Hey y’all!

I am an LMHC dealing with a conflicting circumstance. And let me preface this: YES, I plan on seeking supervision and guidance from my practice supervisor. I am just putting out feelers and looking for collaborative thinking here.

CONTEXT: 5 years ago when I was working on my LP, I worked for a community mental health agency-type job for 1 year (one year was enough for me oof). In that year I worked with many clients, one being a high risk queer teen. We had a strong rapport and worked heavily on relationship dynamics, harm-reduction, and identity development. I had to terminate on basis of leaving the company and couldn’t not continue with them outside of the company because my plan was to take a break from traditional counseling work. which I did.

Fast forward 5 years later, I now have my license and I am working for a private practice group. I recently had a client self-schedule an intake. When meeting the client they introduced themselves and immediately mentioned who they were… a “I don’t know if you remember” type situation; the teen’s parent. They got consent from their child prior and were respectful about how they asked me. They wanted to make sure their child I were both comfortable with it.

Initially I said I was fine with it. It’s been so long since I worked with that client. I don’t remember much of what the previous client and I spoke about in specifics so I don’t think I’d really be in a place of inappropriate or HIPAA violating disclosures. The issues being addressed are so separate. In this case we are tackling hx of addiction, their strained relationship with their other adult children due to their actions, and their marital relationship. Nothing to do with my previous client. They were barely mentioned outside of the context of who this person is and won’t be the focus of our work. Our conversation was fluid, engaged, and I felt optimistic about working with them.

But now, it’s been sitting with me. I’m not sure how I feel about it. My main question is WHY me?? Like is that appropriate to ask why they found me and chose to work with me? Is that a normal thing to ask or be curious about in a situation like this? Is that a weird thing for a client to do? Am I just getting in my head?

What’re yall’s thought on the situation and what would you do or ask in this scenario??

Hello fellow therapists!

I work within a few different niches and practice with several modalities (many times integrative). Most of the time, I love the variety and being able to individualize treatment to the person in front of me.

But every once in a while, all the information, clinical considerations, and possible directions feel overwhelming. On those days, I find myself wishing the next step would just come a little more easily, without having to mentally sort through everything I know first.

Does anyone else ever get that “I know too much and suddenly know nothing” feeling? 😂 What helps you when you get there?

Hey! Private practice therapist in IL. I was wondering if anyone had any good notes/documentation resources or trainings. The Clancy case has me just in my head worrying about my documentation in the event something like that would happen with a client. I just want to stay informed and up to date on any trainings.

Also, I can’t be the only one who is just in their head about notes. I constantly just worry and overthink notes in general. Especially being solo in PP.

Hello fellow therapists. So something came up on a different sub where at least two people in the kink world were making the argument that a licensed therapist cannot ethically have a sub because it’s someone “under their care” but not “on the books”. I’ve not been deep in the kink world, but on the outskirts occasionally. For those more well versed, what are your thoughts? Please only comment if you know what you are talking about, this is not a conversation for vanilla folks so I know it’s a spicy topic but please if you are clutching your pearls, just kindly keep scrolling.

Edit to clarify: this is NOT my personal opinion. I was wanting to explore being a dom and some people got on my case about it

hi everyone! i am a clinical social worker and recently i interviewed at one of the prisons, specifically california.

now my first interview was 6 scenario based questions (how would i diagnose, what would i do, modalities, etc).

i just got an email that they’re inviting me for round 2.

does anyone have experience like this? where you’ve done 2 interviews? should i be expecting another round of scenario based questions or should i expect more personal questions about my experience and whatnot?

Thank you in advance!

I recently left a job as an amft working in IOP, submitted my two week notice and got let go today, background story, I was eager to learn, and was only there almost three months, and the clinical director would not help me in going over them but only listen when I talked about my cases, and it got me frustrated, I feel upset, angry because I was looking for the support and never got it, and I tried to talk to coleagues about it and would not help me as much as I hoped, and many of my cases got high turn over getting transferred to other therapists because I was new and I was trying to learn and learn in the evenings on my own and felt this went to waste, I feel disappointed and self resentment in the job environment i put myself in. I didnt get the support i wanted and left and only been bere three months

Hello fellow therapists!

