08/17/2025
Things I learned this weekend: Counseling Student Colloquium Edition
1. Do not have s*x with your clients, your clients family members, your clients friends. Once they are a client, they are always a client (per the AZ Board of Behavioral Health).
2. You can own your own private practice in AZ and certain other states as an associate counselor still receiving supervision toward full licensure. It’s generally not advised to do though. Learn before you lead and take advantage of the resources that group, community, and agency practices provide associates before striking out totally solo.
3. People generally tend to either know more than they think they do, or less than they think they do. Both paths can lead to feeling like you don’t belong.
4. It’s really hard being in over 30 in an online masters program. Academically it’s easier for us and we have better time management skills, but socially we get left behind. 20 year olds are not inclusive of anyone who isn’t like them. Find that source of social support elsewhere. Maybe start a group for students over 30 or something.
5. Therapists can’t sell merch to their clients because of the power dynamic. Clients can feel pressured to buy stuff which is a gigantic ethical no-no. If you have a social media presence and want to sling merch, you better make it insanely clear verbally and in writing via your informed consent documents that you don’t require that clients purchase from you. Therapists with social media followings can sell merch, but not to their own clients.
6. Therapists can blend spiritual services with therapy services but it’s difficult to pull off ethically & legally. You can either show up for a client as a spiritual healer, or a therapist, not both. You can’t advertise spiritual services to counseling clients and vice versa.
7. Dual relationships are a huge deal to the board. Big no no ethically.
