Kim

It was emotionally tumultuous. I felt like things were piling on the last couple of months before graduation. I was overwhelmed trying to apply to jobs while trying finish my master’s project, pass my National Counselor Exam, and apply for licensure in two different states.

I must have applied to at least 100 jobs on Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Google Jobs, etc.There were only a few times when I heard back from a potential employer, but it would soon fizzle out because I was still living in Kansas/Oklahoma. Most of the applications required a California driver’s license and reliable transportation (which I had none). I remember there was a time when my interview lasted for only 2 minutes before the employer concluded that I wasn’t a good match. It wasn’t until a month or two after I moved to California when I was able to start my first job as a therapist. For me, it was much better find a job networking, even if I was doing it blindly. So this is the story of how I found my first job: I was so desparate, I went to the American Art Therapy Association members’ directory and randomly picked a name of an art therapist in California. I e-mailed her to schedule a time to talk over the phone and when we finally talked, I told her my situation. She was really understanding and she trusted me so much she agreed to supervise me and hook me up with a job at her hospital. I went in for an interview after she referred me to the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation. 

I showed up to my first job site and got a tour around the hospital. Overall, I thought the hospital appeared disturbing. The units looked so beat up, but I was in such a hurry to start making money. I nailed the interview and my boss seemed to have a decent impression of me after a good word from the random art therapist. Eventually I got the job after waiting a couple weeks for Human Resources to process my paperwork. Woohoo! I wanted the opportunity to negotiate my starting pay, but I didn’t have much leverage at the time. The hospital recently changed owners and so they told me that they were in the midst of evaluating everyone’s pay. 

What was my first job like? Well, it was a 30-45 minute commute from my apartment. I got to work with art therapists, music therapists, and recreational therapists. It was an inpatient hospital for adults on California’s involuntary 5150 hold for Danger to Self, Danger to Others, and/or Grave Disability (I understand the meaning of peoples’ “5150″ tattoos now). I’m super appreciative of this job because it was a huge resource for me. I was able to kickstart my loan patments and I was getting art therapy and APCC supervision. This job was also a stepping stone for my job right now because my co-workers were the one who informed me of state job openings at the time. I stayed there for about a year before working for the state (my current job). 

As of today, I paid off about 66% of my debt. I started 2019 with about $42,000 in loans (student and auto).

1. Clever Girl Finance Podcast, Resources, and Courses by Bola Sokunbi

I adore Bola’s life story, hustle, and her laugh. She keeps it real in her podcast and I want to be a leader like her one day, but in the clinical counseling world. Bola is a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI), writer, speaker, and more. The Clever Girl Finance website also provides (free) courses and worksheets, which I used to fully evaluate my finances and myself. I love that she interviews so many Black women and women of color in per podcasts. It really empowers me to hear these women voice their successes, struggles, dreams, etc. At the end of each episode, she asks her interviewee what their “Clever Girl superpower” is and hearing everyone’s responses is my favorite part.

2. How to Money Podcast by Joel and Matt

I think these guys are funny. Nerdy funny. Their motto is “Rich living on less money” and I can resonate with that. I was raised to live frugally and I continue to enjoy a fairly frugal lifestyle. These guys definitely validate my lifestyle choices, ha. I think their podcast also pushed me to start investing. I used Acorns for several months, but switched to Robinhood for my investments. With the information they provided, I will likely move onto more diverse stocks as well as opening a Roth IRA.

3. Mint App

This is such a great app for everyday use. Everything is one place: all my bank accounts, credit cards, bills, budget, financial goals, etc. I open this app every week or so to make sure I’m somewhat within my budget. I also check my net worth reguarly. It’s in the negative ten-thousands right now! I know that sounds rough, but I’ve paid off a lot of it and I feel really motivated to pay everything off within the next 4 years. 

4. I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi

Props to my friend, Yvonne, for providing a digital copy of this book for me to read. I love this guy’s sarcasm. It’s hard for me to get into financial advice books, but this one is an easy read. As a fellow Asian American, Sethi totally gets what it’s like to grow up Asian! My Asian American parents drilled into my brain to save money and never spend more than I earn. It’s helpful advice, but they neglected to teach me about investing. I also furthered this neglect by ignoring the magic of investing. Sethi does a good job explaining the importance of compounding money/investing as well reasonable money habits. It’s just way more fun to learn these things Sethi’s dry humor.