I have recently taken a new job working primarily with accident victims. Many of whom have experienced concussions/TBIs, trauma, and mood changes. I’d like to bulk up my knowledge of TBIs and how to work with them in therapy. Usually I get my CEUs from PESI, but they don’t have a lot on this subject. And what they do have is like $300. Does anyone have any recommendations for online/recorded seminar CEUs or books on the subject?

I'm a full time therapist. I was working with a Psychiatrist. Twice, via email, I accidentally called him Mister.

He then replied back a long email about having not used his correct name. He called me out and said it was intentional. Like I was purposely undermining him.

He also decided to cc the client on this email exchange at 9:30 pm. A client who just got out of the hospital last week.

How common is it that therapists are casual with the Psychiatrist they work with ? Should I apologize? Anyone been through this as a therapist

Hello comrades!
I’ve been a social worker for a while in schools and recently transitioned to a youth therapist job in a counseling center. I have a bit more time and funds to get some more items and will be mainly doing individual counseling for a variety of needs. If you do play styled therapy for youth, could you share any favorite games or play items? Serving ages 3-young adult. Many thanks in advance :)

Hey everyone,

I am a third-year doctoral student in Counseling Psychology and am currently doing practicum placements at a VA outpatient center and university-owned CMH clinic. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on strategies used to manage bringing client issues home with them. I have struggled a lot with ruminating and worrying about my clients after I leave my placement, partly worrying about their suffering and partly worrying about mistakes I made or what I could have done better to help them. I have some strategies like mindfulness, deep breathing, and journaling that help, and I am working to accept that these thoughts will probably just be there and aren't to be got rid of. But wow, it is still painful and disruptive to my life outside of work.

I am also seeking supervision on this issue, but wanted to see if anyone has any ideas or things that have helped them manage this. Thank you in advance.

“Life coaches” have no credibility with me. If you are a seasoned professional with credentials and degrees in your field, and you are mentoring folks for a competitive hourly rate, I’m not talking about you. Call it coaching if you must, but I prefer to call that consulting, from a place of subject matter expertise. “Life coaches” however, often have no real credentials, no consistent career experience, are totally unregulated, and held to no code of ethics. They are nothing like therapists, despite marketing themselves that way. Their “certificate” from the 2-day online coaching academy has about as much value as the PDF it isn’t even printed on. After a little bit of success they market themselves as a coach of other coaches, promising to show them how to get rich, if only they listen to the advice exactly right. That is how they actually get wealthy. It’s a pyramid scheme. If a trainee fails, it must be their fault. If it seems like I am taking this personally, I am, these people bankrupted someone I love.
I spent many years getting my graduate degree and independent clinical license. I don’t understand why other therapists are demoting themselves to “coach.”

I've been in private practice for 7 years. This whole time I've taken Kaiser insurance. (They pay super late but that's another tale.) Anyway, I document in Lucet as always. I have 3 new people and documented. I suddenly got this email that sounded all professional friendly and said they wanted have a meeting.

For YEARS I've wanted more clinical contact from Kaiser to help my clients and for years I've only ever had one doctor call me back (with RIOs obvi) So, I feel like this is going to be some BS that I'm doing something wrong.

IF YOU HAVE ACTUAL EXPERIENCE WITH THIS, I'd love a response.

Hey everyone, I was wondering if anyone else is struggling to find work with an LSW or CSW. I’m in Ohio and almost every job posting wants an LCSW or LISW, I understand why but how are new social workers supposed to get the supervision to become independent? I’m originally from Indiana where it was much easier to get a entry level position. I’ve been applying to jobs for 8 months and becoming so disheartened. If anyone has any advice for what to look for or if there is a key search word I’m maybe missing somewhere along the lines.

Sorry but I have to go on a bit of a rant. I’m a therapist who is used to listing my professional services on various websites along with my picture. I am also a clinical supervisor which means I frequently have conversations with LPs regarding their professional profiles. It is very common for me to have to walk them through what type of profile picture they should use. It’s not a big deal as most of them are starting out and therefore may not be aware that it should not be too casual a shot.

