I am officially now a licensed Professional Counselor -- now what?

[ChiLPC]

First time poster here ---


Happy to announce that after finishing my master's program, passing the National Counselors' Examination, Becoming a National Certified Counselor, and navigating the vague bureaucracies of the Illinois Professional Licensing Dept, I have wrapped up all of the particulars needed to finally start work at a capacity directly related to my education. Now what?

The anonymity of the internet has emboldened me to ask something that I assume many of my cohort already know. Furthermore, my question is intentionally vague in order to net the widest responses, so I can glean some insight into my next move.

Ideally, I know that I want to work at a private practice and that I want to work with adults. I would be equally happy with either a person-centered model or working with anxiety treatment using a CBT model. In reality, I am not married to any distinct path and I am just super pumped to start work.

I would be greatly appreciative of anyone who is willing to provide me the benefit of their experience with "just starting out". It would be wonderful to hear your experience regarding regarding setting, direction, words of encouragement, or just tips in general of any variety. Any widely held assumptions that I should disabuse myself of? What kind of setting did you find satisfaction in? How long did it take you to find work? Is there any specific approach you used to find leads? Websites?

More specifically, I would love to hear If anyone has any tips regarding leads or first hand accounts/reviews of employers that they are familiar with in the Chicago area.


Lots of questions! Thanks ahead of time!

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[HesitantPsyD]

First time poster here ---


Happy to announce that after finishing my master's program, passing the National Counselors' Examination, Becoming a National Certified Counselor, and navigating the vague bureaucracies of the Illinois Professional Licensing Dept, I have wrapped up all of the particulars needed to finally start work at a capacity directly related to my education. Now what?

The anonymity of the internet has emboldened me to ask something that I assume many of my cohort already know. Furthermore, my question is intentionally vague in order to net the widest responses, so I can glean some insight into my next move.

Ideally, I know that I want to work at a private practice and that I want to work with adults. I would be equally happy with either a person-centered model or working with anxiety treatment using a CBT model. In reality, I am not married to any distinct path and I am just super pumped to start work.

I would be greatly appreciative of anyone who is willing to provide me the benefit of their experience with "just starting out". It would be wonderful to hear your experience regarding regarding setting, direction, words of encouragement, or just tips in general of any variety. Any widely held assumptions that I should disabuse myself of? What kind of setting did you find satisfaction in? How long did it take you to find work? Is there any specific approach you used to find leads? Websites?

More specifically, I would love to hear If anyone has any tips regarding leads or first hand accounts/reviews of employers that they are familiar with in the Chicago area.


Lots of questions! Thanks ahead of time!

 

[HesitantPsyD]

First time poster here ---
Hello,
I really hesitated in writing this response, as I don't like bursting peoples' bubbles. I too am an LPC in Illinois, and have been for several years. I still have not gotten the necessary hours for taking the LCPC exam, as this seems to be the impossible magic trick that nobody tells you about once you get the LPC.

