Just completed the continuing education units (CEU) required to renew and reactivate my California Marriage and Family Therapist license (LMFT) and sent my license renewal to the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. In discerning whether or not to do so, I had this email exchange with my friend JB:
KO: Right now I am looking into taking CE to renew my MFT license as active. I’ve had an inactive license since they offered such a thing. Yes, I have maintained my license for 20 years without practicing psychotherapy because I put lots of work, many internship hours, graduate school debt, and written and oral exam prep into it. Blood, sweat and tears (actually, the tears were on behalf of a least a couple of my clients whom I loved and who suffered greatly). What do you think of me activating my license, not necessarily putting out a shingle, at least not a brick and mortar shingle, and not now for money?
JB: I still have my teaching certificate even though it would be a sad day if I ever return to the classroom. But since my plan is to live forever, I imagine sooner or later it will be useful. Don’t let MFTing plans distract you if you’ve already found rhythm with life as it is. It seems you are generally a good gatekeeper to stuff that would lead to overwhelm. Does wanting you to place priority on clouds, bark, and flowers make me the worst career counselor ever? Yeah probably so. But maybe not.
KO: Clouds, bark, tree roots and flowers take precedence without doubt. In my blogging and google+ing I find myself counseling fellow mental health consumers. I have no desire to make a living at it, but am finding a voice. The voice has been as a mental health consumer and former psychotherapist. Now perhaps it is as a consumer and licensed psychotherapist who volunteers her advice via her blog persona. Although the Internet allows for a worldwide reach, the scope of any psychotherapy practice I undertake is limited by my license to the state of California. I have no intention to set up shop in the real world any time soon. Who knows where I’m headed.
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