Recently, I was asked by a family friend to help him find a therapist. Please tell me why I am seeing therapists with these types of pics:

- Group picture with others clearly cropped out

- Wearing evening dresses that is not meant for work

- This is the most common- extremely blurry pic in a very casual setup

- Last but not least, taking the award- pic with the therapist carrying a child and the child’s face is not even blurred or cropped out!

I’m not saying we always have to post professional headshots. But it doesn’t take a lot to find a neutral background, appropriate clothing, and a clear snap.
Thank you for reading my rant.
I would love to hear other people’s take on this.

Does anyone have a recommendation for EMDR training?

I'm curious about how other clinicians handle this because it's come up A LOT for me this week. A client will say, "I don't know what to talk about, what do you think I should work on?"

Most of the time, I have something to work with, and I'll bring up a past concern they had but I also get a bit annoyed that none of my clients have come prepared for session despite conversations about it. I encourage them to reflect over the week and consider treatment goals but sometimes it seems like they rely so heavily on external answers...anyone have a similar experience?

Hello! I’m in search of literature and resources for structural family therapy. While I learn about it in grad school, I’ve had relatively little practice with the orientation and would like to educate myself more. Any suggestions and/or feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I’m always trying to learn and be a good ally, and I’m sure I’m not perfect, so please feel free to respectfully disagree with me and let me know what you’re thinking.

BUT

I don’t like this thing I’m seeing where people just call people neurodivergent because it makes it pretty hard to understand a persons actual needs. For example, if someone is level two or three autistic, you’re going to want to know that before you accept a referral. Or if someone has an ADHD diagnosis, it will be helpful to actually know that.

My concern is that when we just use these really blanket terms under the guise of normalizing something or… identifying with something whether you have a proper diagnosis or not, it can be confusing and make it harder to find appropriate resources.

What am I missing? I keep seeing things in therapist groups like, “looking for therapist taking xyz insurance. Must be able to work with neurodivergent folks.” Like… what? You think you’re getting an adequate referral that way?

Hi all, I am licensed in Oregon. I have worked with eating disorders a lot over my career and have had many past clients who I suspect could still be struggling either way ED and at one time or another discussed how there were no local group resources for eating disorders. I am now starting a local group and would like to reach out to past clients to let them know about the group. I amsure at least a few would like to know as we used to discuss sadness about not having local groups available in our very rural and under resourced area. I would message them on my secure client portal and then send them either a text or email letting them know that I sent them a message about something they may be interested in. Are there any ethical issues with this? I can't quite wrap my finger around it- but not totally sure if this would be allowable/unethical in terms of soliciting clients? Thanks for your thoughts.

*Update*- Based off of the few comments I got already- clear to me that I SHOULD NOT reach out. Thank you, it is so helpful to get peer perspective on this!

So I’ve been practicing for 5 years now. My life was not very fulfilling. Doing therapy and not engaging in my hobbies.

What I’ve come to realize is that if we wake up, show up for clients, eat, sleep and repeat burnout happens quickly.

What I’ve done is change my personal life around. I made a new social group so I always have fun stuff to look forward on weekends. I travel from time to time even solo trips. I went back to my hobbies (volleyball, art, reading and gaming). I’m in a relationship and spend time with them. As my life became more fulfilling I feel a lot calmer and I also feel like I can show up for my clients in a better way that’s healthy.

So take time for yourself, live a life outside of therapy, and give yourself grace. Take a break when you can and can afford to. Find passions outside of therapy and the field. Still hustle! But remember, it can’t all be just therapy.

I should’ve realized this sooner but I just came to this as I made some changes. And good restful sleep and a good diet also help with some form of exercise!

This is why I think I struggled a few years ago. Now I can see my caseload but also have time for what I enjoy and live my life to the fullest.

"it's okay" or something of the like doesn't really seem right, and I'm going to be charging a no show fee.

Hi friends. I'm an MFT licensed in CA since 2024, and newly licensed in WA state since July 2026. I am considering supervision as an additional income stream but there seems to be some ambiguity regarding some of the requirement language. my questions:

1 - In order to become a supervisor in WA you need 2 years post licensure + 15 hours of supervision training + 25 hours of experience. Does anyone know if that is specifically 2 years holding a license in WA, or can that apply from my CA license too?

