When you see your child struggling with their mental health, you want to dive head-first into finding them help or finding yourself help to learn how to best support them.

When you are looking for mental health professionals it can sometimes get confusing with so many different licenses out there. Today we are going to talk about two very common licenses and their differences, Provisionally Licensed Therapist and Fully Licensed Therapists.

No matter if you are looking for a mental health professional for your kids, teens, young adults or yourself, the choice between a provisionally licensed or fully licensed therapist is key to finding the right fit for anxiety therapy.

What is a Provisionally Licensed Therapist?

A Provisionally Licensed Professional Counselor (PLPC) is someone who has completed their masters degree in mental health counseling, has passed a national exam and has met all the requirements that the state they are licensed in has set forth to begin providing professional mental health counseling.

Once the many requirements that a person must meet to obtain the title of PLPC have been accomplished and the license approved by the state, they are also required to spend a set number of hours under supervision in both mental health training and providing counseling to individuals. While PLPC’s are working to meet the requirements needed to become a LPC, they spend a lot of time one-on-one with a more advanced therapist learning, consulting and honing their skills.

Anxiety therapists at Compassionate Counseling St. Louis

At Compassionate Counseling St. Louis, Lydia Sparling is currently a PLPC, bringing her extensive experience with young kids and history of previously being a middle school music director and current school counselor to our group.

Lydia meets several times each week with senior therapists at Compassionate Counseling St. Louis to consult on cases and increase her knowledge of targeted anxiety interventions. Lydia also works as a school counselor and is a Nationally Certified Counselor. As a PLPC, Lydia frequently continues to access trainings, supervision and consultation to ensure that she provides the best care for her clients.

One thing that is helpful to keep in mind as you search for the best therapist for your needs, is that insurance is not accepted and does not reimburse for meetings with a PLPC. This means that a superbill cannot be provided by a PLPC.

What is a Fully Licensed Therapist?

A fully licensed therapist uses the credentials of Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) and Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs). A person who has one of these credentials has completed all of the requirements to obtain a PLPC and has met all of the requirements of a PLPC to advance to a fully independent license, which means they do not require supervision to provide professional counseling.

At Compassionate Counseling St. Louis, St. Louis therapists Molly Shaffer (LPC), Samantha Ferrara, and Kelsey Torgerson Dunn (both LCSWs) are all fully licensed therapists. Our fully licensed therapists have specialized certifications and expertise in treating anxiety and anxiety-driven anger as well as unique backgrounds in other clinical mental health settings.

Working with a fully licensed therapist means that you will be working with someone who has completed all of the educational, training and supervision requirements to verify that they are prepared to meet the needs of their clients without ongoing supervision. Fully licensed therapists often specialize in certain types of counseling and complete very specific trainings and certifications to do so.

Another benefit to working with a fully licensed therapist is that insurance will often reimburse for their services, which means a superbill can be provided for out-of-network benefits.

How Licensing Impacts Anxiety Therapy for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults

PLPC’s and fully licensed therapists are both skilled at providing mental health care. Training and certifications are available to both licenses.

So rather than choosing based on licensure status, instead consider clinical background and what the therapist specializes in work with, their primary therapeutic modality, and what kind of support and supervision they receive.

At Compassionate Counseling St. Louis, all of our therapists are equipped to provide effective and compassionate counseling for anxiety-driven anger and trauma, with supervision ensuring that our provisionally licensed therapists are well-supported.

Choosing the Right Therapist for Your Child or Teen

There can be many things to consider when deciding the right fit for your child. Some of these important considerations may include the ability to access a superbill, the specialization or past experience of the therapist, virtual meeting options or the approach that the therapist uses.

Some people may prefer to work with a fully licensed therapist to take advantage of their seasoned experience and knowledge. Other people may really value working with provisionally licensed therapists who, while not covered by insurance, often bring a fresh perspective and current training to their work.

At Compassionate Counseling St. Louis, all of our therapists are well-equipped to handle anxiety and related issues. Our St. Louis therapists are provided on-going support including team meetings, one-on-one consultations with Kelsey, founder of Compassionate Counseling St. Louis and continued education support so that our therapists are always increasing their advanced skills and knowledge to help best support you and your family.

Getting Started

The choice between working with a provisionally and fully licensed therapist should be based on your child’s needs and your comfort level. At Compassionate Counseling St. Louis we offer both in-person and virtual appointments to best fit your families needs and busy schedule.

A free 15 minute consultation with our intake specialist is available to anyone who would like to talk about the best fit for your child. You can schedule a consultation today to discuss which therapist would be the best fit for your family.

Schedule your free consultation call now

Curious to hear more, or are you a little reluctant about counseling? Compassionate Counseling St. Louis provides specialized anger management and anxiety therapy in St. Louis for kids, teens, and college students. We work in Clayton, MO and serve kids, teens, and college students throughout St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Ladue, University City, Town and Country, Webster Groves, Creve Coeur, Kirkwood, Richmond Heights, and Brentwood. We also provide online therapy to teens and college students throughout the state of Missouri. You can set up your free phone screening to see if we’re a good fit for your needs right on our website.