I missed out on completing this goal by the time I turned 30 because the North Carolina Licensure Board completely screwed me and a bunch of other hard-working counselors out of our ambitions.

When I began the process, the board required 2000 supervised hours of counseling to be eligible for licensure. When I turned in my paperwork in May of 2010, I was informed the Board and changed the rules half way through the game. In October 2009 they made the requirements 3000 supervised hours needed and the 720 hours earned as a graduate student only counted as an educational requirement putting me at around 1280 countable hours completed. They also refused to grandfather applicants in who had already begun the process. I was livid and decided to step away from my career for a time because I could not bear to give my time to the deplorable dream crushing actions of the Board.

However, I still have the skills and I am regaining my desire to do counseling again. I just might not go through the LPC Board again and instead opt to get licensed through the Marriage and Family Board instead, which I have heard is better organized and not as career stifling.

I have wanted to do counseling since at least the 12th grade. An aptitude test I dug up a few years ago said I have had an inclination to do it since I was in 8th grade.

Getting licensed in Counseling will be the culmination of years of hard work that most people don’t even realize I did. The late nights spent reading just to meet licensure requirements for hours. The 20 page grad school papers. The stress of finding clients. Juggling two jobs just to schedule clients.

Getting licensed not only validates me as a counselor in the state of North Carolina, but it also allows me to start accepting insurance. I know insurance companies can be a hassle but it is a great way to pick up clients so I can begin counseling full-time which is what I have wanted to do for the last 11 years.