5. My Boyfriend, Terell

Terell’s my accountability partner. I think everyone needs an accountability partner. He also has this huge knowledge base from all the YouTube videos he watches. I’m grateful to have him around to discuss any finanal transactions I’m considering.

6. The Dave Ramsey Show

I don’t agree with everything Dave Ramsey says or what he believes, but I credit him for helping me focus on paying off my debt. His approach is to have an emergency fund and proceed in paying off all debt to gain financial freedom. I don’t exactly follow this approach completely because I feel like a little bit of debt is helpful in building credit. Overall, Dave Ramsey is really great at slapping people in the face with the consequences of their poor financial decisions. It’s entertaining and eye-opening at the same time.

7. Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin

Robin’s book helped he reevaluate my relationship with money. Before, I thought money was scary and evil, but it’s actually a tool. In fact, many of the resources I listed helped me understand how money can help me achieve my goals. I no longer think it’s impolite or rude to talk about money (I mean, unless, someone is being arrogant about it. I guess even if someone was bragging, I’m always curious to hear about it!). Her book has a lot of helpful charts and forms that helped me get my numbers in order as well.

In the wise words of Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott, “Girls, girls, get that cash / If it's 9 to 5 or shaking your ass.” Every time I ask myself if something is worth it, I can’t help but get Missy Elliott’s “Work It” stuck in my head. I’m a Missy Elliott fan. I have pictures from her 2019 Marie Claire photoshoot posted in my office. She’s an incredible rapper, songwriter, performer, producer, and more. She worked her ass off to be the icon that she is in a male-dominated field. She broke through so many barriers. I watch all her music videos to pump me up. I love her.

Alright, enough of me fangirling. In the last post I covered the requirements and how much money it (will) cost me to fulfill them. In this post I will share my opinion about the affordability of graduate school and post-graduate licensure.

First, let me think about the financial return. According to Investopedia, a financial return, or return of investment (ROI) is the “money made or lost on an investment over some period of time.” Paying off my debt is doable. Say I spent around $40,000 on my graduate education and post-graduate licensure process over the course of about 5 years. At my first job, my annual gross pay was $52,650. With that pay, I was able to create a budget that would pay off my debt within a few years and fund my post-graduate licensure process just fine. On top of all this, I maintained a fairly frugal lifestyle.

If and when I complete my licensure process, I will be able to qualify for job positions that require a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), License Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), License Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC). These positions, I’ve found on ZipRecruiter and Indeed, commonly start at $50 per hour, or $97,500 annually (before taxes and deductions). My friends who are new LMFTs also report starting off at about $50/hour doing telecounseling. Combining some research I’ve done, the potential for financial return seems great to me. Moreover, the need for mental health clinicians, especially in telecounseling, is going up (https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/03/17/secretary-azar-announces-historic-expansion-of-telehealth-access-to-combat-covid-19.html; https://nbcc.org/govtaffairs/newsroom/states-taking-action-to-expand-telehealth; https://www.mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america). 

Full Disclosure: I consider myself fortunate because my first-generation Vietnamese American, working class parents who worked overtime provided mine and my brothers’ undergraduate education. My parents simply didn’t want us to struggle to establish themselves in this country like they did. My parents also helped pay for my monthly rent and then some in graduate school so long I maintained good standing and a part-time job. So yeah, I’m super grateful. I felt a little ashamed writing this disclosure because there’s respect in saying that I did it all myself. But no, I received helped from my family and some scholarships. I have HUGE respect for my family for working so hard to support  me. And hell yes, I’m going to push myself to be the best clinician I can be. 

In this post I’m going to talk about everything I had to fulfill to get my Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC) registration number and what requirements I have left to move onto the next step, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC). This will include all paperwork, fees, additional courses, etc. At the end of the post, I will include the approximate total of how much everything has/will cost me.

 ✔ = What I’ve completed so far

My comments are in bold.

