PhD/PsyD Texas Licensing

[Intern2019]

Anyone try apply for a provisional license in Texas in the past year? How long did it take to get trainee status?

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[ReciproGal]

My colleague did. Submitted December 2019 and got approved February 2020. She got lucky it was so quick! Could have also been because she already has an LPC license.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

*edit: I missed the provisional part, my comment was about regular licensure.*

Do they still only offer a handful of times per year to get licensed? I considered a couple jobs in TX and I remember the licensing process to be a hassle.

 

[sfgucadoc]

When I got my TX license 5 years ago, they were only doing the oral exams in January and July in Austin. Not sure what is happening with the pandemic.

 

[Justanothergrad]

OP, I found it to be fairly quick and easy process. I don't recall exactly but it didn't take long at any step along the way (couple weeks at most). It was pretty consistent with other states for timelines. Their website is trash to navigate, but I'm fairly sure thats a requirement of all psych license boards.

*edit: I missed the provisional part, my comment was about regular licensure.*

Do they still only offer a handful of times per year to get licensed? I considered a couple jobs in TX and I remember the licensing process to be a hassle.

Na, they let that oral exam sunset so now you can knock it out any time if you have the postdoc hours, EPPP, and jurisprudence passed. My understanding from a former TX psych association president is that they found the oral exam didn't actually discriminate who got licensed long term since people would just retake it (duh). Oral exams are idiotic so I'm glad they moved away from it.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

OP, I found it to be fairly quick and easy process. I don't recall exactly but it didn't take long at any step along the way (couple weeks at most). It was pretty consistent with other states for timelines. Their website is trash to navigate, but I'm fairly sure thats a requirement of all psych license boards.



Na, they let that oral exam sunset so now you can knock it out any time if you have the postdoc hours, EPPP, and jurisprudence passed. My understanding from a former TX psych association president is that they found the oral exam didn't actually discriminate who got licensed long term since people would just retake it (duh). Oral exams are idiotic so I'm glad they moved away from it.

That's pretty awesome. I'd heard from multiple folks that the oral exam was a beast if for no other reason than it was a severe rate-limiting step, given how infrequently it was offered.

 

[temppsych123]

There's no oral exam anymore, and you take the computerized jurisprudence exam on your own timetable from home once approved. So the time it takes to get licensed is just a function of completing your hours, sitting for the EPPP, and however long it takes them to process the paperwork (I imagine longer than usual now due to COVID).

 

[GradStudent2020]

6 weeks-3 months depending on how quickly you get documentation in and how often you call to check on the status (seriously). Much improved from several years ago when they had ONE person processing those applications. They will also give you an estimated timeline if you call the board. More responsive to phone calls then emails.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

6 weeks-3 months depending on how quickly you get documentation in and how often you call to check on the status (serisously). Much improved from several years ago when they had ONE person processing those applications. They will also give you an estimated timeline if you call the board. More responsive to phone calls then emails.

In a broader sense, I've found the above bolded points to be true with state boards other than TX as well: infinitely more responsive to phone calls, and applications would sometimes sit in limbo until I called in to ask about my status and found out the board was missing X or Y. Not all boards, of course (some are great), but it's worth filing away in the back of your mind.

 

[WisNeuro]

In a broader sense, I've found the above bolded points to be true with state boards other than TX as well: infinitely more responsive to phone calls, and applications would sometimes sit in limbo until I called in to ask about my status and found out the board was missing X or Y. Not all boards, of course (some are great), but it's worth filing away in the back of your mind.

YMMV by state. I have never been able to reach my board via phone. Has gone to VM 100% of the time. They are decent at returning e-mails in a timely-ish manner, though.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

YMMV by state. I have never been able to reach my board via phone. Has gone to VM 100% of the time. They are decent at returning e-mails in a timely-ish manner, though.

Oh, yes, there's no guarantee you'll actually get anyone to answer when you call. Even with that, calling back until I got someone worked better than waiting on an email response (some of which never came). To be fair, I also never received any replies on the voicemails I left. But very much YMMV.

 

[GradStudent2020]

Oh, yes, there's no guarantee you'll actually get anyone to answer when you call. Even with that, calling back until I got someone worked better than waiting on an email response (some of which never came). To be fair, I also never received any replies on the voicemails I left. But very much YMMV.

I’ve never had to leave a voicemail, and definitely found Missouri and Texas state boards always had someone answering the phone during business hours. No clue if that’s true now with the pandemic. I definitely agree that it seems across the board true that phone calls get a more immediate response than emails. And forget about the systems they have in place where theoretically you can log in to see the status of your application and if anything is missing.

 

[WisNeuro]

Your board page may also specifically tell you, particularly in the application section the best way to contact them. Our state board specifically tells people to direct questions to their e-mail rather than call for a speedy response.