Switching States with a License

[OSUPsychStudent]

---

Members don't see this ad.

During my hunt for graduate schools I've found one of the most difficult decisions to make is where to pursue your doctorate, in terms of the psychology licensing requirements of a state and my choice of where I'd like to settle and practice. For example, if I get accepted to a school in Virginia, earn my Psy. D. in clinical and license in that same state, then decide I'd like to move to my home state of Ohio to practice, what problems am I looking to face?

Is becoming licensed in one state, and then trying to get licensed in another a truly difficult process, or am I worrying too much about this? I know choosing the state of your graduate program is an important one, but to what extent?

I hope to hear some of your opinions on this, as grad school hunting and deciding between degrees is truly becoming daunting for me as I come across factors like these.

 

[Doctor Eliza]

You are worrying way too much about this issue. I would guess that more than 50% of psychologists practice in a different state than their grad program. This was the case for me and I didn't have a single problem with regard to this issue. (And FWIW, I practice in Ohio.)

Absolute worst case scenario, you'll have to take another grad class after you graduate. This happened to a classmate of mine who sought licensure in MA and they were a little picky. She did it and got her license.

Once you have a license it is easier to transfer state to state (although amount of time licensed could influence how many hoops this involves). People who anticipate moving a lot sometimes do the national register which (among other things) claims to help with this issue.

The only thing you need to worry about is going to a high quality accredited program. I also disagree with your idea that "the state of your grad program is important". It is ideal to go somewhere that you could tolerate living for a number of years. That's about it.

Best,
Dr. E

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Make sure to attend an APA-acred program and internship. Getting licensed in a diff. state isn't hard, but a few states may require a random extra class. California and NY both have addition class requirements; of course you can usually take them online for a fee. 🙄 Many/All states require some sort of ethics/state law exam about the state, but reviewing the pamphlet/book of statutes for the state is not a big hurdle. A handful of states require an oral exam (NY, again), but that is often waived for established clinicians. All states will require stuff like proof of your degree and internship hours....though once you are licensed you can get all of that "banked" and getting a new license is streamlined. It sounds like a lot, but it is mostly paperwork and filing fees.

 

[hereandnow]

@DoctorEliza/Therapist4Change: Just out of curiousity -- does the same principle also apply to your predoctoral internship year? I've been worrying / wondering about which state I want to end up getting licensed in and have been trying to pick my internship sites to which I am going to apply, based on where I want to end up getting licensed. Is this also not a big deal? Just curious. Thanks so much.

 

[LETSGONYR]

I mean... you typically don't take the EPPP or any licensing exams for a year after your degree is awarded (and thus post-internship). So, it's not like you're getting a license where you go to school or where you complete your internship anyway. I have never heard of people having problems getting licensed in one state just because of where their program or internship is located... quite the opposite.

I've heard that it sometimes helps to do a post-doc in the place you'd like to settle down, since that way you can begin making connections and learn about the resources in the area. But even that isn't essential and I know of people who have applied for licensure in different states without problems.

I think you're worrying too much about this.

 

[Doctor Eliza]

@DoctorEliza/Therapist4Change: Just out of curiousity -- does the same principle also apply to your predoctoral internship year? I've been worrying / wondering about which state I want to end up getting licensed in and have been trying to pick my internship sites to which I am going to apply, based on where I want to end up getting licensed. Is this also not a big deal? Just curious. Thanks so much.

Just go to an APA accredited internship and you'll be fine. The point above about making connections if you stay in the same location could hold true, but that isn't a good reason to limit the places you apply for internship.

If you want better things to worry about, read the rest of this board. You probably shouldn't. Perhaps take up yoga?

Best,
Dr. E

 

[wigflip]

I wonder if the OP has also been reading the masters board. I think the issue of license portability is a big problem for masters level folks (e.g. MFT degree from State A may not be recognized in State B).

 

[ClinicalABA]

Absolute worst case scenario, you'll have to take another grad class after you graduate. This happened to a classmate of mine who sought licensure in MA and they were a little picky. She did it and got her license.

This was a pretty common occurrence with people seeking licensure in Massachusetts. It was more often than not related to Mass requiring a graduate course in Multicultural Issues. I'm licensed and trained in Mass, and my grad program added such a course to meet this issue. When I was on faculty at pre-doc internship program in Mass, many of the interns who stayed on had this problem, even though they came from APA approved training programs. The local Professional "School" got a lot of business providing this course to non-matriculated students.

 

[Pragma]

I've heard that some states have an additional ethics exam in addition to the EPPP. Some states require postdoc hours.

There are some creative ways to make sure you can be licensed where you need to. Some people get licensed in a state where they can take the EPPP right away after internship and then transfer it over to another state.

 

[ClinicalABA]

I've heard that some states have an additional ethics exam in addition to the EPPP.

We had a state "jurisprudence" exam, focused on the state laws pertaining to psychological practice (e.g. mandatory reporting of child/elder abuse; involuntary commitment). 25 questions, I think you needed 80% correct. More of a formality than anything else- a day or two of studying a booklet that the licensure board sends you.