Skip to content
Psychotherapy Notes
  • Exam Prep
    • California LMFT Clinical Exam Prep
    • California LMFT Law & Ethics Exam Prep
    • California LPCC Law & Ethics Exam Prep
    • California LCSW Law & Ethics Exam Prep
    • National MFT Exam Test Bank
  • CE Courses
    • California Law & Ethics for BBS Associates (AMFTs, APCCs, and ASWs) – 2023
    • California Law and Ethics for BBS Associates (AMFTs, APCCs, & ASWs) – 2024
    • Telehealth for California LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs
    • Supervision of California BBS Associates
    • Supervision for Clinical Effectiveness
  • Books
    • Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs (10th ed)
    • Saving Psychotherapy
    • Preparing for the 2023 California MFT Law & Ethics Exam
    • Preparing for the 2023 California Clinical Social Work Law & Ethics Exam
  • Resources
    • Think Like the Testā„¢ Podcast
  • Blog
    • Blog home
    • Psychology
    • Professional Counseling
    • Family therapy
    • Clinical social work
    • Law and ethics
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Licensure
    • Public policy

exams

Licensing exams get a failing grade

July 11, 2017June 9, 2015 by Ben Caldwell

Saving psychotherapy cover image (c) Copyright 2015 Benjamin E. Caldwell.Note: The following is an edited excerpt from Saving Psychotherapy: How therapists can bring the talking cure back from the brink. You can buy it on Amazon.

Licensing exams do not assess your effectiveness as a therapist. They aren’t meant to. That bears repeating: License exams do not assess your effectiveness as a therapist. They are a licensing board’s best effort at assessing whether you have the minimal knowledge (not skill, knowledge) to be able to practice independently without being a danger to the public. That’s all. When therapists decry the fact that license exams are nothing like doing therapy, they’re right – and their point isn’t relevant. Exams aren’t supposed to be like therapy. If you want to know how good you are as a therapist, look elsewhere, because exams are not and are not intended to be a barometer of clinical effectiveness. They are a somewhat crude assessment of safety for independent practice.

With that aim in mind, do they work? Do licensing exams make therapists safer?

There’s remarkably little data to answer that question.

Read more

Newer posts
← Previous Page1 … Page3 Page4

šŸ“£ New Posts šŸ“£

  • Prologue: A poem for new graduate students August 21, 2023
  • By not pursuing an interstate compact for MFTs, AAMFT is making a big mistake June 21, 2023
  • What artificial intelligence can do for your therapy practice right now May 3, 2023
  • Who owns the technology companies that serve therapists? April 27, 2023
  • Why there isn’t an interstate compact for MFTs April 12, 2023

Preparing for the 2023 California MFT Law & Ethics Exam

Preparing for the 2023 California MFT Law & Ethics ExamThe easiest way to get ready for California’s MFT Law & Ethics exam. Includes a study guide and more than 100 practice test questions with rationales.

šŸ“ˆ Trending šŸ“ˆ

  • Decoding counselor alphabet soup: LPC, LPCC, LMHC, and more
  • Therapists should not write Emotional Support Animal letters
  • California sets new rules for therapists writing ESA letters
  • What's the difference between an MFT (or LMFT), an LPC (or LPCC), and an LCSW?
  • Major changes are coming to California BBS supervision rules in 2022
Ben Caldwell Labs

Psychotherapy Notes is the official blog of High Pass Education

All content and images © Copyright 2009-2023 Ben Caldwell Labs d/b/a High Pass Education unless otherwise noted.
Some images are used under Creative Commons licensing (information embedded).

Ben Caldwell Labs, the Ben Caldwell Labs logo, and Psychotherapy Notes are registered trademarks of Ben Caldwell Labs Inc. High Pass Education and the High Pass Education logo are trademarks of Ben Caldwell Labs Inc.

The opinions expressed on posts on this site are solely those of the author.
While this blog does sometimes cover legal issues, unless otherwise noted authors are practicing clinicians and not attorneys.
Nothing here should be interpreted as legal advice, nor should it be considered a substitute for consulting with a qualified attorney.
  • Exam Prep
    • California LMFT Clinical Exam Prep
    • California LMFT Law & Ethics Exam Prep
    • California LPCC Law & Ethics Exam Prep
    • California LCSW Law & Ethics Exam Prep
    • National MFT Exam Test Bank
  • CE Courses
    • California Law & Ethics for BBS Associates (AMFTs, APCCs, and ASWs) – 2023
    • California Law and Ethics for BBS Associates (AMFTs, APCCs, & ASWs) – 2024
    • Telehealth for California LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs
    • Supervision of California BBS Associates
    • Supervision for Clinical Effectiveness
  • Books
    • Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs (10th ed)
    • Saving Psychotherapy
    • Preparing for the 2023 California MFT Law & Ethics Exam
    • Preparing for the 2023 California Clinical Social Work Law & Ethics Exam
  • Resources
    • Think Like the Testā„¢ Podcast
  • Blog
    • Blog home
    • Psychology
    • Professional Counseling
    • Family therapy
    • Clinical social work
    • Law and ethics
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Licensure
    • Public policy