Finding a Job as a Counselor

Planning Your Job Search

• How do I find a counseling job when I don’t have my APC associate license? You can secure pre-licensure work, but you will need to be creative.
• Eligible LPC work experience varies from state-to-state. It can’t be just any counseling work. It has to meet certain criteria. Many states LPC boards require a minimum number of client contact counseling hours. Read my companion article on how to select a directed experience site or a work setting acceptable to the board. The link will open in a new window.
• Target established organizations that are structured and provide direct oversight. It can be a government organization. It can be a private non-profit setting. It can be a private clinic. In some instances, employment in a small private counseling center is acceptable.

Hire a Professional Resume Writer

I can’t stress this enough. You don’t do your own brain surgery–pay a professional to write your resume. You are not simply seeking a job. You are pursuing a career that requires a state healthcare practice license.

I have helped supervisees who have lost their job, find work again–quickly. I have leads, but a good resume writer will help you get the interview. Also, counselors often devalue or are overly modest about their achievements. You are in a highly competitive industry.

Networking

Now that you have put together that killer smash-hit plan, what next? Networking with other mental health professionals.

In fact, let’s use an alternative term to networking because it can be intimidating. Make professional friends. One of the most greatest returns on your investment is allowing others to put a face to your name. For example, have you ever bumped into a familiar face in a public place and realized it is a Facebook friend you have never met? It’s almost as if they are a celebrity!

Check out those after hours “come tour our practice” events. Sometimes they are hosted in the relaxing environment of a restaurant. You don’t need to even focus on selling yourself. Talk a bit about your specialty, but simply get acquainted with the individuals in that practice. You will be surprised at how often they will tell you they would like to discuss joining their group.

Join therapist listservs in your area. Employers advertise job openings in these groups listservs. If you are a Georgia counselor seeking employment, join GTNetwork (Georgia Therapists Network). , Upstate Therapist Connect,  and Therapists Connect.

Social Media and Other Web-Based Employment Resources

Sites like Linkedin are their own mini-search Google. They are ranked. Complete your profile thoroughly. 

Again, hire a professional resume writer. Another advantage of hiring a professional to write that counseling resume is they know how to load it with keywords. So now that you have that mind blowing resume that will rank highly on the job search sites such as employment networking site, Indeed.

The advantage of internet based networking is that you are reaching thousands of employers. It is an efficient means of putting your name out there.

How do I find a job that will enable me to get licensed when all the jobs openings advertise that I need to be licensed?

That’s impossible, right? No. Many organizations will hire you unlicensed, but make arrangements for you to be the eligible work setting that you submit to the board for your LAPC or associate-level license.

In this scenario, you are hired unlicensed under the condition that you are license eligible. Also, it is in their interest to facilitate your obtaining that license so it can be a win/win situation.

State and private psychiatric hospitals

These are excellent clinical experience settings since you will encounter a range of psychosocial concerns including severe mental illness, addiction and homelessness.

Many of the public community service boards are operated by private mental health organizations that contract with the state to provide services.

Without a doubt, these work settings will give you the best clinical experience. Creating a framework for diagnosing will be much easier.

You will learn how to quickly assess for addiction, psychosis, psychiatric symptoms related to medical conditions, and so on.

Private Non Profit

There are a number of private non-profit counseling centers that are funded through donations and provide services to patients on a sliding fee scale. Often training and internship sites, they are also employment opportunities.

Private Psychiatric Practices

This is one of the most overlooked job resources. It has been increasingly difficult for psychiatrists to survive in the world of managed mental health. In that respect, their situation is worse than yours.

It is extremely difficult for a physician to survive through solely providing direct treatment. They have enormous malpractice insurance premiums and other associated costs of a private practice physician that are beyond comparison with your costs.

For these reasons, they develop multidisciplinary mental health practices which allow them to in effect see more patients. They compensate additional psychiatrists, advanced practice psychiatric nurses and psychotherapists either through W-2 employment or 1099 independent contractor agreements. They often employ provisionally licensed clinicians– LAPC, AMFT and LMSWs.

They usually provide the necessary structure you need to become a well-rounded therapist. Usually the most accessible contact point is their office manager or on-call nurse. Email a resume and be persistent. Contact them frequently. If your focus is art, body or equestrian therapy that is great.

However, when approaching psychiatric practices be sure to highlight any clinical mental health and addiction experience in your application or resume. Your chances of being hired are usually better if you know a colleague who works at the practice.

Begin by contacting the larger practices in your area of Georgia. Determine whether they currently employ therapists. If they already employ counselors, they may be trying to expand–good opportunity for you!

Getting on Managed Care Panels

Hint: Open your office in an area where managed care companies are accepting new providers. These are sometimes distant Atlanta suburbs– Lawrenceville, Rabun County and far north or south Georgia. Should you need to relocate, your managed care contracts are usually portable.

Another great advantage is it is often easier to get onto managed care contracts or “panels” when you are working with a physician who operates a high volume practice. The insurance companies- BCBS, Aetna, United Healthcare, Cigna–consider them a high priority referral source. It is a ‘one stop shop’ for medication and therapy. Managed care companies favor these clinic settings. You can also hire someone to assist you with the managed care credentialing process. One such company that help you get on managed care panels.

Working in private psychiatric clinics can be a good way of jump-starting your private practice. Once you are credentialed, if it is an independent provider contract (not a group contract through the psychiatric practice) it is portable. You may open your own office and receive direct referrals through that same contract.

Smaller Private Counseling centers

More great job resources for therapists. Caveat: some of these settings must be employment are rejected by the LPC licensing boards as acceptable work settings. Your director/boss is required to attest that your work will have direct oversight in formal employment arrangement. It is also wise to confirm whether their counseling organization has been previously accepted by your board for an approved LAPC worksite and accepted directed experience.

Specialize!

Conventional attorney wisdom: “If you want to be sued, be a generalist.”

Sometimes therapists attempt to attract business by casting a wide net; indicating they specialize in children, adolescents, adults, couples and so on. Also, trauma is not a specialty–we all work with trauma. What is your best therapy? Post-partum depression, EFT? Stay in your lane and your practice will flourish.