prelicensed nearly three and a half years ago, I’ve spoken to hundreds (if not thousands) of prelicensed therapists in-person and online. I’ve focused on debunking myths about the prelicensed years, overcoming obstacles, and finding your place within the ever-expanding MFT field. Regardless of whether I’m speaking informally or at a professional event, I usually share a story or two about my own struggles, and how my prior experiences as an unpaid associate (formerly intern) ultimately led to the creation of Prelicensed. I’m proud to […]

If you weren’t able to attend the first-ever Therapy Reimagined Conference on October 5-6 in Culver City, CA, then I’m sorry to say you missed some incredible speakers. Their presentations covered a number of topics that are relevant to the modern therapist, including navigating the prelicensed years, engaging in advocacy, increasing efficacy with clients, becoming more business-saavy, avoiding burnout, practicing more authentically as a therapist, and so much more! As I listened to the various speakers (and took my turn up on the stage at one point), I marveled at how each individual was unique yet similar in certain regards. […]

Once you register as an Associate MFT, CSW, or PCC with the Board of Behavioral Sciences, you have a year to attempt the California Law and Ethics Exam for your profession. There are basically two schools of thought about when you should take that exam. One of them is wrong. If you’re in your first year as an associate, you should take the exam right now. Here are the competing views: Take it as early as possible There are three big benefits to this approach. One, your legal and ethical knowledge should still be fresh from graduate school. Two, assuming you pass, you’ll […]

Ben Caldwell, PsyD, recently published a blog article on the shortage of therapists in California. He discussed the “supply-demand disconnect” and why it’s so difficult to meet the needs of clients across the state. Toward the end of the article, he remarked that due to this shortage, “more of our functions will be turned over to substance abuse counselors, peer counselors, and other professionals and para-professionals.” What did he mean by that? How can therapists possibly be replaced by individuals who haven’t earned a master’s degree, aren’t registered with the Board of Behavioral Sciences, and aren’t supervised by a qualified mental […]