By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.

More about the new field of Professional Clinical Counseling.

Some of you have read my posts on LPCC’s and the establishment of Professional Clinical Counseling here in California. Those who know me personally, in the before the blog days, have probably heard me talk about my belief that there is a difference between MFT’s, LCSW’s, and the new LPCC profession.

I have written some posts about LPCC’s and my experience with taking the GAP exam. I became licensed as an MFT (LMFT) because at the time California did not offer the LPCC license as an option. When the opportunity arose to take the GAP exam and become licensed as an LPCC I took it. Because in private practice I do see children, couples, and families I will continue to maintain both.

Why was California the last state to license LPCC’s?

Most other states license Professional Counselors, Clinical Counselors, or some similar title.

Not all states licensed marriage and family therapists. (Update: I am told they now all do.) In fact, the California Association of MFT’s (CAMFT) has more members than the national association (AAMFT.)  States that recognized LPCC’s first were slow to recognize MFT’s and vice versa.

It has taken a while to recognize the importance of mental health as an integral part of providing health care. The various specialties within the area of mental health, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders continue to evolve and differentiate.

It took a long time to establish that there were other mental health specialties beyond Social Workers and psychiatrists. Some states elected to license Professional Clinical Counselors first and other states recognized Marriage and Family Therapists first. Eventually, I believe, both professions will be recognized everywhere as important additions to the mental health field.

My past posts on LPCC’s were written from my perspective as I took the step to take the GAP exam and complete both licenses. See:

Therapist, Counselor, or Social Worker?

Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) Update

Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) in California

LPCC Exam is behind me!

LPC or LPCC?   

Recently I have been talking with CALPCC about ways in which I could become more involved with CALPCC. More about that in a future blog post.

If you are interested in CALPCC or the profession of Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors take a look at CALPCC’s website.    http://calpcc.org/

Staying connected with David Joel Miller

Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!

My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seem like the right time to publish it.

Story Bureau.

Story Bureau is a thrilling Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic adventure in the Surviving the Apocalypse series.

Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.

As society collapses and his family gets plunged into poverty, Baldwin takes a job in the capital city, working for a government agency called the Story Bureau. He discovers the Story Bureau is not a benign news outlet but a sinister government plot to manipulate society.

Bumps on the Road of Life. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, low motivation, or addiction, you can recover. Bumps on the Road of Life is the story of how people get off track and how to get your life out of the ditch.

Dark Family Secrets: Doris wants to get her life back, but small-town prejudice could shatter her dreams.

Casino Robbery Arthur Mitchell escapes the trauma of watching his girlfriend die. But the killers know he’s a witness and want him dead.

Planned Accidents  The second Arthur Mitchell and Plutus mystery.

Letters from the Dead: The third in the Arthur Mitchell mystery series.

What would you do if you found a letter to a detective describing a crime and you knew the writer and detective were dead, and you could be next?

Sasquatch. Three things about us, you should know. One, we have seen the past. Two, we’re trapped there. Three, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to our own time.

For these and my upcoming books; please visit my Author Page – David Joel Miller

Want the latest blog posts as they publish? Subscribe to this blog.

For videos, see: Counselorssoapbox YouTube Video Channel