Unfortunately, the LPC is worthless in getting a job in my experience. You asked about notions to disabuse yourself of in your post... The first and most important of these notions for you to know is that you very likely will not be doing any real counseling or psychotherapy (or at best very little)with an LPC. I know what you're thinking... "but I went to school to learn how to do therapy, shouldn't I be able to do therapy with a masters in counseling?". You most certainly should. Unfortunately the job market in the Chicago area is completely bottlenecked with graduates from Masters programs in counseling, not to mention graduates from social work programs which you will be directly competing with for positions. Making things worse is the fact that graduate programs in counseling are unfortunately cash cows for schools, leading to them graduating many more students than the job market can handle. Also, there seems to be no reliable apparatus for getting hours leading to the LCPC hours here, save for one. This unfortunately involves doing case management type work for little pay and great frustration with very sick and vulnerable populations that frankly someone with a masters degree is overqualified for in most cases. You'll likely be able to get a job doing this type of work (eventually if you're persistent), but personally I don't consider this type of work as doing legitimate counseling or therapy (although occasionally one can be therapeutic.) Moreover, the jobs are mostly impossible to perform quagmires where your clinical skills are a distant second to your ability to put up with bureaucracy and massive documentation requirements required by the state. I don't want you to think this is an impossible feat, but it is really really difficult to negotiate for the 2 to 3 years it would take to get hours, assuming you can get someone to sign off on your hours. You will not be getting good supervision however in any case, as supervisors are generally only concerned with how much you can bill for the agency. I feel as if these are mostly sales jobs where clinical skills are often maligned at the expense of billing requirements. I also worry that if the US Senate is able to pass the immoral travesty of a "Health Care" Bill they intend to pass this week, even these awful jobs will be in grave jeopardy, as 99 percent of the funds from the billing of these positions are Medicaid based and more or less dependent on the program for the various agencies' survival. If you're willing to put up with this type of work for an extended period of time (I have determined I am likely not able to put up with it), you can get your hours. On the other hand, I am far from convinced that once someone gets the LCPC, they will have enough experience doing therapy to get another job where therapy is the focus, or to get on insurance panels in private practice settings. Unfortunately our society does not value therapy enough for there to be enough need for the amount of graduates schools are spitting out, which is a real shame. I once came across a list of people getting licensed, both as LPCs and LCPCs in Illinois at a given time. People getting licensed as LCPCs paled in comparison to the number of newly minted LPCs (as in hundreds vs a few dozen), leading to my conclusion that many people never make it to the independent level of licensure. I also know LCPCs who have made it to that point who are still stuck in Case Management roles, because there are no other jobs available. Another more optimistic option (but not by much) is being hired as a supervisor in one of these capacities, but these jobs are less clinical and more administrative than even the lowly case managers.

It is not my intention to sound bitter, but I'm sure I'm coming across that way. I am pretty close to giving up on this mostly fruitless endeavor, as the process has been very frustrating and demoralizing. I sincerely hope you have better luck than I have. As far as agencies hiring for a lot of these aforementioned case management positions, my first stop would be Thresholds. It's a huge agency and they are ALWAYS hiring, due to their ridiculously high turnover rate.

I am obviously very disillusioned by all of this. I mostly blame the many schools here who are cryptic at best and borderline fraudulent at worst regarding the prospects in this field, due to their wanting your tuition dollars. There's an obvious reason for their vagueness, I'm convinced...

Happy to announce that after finishing my master's program, passing the National Counselors' Examination, Becoming a National Certified Counselor, and navigating the vague bureaucracies of the Illinois Professional Licensing Dept, I have wrapped up all of the particulars needed to finally start work at a capacity directly related to my education. Now what?

The anonymity of the internet has emboldened me to ask something that I assume many of my cohort already know. Furthermore, my question is intentionally vague in order to net the widest responses, so I can glean some insight into my next move.

Ideally, I know that I want to work at a private practice and that I want to work with adults. I would be equally happy with either a person-centered model or working with anxiety treatment using a CBT model. In reality, I am not married to any distinct path and I am just super pumped to start work.

I would be greatly appreciative of anyone who is willing to provide me the benefit of their experience with "just starting out". It would be wonderful to hear your experience regarding regarding setting, direction, words of encouragement, or just tips in general of any variety. Any widely held assumptions that I should disabuse myself of? What kind of setting did you find satisfaction in? How long did it take you to find work? Is there any specific approach you used to find leads? Websites?

More specifically, I would love to hear If anyone has any tips regarding leads or first hand accounts/reviews of employers that they are familiar with in the Chicago area.


Lots of questions! Thanks ahead of time!

 

[foreverbull]

HesitantPsyD paints a pretty bleak picture of the state of LPCs in Chicago, and whoever you are, I sympathize with you and I'd be pretty bitter if I got my degree and came out with bleak job prospects.

Having obtained my master's in the midwest prior to getting my doctorate, I weighed my options and was very concerned about the non-transferability of each state's license at the master's level, because I knew I was planning to move to the West Coast eventually. Having said that, I went to graduate school alongside several folks in a master's program who have ended up counseling in several settings, including community mental health, private practice, and non-profits. Some went into academic advising at universities instead of pursuing counseling per se, and appear to be moving up the ranks, so academic advising, career advising, and/or student services positions that are closely-related might be an option as well. Another person I know became a sexual assault outreach coordinator at a college. This is in a medium midwestern city...around 1 million people if you include suburbs. I'm not sure if relocating would ever be an option for you, but it sounds like Chicago is much more saturated than where I went to graduate school, where the market doesn't seem quite as bleak. If you stay, I'd suggest marketing yourself creatively to go after some of the positions I mentioned, if the traditional paths are taken.

