There is a lot of confusion when it comes to getting licensed in multiple states. How do I begin? What is it called? What’s the benefit? I’ll demystify some of that here. I am licensed in Florida, my primary state, and state of residence, since 2010. I got licensed in Georgia in 2021, and have licenses pending in Washington DC and New York.
Why get licensed in multiple states?
The more states I am able to see clients in, the more business I stand to get. I accept insurance, and utilize a number of referral sources to get clients (if you are interested in information on those, please email me and I’ll refer you).
Having a wider base allows me to see the clients who are the most appropriate fit for my specialty. I specialize in trauma, and typically work with only those clients, so I don’t see everyone who needs therapy, only those who seek me out.
Working in multiple states allows me to serve a wider population. Being in telebehavioral health (seeing clients by video) allows me to serve clients in underserved areas, across the entire state.
The American Counseling Association is working on an Interstate Compact that will allow us to practice across state lines for those states participating in the compact, provided you are licensed in one of those states. The American Psychiatric Association has something similar for psychiatrists. You can learn more about the Compact here.
What are the types of license across states?
License by reciprocity – This is outdated. I have heard rumors that some states used to let you practice across state lines simply because you held a license in your state of origin. This is not true now, with the exception of some ability to do so during the pandemic. Do not pursue this. Even if you find it is true for some pandemic-related rules, it will go away at some point soon, if it hasn’t already. This is not a modern law or rule.
License by endorsement – This is your search criteria. If you want to become licensed in another state, search “License by endorsement counselor [state]” and follow the rules on their webpage. You may find that you need to have been licensed for a certain amount of years in your state of origin to qualify (in New York, for example, you have to be licensed for 5 years to qualify), or there may be other rules related to how many practicum hours you need to have completed, certain coursework your school needed to provide you, etc. You may also have to take an additional continuing education course to qualify; New York has a 2 hour child abuse awareness and reporting course everyone has to take. Complete the paperwork and send in your fee. Be aware that you will need access to: your unofficial transcript, your employment and education history, your existing license(s), professional references, and will likely have to send official transcripts, may have to get finger prints done, and more. The process varies by state. The verification and licensing process also varies by state. Georgia, for example, took less than 6 weeks to process all of my information and approve my license. DC, however, has had my paperwork for over 3 months and it is still “pending” with no reason given.
Your title may change as you apply across state lines. I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida, but my title in Georgia is Licensed Professional Counselor. It is the same information, same degree, same everything, but certain states have different titles. It does not functionally mean or change anything.
Now what?
Once your secondary (or more) license has been approved, do a couple of things:
Update your referral sources to reflect the new status so you can begin advertising to those states. This includes your Psychology Today profile, website, email signature (mine says I am accepting clients in Florida and Georgia), and any paid referral sites that send you clients where you have a profile.
Go to your CE tracker and enter the new information so you can log all your appropriate CEUs and be certain you don’t miss any renewal dates. Make a note in your calendar to take a course that you need, as appropriate. I use CEBroker for Florida and CEWindow for Georgia.
I hope this information was helpful to you!
Autumn Hahn is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist practicing at Clear Mind Group in Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and Virginia. Call 954-612-9553 for a consultation. Follow Autumn on Twitter & Facebook.
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