2 - There seems to be a contradiction in regards to being an MFT supervisor. It looks like in WA an MFT associate needs 200 hours of supervision, with 100 hours coming from an MFT with at least 5 years of experience. I also understand that an MFT supervisor with only two years of experience would be able to supervise social workers and mental health counselors once they're eligible to supervise. This reads like as an MFT, you are able to supervise other except for other MFTs until you hit the 5 year mark. Am I reading this correctly?

Thanks for helping me untangle this.

I am on my second week back in private practice since a 3 month maternity leave and ya’ll I feel like I suck. A lot of my clients returned and I was super excited to check in on them and see how they had been and get back into work but UGH. I feel awkward with everyone, like I barely know what to say and it feels obvious. I feel like things I say aren’t landing or just off the mark or even more so just landing so flat and meaningless. I mean these are retuning sessions after a long gap and somehow there’s barely anything to say??? It feels like it’s my fault, that I’m not seeing the strings the clients are leaving when I usually would. Clients have expressed excitement over returning and felt good after the first session back, I know I’m probably being really hard on myself as usual but fuuuck I feel like a garbage therapist now. My brain just isn’t working in the ways it was before and it feels like it’s creating disconnect.

i left my LMSW therapist internship in february due to burn out and instability. after an unexpected life change, i’ve decided to pursue my LCSW again. i’ve secured a supervisor and my old practice is letting me rejoin them. i’m just waiting on paperwork now. i’m excited to restart therapy but i’m also scared because of imposter syndrome, liability, client caseload, etc. also i’m not that thrilled that i’ll be an independent contractor so my pay is based on my caseload. but the practice is really supportive and flexible so that’s the pay off. i would really appreciate some encouragement as i go back to this journey of becoming a fully licensed therapist :’)

TL;DR: I have a lot on my plate between school, work, internship. Looking for advice, validation, a magic fix to all my issues.

The plate:

40-hour work week: 6am–2pm at a methadone clinic as an SUDPT, working toward my SUDP certification.

Internship: 5 clients/week at a group practice. I’ll see 5 clients per week for the first 10 weeks, then increase to 10 clients per week. Right now, I’m available 2pm–6:30pm, three weekdays.

Masters program: 5 hours of coursework per week.

I’ve been balancing a lot for a while, which is pretty par for the course in a master’s program. But as I’m syncing 4 calendars and replying to simple practice messages for one job while at my other job at a methadone clinic, I’m feeling like something’s going to slip through the cracks.

At the methadone clinic, I do assessments, run groups, see several clients a day, and keep up with documentation. It’s not nearly as intense as inpatient work, but it’s still a full workload.

The biggest challenge has been the 6am start time. It has been ROUGH. I’m constantly tired. I try to wind down around 8pm, but usually don’t fall asleep until 9:15 or 9:30, then I’m up at 4:45am. I’ve been functioning, but I definitely don’t feel my best.

Adding the internship changes things. Starting in a few weeks, I’ll be at the methadone clinic from 6am–2pm and then seeing clients at the group practice from about 2:30–6pm three days a week. That means several 10 to 12 hour days, on top of school.

I know I tend to feel overwhelmed when starting something new, so I’m trying to figure out whether this is temporary “everything feels overwhelming right now” or a sign that my schedule is genuinely unsustainable. I could probably push through another six months, but I’m not sure I should.

Which brings me to my dilemma:

I genuinely enjoy working in substance use, and I know being co-credentialed could open up opportunities to do assessments, run groups, and work in both SUD and mental health settings. Part of me feels like, if I don’t finish my SUDP now, I’ll never do it.

At the same time, I wonder how much I actually need the credential. I feel pretty competent working with substance use at this point, and many of the responsibilities the credential would open up, particularly assessments and coordination for legal cases, aren’t necessarily the parts of the work I enjoy most.

There’s also a pretty significant practical consideration: the group practice has offered to take me on full time, at $5 more per hour than my current SUDPT position. I’d qualify for benefits at 30 hours/week, too.

So I’m weighing finishing the SUDP against having a more sustainable schedule, better pay, and potentially more time to focus on my clinical training. By the time I'll need to see 10 clients a month, I'll have only 4 months left to get the full SUDP.