Information about the California Board of Behavioral Sciences’ (CA BBS) requirements per https://bbs.ca.gov/pdf/forms/lpc/lpc_app_oos_01012016.pdf

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Application Fee for Associate Professional Clinical Counselor Registration was $100

Fee for LiveScan Fingerprinting $32. I think I paid $150 for something fingerprint related?! It’s been a year and I can’ even remember...I’ll find out eventually.

How much it cost me to get fingerprints done at my local county jail-  $20

Physical transcripts mailed to the CA BBS 3x (I had to send it multiple times because the CA BBS told me they did not receive it) $36

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

✔ Master’s degree or higher that is counseling or psychotherapy- I earned my degree outside of CA, so my university’s Program Chair and I had to submit a Out-of-State Degree Program Certification form (in addition to some course syllabi).

For me, the cost of my degree was about $21,000 in student loans with ~5-6% interest per loan. The $21,000 was for graduate in-state tuition alone and this total was after factoring in approximately $10,000-worth in scholarships/stipends. I’m not calculating rent and living costs. Although, it was fairly cheap since I lived in Emporia, Kansas- a town with a whole lotta nothing (except for some kind, helpful mentors and peers).

✔ Courses to take in addition to having a Master’s:

Initially, I thought I would have to spend hundreds of dollars on courses offered at accredited colleges or universities. However, I found a cheap, online continuing education website called AspiraCE through the California Association for Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (CALPCC) website. I bought a one-year subscription for $129.99. So over the course of a couple months I would plough through these additional courses during my work breaks and weekends. I haven’t found a cheaper option for these courses yet, but if I do I’ll post it in this blog. 

✔ a) Suicide Risk Assessment and Intervention 6 hours of coursework or applied experience All applicants submitting an application on or after January 1, 2021 (otherwise will be required upon license renewal). See BPC section 4999.66 

✔ b) Human Sexuality 10 hours Instruction must include the study of the physiological, psychological, and social cultural variables associated with sexual behavior, gender identity, and the assessment and treatment of psychosexual dysfunction. See BPC sections 25 and 4999.62 and Title 16, California Code of Regulations section 1807 

✔ c) Spousal/Partner Abuse Assessment, Detection and Intervention 15 hours Instruction must cover spousal and partner abuse assessment, detection, intervention strategies, and same-gender abuse dynamics. See BPC section 4999.62 37A-642A (New 01/2020) 4 5. ADDITIONAL COURSEWORK LPCC OUT-OF-STATE APPLICANTS (continued) Course Length Content Required 

✔ d) Child Abuse Assessment and 7 hours Instruction must include detailed knowledge of the Reporting in California California Child Abuse Neglect and Reporting Act (CANRA). It must also include assessment and methods of reporting of sexual assault, neglect, severe neglect, general neglect, willful cruelty or unjustifiable punishment, corporal punishment or injury, and abuse in out-of-home care. The training shall also include physical and behavioral indicators of abuse, crisis counseling techniques, community resources, rights and responsibilities of reporting, consequences of failure to report, caring for a child’s needs after a report is made, sensitivity to previously abused children and adults, and implications and methods of treatment for children and adults. See BPC sections 28 and 4999.62 and Title 16, California Code of Regulations section 1807.2 

✔ e) Aging, Long Term Care and 10 hours Instruction must cover aging and long-term care, Elder/Dependent Adult Abuse including biological, social, cognitive and psychological aspects of aging, and instruction on the assessment and reporting of, as well as treatment related to, elder and dependent adult abuse and neglect. See BPC section 4999.62 

✔ f) Mental Health Recovery Oriented Care and Methods of Service Delivery 45 hours or 3 semester units Instruction must cover principles of mental health recovery-oriented care and methods of service delivery in recovery-oriented practice environments, including structured meetings with various consumers and family members of consumers of mental health services to enhance understanding of their experience of mental illness, treatment and recovery. See BPC section 4999.62 

✔ g) California Cultures and the Social 15 hours or Instruction must include an understanding of various and Psychological Implications of 1 semester California cultures and the social and psychological Socioeconomic Position unit implications of socioeconomic position. See BPC section 4999.62

✔ California Law and Ethics course (included in AspiraCE) - Counselors from other states must take the 18-hour course in California 

APCC REGISTRATION ANNUAL RENEWAL COST- $100

EXPERIENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

3,000 hours of post-master’s supervised counseling experience. 1,750 have to be Direct Client Contact hours. I’ve completed 6% of my post-master’s hours as of last week. I would have been much further in my experiential hours, but it took almost a year to receive my APCC registration number. After going back and forth with the CA BBS, my hours officially began on March 9, 2020. I was working with patients at least 6 months prior to that, but unfortunately, I had to discount those hours.

