If you are an LPC in Texas, you may be wondering if becoming a supervisor is right for you. In this post, I will cover the requirements to become a supervisor as well as my personal reasons for wanting to become one. I will also discuss some of the benefits of providing supervision online and how to get started as an LPC Supervisor.

What are the requirements to become a supervisor in Texas?

In order to become a supervisor in Texas, you must meet the following requirements:

1. You must be an LPC with at least five years of experience in good standing with the board. This is five years as a fully licensed professional, so time as an associate does not count.

2. You must have completed qualified supervision training. This training must be 40 hours in duration and be completed in no more than 90 days. You can read rule 681.147 in the TBHEC rulebook for the specific guidelines.

3. Submit your paperwork to the board with the corresponding fee and wait for them to approve the upgrade.

That’s it. As you can see, the most laborious part of the process is simply being licensed for long enough. If you’ve been an LPC for a while and are in good standing, becoming a supervisor may be right for you.

Why did I decide to become a supervisor?

I decided to become a supervisor because I believe that every therapist should be compensated fairly for their expertise and life-changing work. You cannot fathom the excitement I had when the board announced the proposed rule changes that would allow LPC Associates to start their own private practices.

I am passionate about helping new therapists navigate the world of private practice. I remember how lost and frustrated I felt when I first started my practice, and I want to help others avoid that feeling. Supervision is one way that I can do that.

There is no greater feeling in the world than watching a fledgling therapist grow an amazing private practice and avoid the typical grind of agency work or community mental health. I worked for years at less than $20 per hour until I could finally take the leap into private practice, and I did it on my own, without the guidance of someone who had done it before. If helping new associates start private practice raises the average salary for therapists in Texas, I’m all for it.

LPC Associates have an amazing opportunity now to begin the journey into private practice right out of grad school, and I personally am thrilled to be along for the ride (and help them avoid many of the mistakes I made going it alone).

Benefits of providing supervision online

If you’ve been an LPC long enough to become a supervisor, you may recall that you were only able to receive half of your supervision hours through electronic means. This is no longer the case.

An LPC Associate can now receive all of their supervision online! This allows greater access to supervision than ever before. I have yet to meet one of my associates in person. (I have one in Houston where I also have family, so I might schedule a meet-up when I’m visiting.)

Online supervision, just like online therapy, has proven invaluable when it comes to accessibility. I recently had an associate who traveled out of the country. We didn’t have to miss supervision!

I can also record supervision sessions (I haven’t yet) in order to watch them later or even send them to my associates for them to review at their convenience.

I love the flexibility that online supervision provides.

How to get started as a supervisor

Once you’ve been licensed for 5 years, taken the necessary training, and submitted your paperwork to the board, it’s time to start recruiting associates.

This can be done in a number of ways. I suggest you join local Facebook communities for therapists if you haven’t already. This can be a great opportunity to network and let other therapists know that you’re taking on associates.

I think it’s also important to be clear on the types of associates that you want to provide supervision. Finding a good fit in supervision is just as important as it is in therapy!

Not every supervisor wants to have associates in private practice. Some prefer not to provide supervision online. If you’re providing supervision at an agency, you may not have as much say over those you supervise. There are no wrong answers here.

I believe one of the best things we can do as therapists is to get super clear on who we want to work with. I even wrote an article recently about how to identify your ideal clients. This same process can be used to identify your ideal associates.

There are certain qualities I look for in associates that I believe will help them be successful in private practice and align with my own values and ethics. I don’t take on every associate who reaches out to me, and not every associate I speak with is going to choose me to be their supervisor. That’s okay.

In Conclusion

So, if you’re an LPC in Texas and have been thinking about becoming a supervisor, I hope this post has given you some food for thought. The process is relatively simple, and the benefits are numerous. If you have any questions about online supervision or LPC licensure in general, please feel free to reach out. I’m happy to help in any way I can!

Thank you for reading, and until next time-

Cheers!

About the Author

Mark Cagle is an LPC Supervisor in Texas and provides online supervision to LPC Associates throughout the state. He also has a thriving private practice in Dallas focused on working with couples in crisis.

Being the nerd that he is, he also builds websites and creates digital marketing plans to help other therapists flourish in their practices.

There are many great reasons to work with Mark, but don't just take his word for it. If you want to skip the usual associate slog and jumpstart your career in private practice, schedule a chat.