Best of luck to you!

 

[cybertsiren]

First time poster here ---


Happy to announce that after finishing my master's program, passing the National Counselors' Examination, Becoming a National Certified Counselor, and navigating the vague bureaucracies of the Illinois Professional Licensing Dept, I have wrapped up all of the particulars needed to finally start work at a capacity directly related to my education. Now what?

The anonymity of the internet has emboldened me to ask something that I assume many of my cohort already know. Furthermore, my question is intentionally vague in order to net the widest responses, so I can glean some insight into my next move.

Ideally, I know that I want to work at a private practice and that I want to work with adults. I would be equally happy with either a person-centered model or working with anxiety treatment using a CBT model. In reality, I am not married to any distinct path and I am just super pumped to start work.

I would be greatly appreciative of anyone who is willing to provide me the benefit of their experience with "just starting out". It would be wonderful to hear your experience regarding regarding setting, direction, words of encouragement, or just tips in general of any variety. Any widely held assumptions that I should disabuse myself of? What kind of setting did you find satisfaction in? How long did it take you to find work? Is there any specific approach you used to find leads? Websites?

More specifically, I would love to hear If anyone has any tips regarding leads or first hand accounts/reviews of employers that they are familiar with in the Chicago area.


Lots of questions! Thanks ahead of time!

HesitantPsyD paints a pretty bleak picture of the state of LPCs in Chicago, and whoever you are, I sympathize with you and I'd be pretty bitter if I got my degree and came out with bleak job prospects.

Having obtained my master's in the midwest prior to getting my doctorate, I weighed my options and was very concerned about the non-transferability of each state's license at the master's level, because I knew I was planning to move to the West Coast eventually. Having said that, I went to graduate school alongside several folks in a master's program who have ended up counseling in several settings, including community mental health, private practice, and non-profits. Some went into academic advising at universities instead of pursuing counseling per se, and appear to be moving up the ranks, so academic advising, career advising, and/or student services positions that are closely-related might be an option as well. Another person I know became a sexual assault outreach coordinator at a college. This is in a medium midwestern city...around 1 million people if you include suburbs. I'm not sure if relocating would ever be an option for you, but it sounds like Chicago is much more saturated than where I went to graduate school, where the market doesn't seem quite as bleak. If you stay, I'd suggest marketing yourself creatively to go after some of the positions I mentioned, if the traditional paths are taken.

Best of luck to you!

Yes I also must share bad news. There are no jobs in Illinois. The schools are graduating more counselors than there are jobs. As a result wages are ridiculously low. One private practice offered me the chance to work for free. There are programs like Cathedral Counseling that actually charge you for the chance to volunteer! Luckily I went to a cheap school. I feel sorry for those who went to expensive schools. I worked for a clinic which was a front to bilk medicaid. Then I worked for a private practice but never got more than 5 clients. At that rate it would take 10 years to get the required hours. The other issue is that due to immigration one must be at least spanish/english bilingual and bicultural which means only DACA or children of immigrants will qualify for available jobs. I have submitted 330 applications in the past year. I am now applying for Bachelor's level jobs. Of course none of these jobs involve psychotherapy...most require you to have a car so you can transport clients to court or medical appointments. Really they just want use of a free car. If I ever get my hours I'll relocate. Sorry I can't provide a rosy picture.

 

[HesitantPsyD]

Yes I also must share bad news. There are no jobs in Illinois. The schools are graduating more counselors than there are jobs. As a result wages are ridiculously low. One private practice offered me the chance to work for free. There are programs like Cathedral Counseling that actually charge you for the chance to volunteer! Luckily I went to a cheap school. I feel sorry for those who went to expensive schools. I worked for a clinic which was a front to bilk medicaid. Then I worked for a private practice but never got more than 5 clients. At that rate it would take 10 years to get the required hours. The other issue is that due to immigration one must be at least spanish/english bilingual and bicultural which means only DACA or children of immigrants will qualify for available jobs. I have submitted 330 applications in the past year. I am now applying for Bachelor's level jobs. Of course none of these jobs involve psychotherapy...most require you to have a car so you can transport clients to court or medical appointments. Really they just want use of a free car. If I ever get my hours I'll relocate. Sorry I can't provide a rosy picture.