I found a supervisor that would see me for $50 and another that would see me for free. While I was looking for a supervisor, I talked to people who were going to charge me $150 per hour of supervision. In my opinion, that is outrageous. I understand that as a qualified, accomplished supervisor, you’d want to charge for the quality of supervision. HOWEVER, if I was a supervisor, I’d do it as cheap as possible. Getting a license is super expensive and it’s rare to meet a trainee who doesn’t have student loans. Anyway, I’ve probably spent about $2,000 this past year on supervision. I know that seems like a bummer since much of it couldn’t count towards my clinical counseling hours, but my supervisor is also an art therapist so I just counted everything towards my art therapy certification. And YES! Hours can simultaneously count towards clinical counseling and art therapy (this is for another blog post).

EXAM REQUIRED NCMHCE – taken after experiential requirements have been fulfilled. It costs $275 to register for the NCMHCE.

AND

California Law and Ethics/Jurisprudence Examination– taken while acquiring supervision. I am trying to register for this, but #COVID. Also, the initial exam fee cost $100. It must me taken every year for APCC registration renewal and I believe it costs $100 to re-take it.

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So, let’s talk about my overall cost. In-state tuition was approximately $31,000 (my total cost in student loans and scholarships/stipends). It cost me $467.99 to register as an APCC with the CA BBS. My first year of supervision costs $2,000. From graduate school to obtaining an LPCC, it would cost me about $39,042.99. For people who just want to know how much it may cost me to get licensed post-graduate school, it’ll be about $8,042.99. That’s on the cheaper end too because I’m pretty frugal.

I graduated from Emporia State University’s Dual Curriculum program in both Art Therapy and Clinical Counseling. Since the beginning of graduate school I had thoughts of moving elsewhere- even internationally. I stopped looking for job opportunities internationally once I met my current boyfriend, but I knew I still wanted to leave Kansas for awhile. Job opportunities in Kansas for art therapy and counseling are great, but I wanted to experience more diversity. I'd say I was looking for a better sense of community. I was tired of being the only person of color in professional settings. I felt lonely. 

Also, my boyfriend, who is in the Air Force, was due to move. He was offered a list of about 20 U.S. cities and I remember looking through it with him. I looking for a bigger city. Additionally, I was looking for a place that would potentially be “further along” in the art therapy field. I suggested a couple cities in California, mostly out of intuition. I have family in Cali and hey, more Asian grocery stores! In regards to the art therapy field, I found out later that my assumption was partly wrong. I assumed it would be easier for me to find a job because there were endless job postings, but I found out that wasn’t necessarily true. It was really hard to find a job when I first moved. Also, being a Licensed Professional Counselor in Kansas didn’t mean very much to any employers in California. In California, I’m considered an intern. I was thinking, “If I can get licensed in California, I can get portability anywhere in the U.S.” I can’t say that this is true yet, but I’ll write about it once I find out.

Hi, my name is Kimberly Nguyen and I’m a new professional in the field of art therapy and clinical counseling. I’ll be using this Tumblr blog to document my career path(s). For the next few-- likely, several years I’ll be pursuing board certification in art therapy (ATR-BC) as well as licensure in clinical counseling (LPCC). Even further in the future I’d like to open a community art therapy studio. I am publishing it here so I better manifest it!

Yeah, I don’t know if anyone will read this blog. If someone happens to stumble upon this blog I hope it gives a helpful perspective of what it’s like to navigate this part of the professional world, particularly as a woman of color. I have a lot to write about. I can think of the following from the top of my head: moving to a different state, tons of paperwork, fee on fees on fees, looking for a job, paying off student debt, managing finances, investing, building social capital, losing/finding my sanity, etc.

Since I have a ton to write about, I’m aiming to post something at least once or twice a week. I don’t know if I’m going to meet my own expectations. I’m going to try though.