How Washington State's New Rules Affect Counselors, Coaches, Healers, and YOU!

To catch you up to speed, two years ago, the Seattle Times did an <a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2003561462_licensed08.html">expose on Washington State's horribly lax method of tracking counselors</a>. (Read more on the <a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/local/licensetoharm/">full Seattle Times series</a>.)Basically, the state was strictly regulating the credentialing of licensed counselors (those who hold a master's megree, log thousands of hours of supervised experience, and pass a tough exam), but anyone could be granted the title of "Registered Counselor (RC)" if they spent $40 and took a 4-hour AIDS training. Now, I'm writing this currently as a Registered Counselor, so I'm not saying that many valuable professionals with integrity don't also hold that designation. For thousands of worthy practitioners, it's been the only state-offered designation available that didn't require a Master's Degree. Also, it's been the only designation a graduate-level professional could hold until achieving full licensure. But back to the point:Since 2006, the Washington State Legislature has been trying to determine how to fix the system. This March, Gov. Gregoire put through legislation that abolishes the Registered Counselor credential as of 2010 and creates eight new designations with escalating requirements. (<a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2004306598_counselor26m.html">Read the Seattle Times summary article</a>.)Here the designations that are most relevant to those of us in private practice, in order of least to most requirements:<ul><li>Certified Advisor-- Requires at least an AA in a counseling-related field. Must have supervision by a higher-level mental health practitioner. Must qualify through an exam that tests proficiency, ethics, and basic practices. Must take continuing education.  </li><li>Certified Counselor-- Requires a BA or BS in addition to all the requirements for Certified Advisor. *Addendum: Five or more years of holding a Registered Counselor designation can substitute for the degree requirement.  </li><li>Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate-- Requires a master's degree in a counseling-related field. Used by those who are working toward full licensure.</li></ul>(There are other designations for social workers, registered hypnotherapists, and chemical dependency professionals, but I'm not going to go into that here. Check the resources at the bottom if you want more info on those professions.) *Addendum: Ministers and pastors who provide counseling are exempt from having to apply for these designations.So what does all this mean? It means if you practice anything in Washington State that even resembles counseling, you need to figure out which of these new designations you'll be applying for by July 2010. And you might want to start working on your qualifications for those designations, if you don't already have them.Think you don’t practice “counseling” in your job as a healer or other wellness professional, and therefore these new rules won’t apply to you?Washington State might disagree.They’re defining counseling as "assisting or attempt to assist a person or persons to improve their mental, emotional, or behavioral problems" or as "using therapeutic techniques to achieve understanding and awareness of self and others and the growth of human potential.”Addendum: Coaches may not need any of these designations, depending on their scope and manner of practice. <a href="http://biznik.com/learn/articles/industry-specific/the-truth-about-washington-states-new-counselor-rules-and-how-they-really-affect-coaching">Read Kimm Viebrock's in-depth article about how this state is defining "therapeutic" to learn more.</a>I wrote this article because, despite my connections to this industry via my school and my psychotherapist colleagues, I had a difficult time finding out about these changes. I thought of all the wellness workers in Biznik and how few of them were probably following all this ill-publicized legal whoha. These new rules will affect thousands of people in this state, and right now, not many know about what’s happening. My hope is that this information will inform more practitioners about rules affecting their livelihoods so that they have time to prepare for the shift.My other purpose was to provide some consumer education for those who are looking for a counselor, therapist, or healer. Most people I’ve talked to have no idea what the different designations (counselor vs therapist, LMHC vs RC, etc) mean now! I can only imagine how complex it will be for potential clients to find the most suitable professional for them once these new designations are added to the mix.If you have further questions, you can comment on this article or <a href="mailto:rachel@fogtofire.com?subject=counselor%20designations%20article">email me</a>, although I’m by no means an expert on Washington State Law. I’ve just tried to summarize the news of what’s happening in my profession, based on the articles I’ve already listed above and the resources I list below.Resources:<ul><li><a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2007-08/Pdf/Bills/House%20Passed%20Legislature/2674-S2.PL.pdf">The bill enacting the new designations</a>  </li><li><a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=246-809">Requirements for Licensed Counselors</a>.  </li><li><a href="https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/hpqa1/hps7/Registered_Counselor/default.htm">The Washington State Registered Counselors webpage</a> (scroll down to the Notice section)  </li><li><a href="https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/hpqa1/hps7/Registered_Counselor/documents/faq.pdf">Easier-to-read FAQ about the new credentialing types</a></li></ul>* For the record, I am a psychotherapist with a master's degree in Applied Behavioral Sciences. The designation I currently hold is Registered Counselor, but I will be applying for the Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate designation as soon as it is available. This means I'm in the process of working towards licensure. 2008-06-13T09:02:54Z

2008-06-13T16:48:07Z

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2008-06-13T15:21:31Z

If you practice any profession that includes helping people with personal growth, or if you are looking for a counselor, therapist, healer, or coach, you'd be wise to learn how the credentialing system is being overhauled in Washington State.

How Washington State's New Rules Affect Counselors, Coaches, Healers, and YOU!

2009-02-24T09:44:46Z