As desperate as it sounds to be asking this, what can you tell me about Cathedral Counseling. I know the idea of "paying" for supervision and the opportunity to see clients is borderline ridiculous but I'm at a loss otherwise due to not being willing to do case management anymore. I love doing therapy and might be open to something like this.

 

[cybertsiren]

As desperate as it sounds to be asking this, what can you tell me about Cathedral Counseling. I know the idea of "paying" for supervision and the opportunity to see clients is borderline ridiculous but I'm at a loss otherwise due to not being willing to do case management anymore. I love doing therapy and might be open to something like this.

Just go to their site. It's around 2,000 dollars a year and you have to take 10 to 15 clients in their clinic for free. Let me ask you if you have tried getting a few clients at a private practice? I have 5 clients which would require 10 years to get my clinical hours but I do get a little money. I can at least say I am doing something. Keep in mind these "training" schemes are to make money not help you get your hours. Good luck. Let me know.

I like you am desperate. I need a job so I may have to take an administrative job.

 

[HesitantPsyD]

Just go to their site. It's around 2,000 dollars a year and you have to take 10 to 15 clients in their clinic for free. Let me ask you if you have tried getting a few clients at a private practice? I have 5 clients which would require 10 years to get my clinical hours but I do get a little money. I can at least say I am doing something. Keep in mind these "training" schemes are to make money not help you get your hours. Good luck. Let me know.

I like you am desperate. I need a job so I may have to take an administrative job.

If it's truly 10-15 clients a week it's almost tempting to me. If the "fee" includes supervision it seems like almost a potentially "good" deal as it amounts to about $200 a month. Also they claim to be psychodynamic on their website which is right up my peculiar alley. I'm in the process of looking into this avenue as a way to get hours/supervision towards the LCPC. I know this potential arrangement isn't for most people but I'm in the unique position that money isn't nearly as important as getting the hours and supervision. Of course I never would have dreamed that I'd be entertaining such an arrangement when getting out of grad school, yet here we are. The sad thing about all of this is I don't think Illinois is unique regarding the problem of getting hours/decent money for counselor interns. Texas isn't much better I've found. I just got back from there getting some hours via private practice, as I'm licensed as an intern there too.The issue is that counseling programs are unfortunately cash cows for schools, and they make a lot of tuition money from people who "want to help people". This results in a ridiculous glut of people entering the field with little experience and no clear way towards full licensure. It's a really bad situation!!!

 

[jmiah717]

Paying for supervision is common and an accepted practice in the field.


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[cybertsiren]

Clinical supervision is often paid for but some supervision even administrative under a clinical director is provided because these starter jobs are so poorly paid. Again its a grey area because working under supervision in Illinois implies your employer is your supervisor. However work is so hard to find that most states accept volunteer work. Naturally a whole new industry crops up that offers training with paid supervision and volunteer counseling service. Again this is changing the field as fewer paid jobs will ne replaced by these programs. This is the result of regulation inflation.

 

[jmiah717]

Clinical supervision is often paid for but some supervision even administrative under a clinical director is provided because these starter jobs are so poorly paid. Again its a grey area because working under supervision in Illinois implies your employer is your supervisor. However work is so hard to find that most states accept volunteer work. Naturally a whole new industry crops up that offers training with paid supervision and volunteer counseling service. Again this is changing the field as fewer paid jobs will ne replaced by these programs. This is the result of regulation inflation.

I guess I'm glad I'm not in Illinois then. I never had any issues in PA getting supervision or getting a job. Best of luck!

 

[NJCounselorGirl]

Wow, I have never heard of this before. I am 45 credits into my master's program in addictions counseling in NJ. Is this state by state? I did my practicum with no issues and I anticipate not having an issue finding at the very minimum free work! I had to do some shadowing at a methadone clinic and they were eager to want to bring me onboard when I take Internship. I hope it works out for everyone as these degrees are not cheap and the students put so much work into them that its a shame there would be this surplus of counselors and not enough jobs.. though I did see that concerning school counseling here in NJ.