If you’re trying to become an LPC Associate in Texas, this episode is going to save you stress, money, and a whole lot of confusion. I invited Dr. Tara Fox to walk us through the entire Texas LPC licensure process, because no one breaks it down more clearly than she does. Together, we unpack what future counselors actually need to know—how to pick the right LPC supervisor, how to avoid supervision nightmares, and how to navigate the NCE or NCMHCE without getting blindsided by outdated or incorrect information.

I share the questions I wish every associate would ask during the supervisor interview, and Tara explains how to evaluate supervision styles, spot red flags early, and choose someone who aligns with your clinical needs and long-term goals. We also talk about why accurate documentation, up-to-date knowledge of Texas counseling board rules, and maintaining your own liability insurance are non-negotiable for protecting your future license.

If you’re a Texas grad student, new associate, or anyone preparing for LPC licensure, this is the step-by-step guidance I wish I’d had when I started.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to prepare for the Texas LPC Associate application, including which exam to choose, how to study, and how to document your clinical hours the right way.
• What the NCC certification actually means, why it’s not a license, and how misusing it can trigger a board complaint.
• How to interview and select the right LPC supervisor in Texas, including must-ask questions, contract essentials, fee expectations, and the supervision structures that signal competence.
• Why you should avoid doing “coaching” while waiting for your associate license—and how to protect your career with liability insurance, boundaries, and an accurate understanding of state rules.

If you want a smoother, more confident transition from grad school to LPC Associate, you’re in the right place.

If you’re ready to lead with confidence, join the 2026 Supervisor Course waitlist for early access to bonus tools, templates, and fast-track grading. Strengthen your systems today with the free Supervision Onboarding Checklist, and get ongoing CEUs and live coaching inside the Step It Up Membership. You’re not just building a practice, you’re building a legacy.

Get your step by step guide to private practice. Because you are too important to lose to not knowing the rules, going broke, burning out, and giving up. #counselorsdontquit.

What actually goes wrong in supervision, and how do you prevent it before it snowballs?

In this episode, Dr. Ashley Stevens and I dive into the most common supervisor mistakes we see across counselor and social work settings. From over-hiring your very first month to being impossible to reach when supervisees truly need you, we unpack the decisions that create risk, rupture trust, and leave new supervisors feeling overwhelmed or blindsided.

We also name the often-ignored realities of supervision: the hours that happen outside your scheduled hour, the necessity of real relationships with work-site managers, and why evaluation and remediation (not personal criticism) are non-negotiable parts of ethical practice. Because supervision isn’t just a teaching role; it’s a leadership role. The sooner supervisors embrace structure, clarity, and the authority the job requires, the sooner the work becomes calm, aligned, and deeply rewarding.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why “one hour a week” is a myth, and how real supervision requires availability, boundaries, and protected space in your schedule.
• How evaluation and remediation actually protect supervisees, clients, and you—and why relying on self-report is an ethical trap.
• Why external supervisors must build relationships with work-site managers, and the consequences when you don’t.
• Why every supervisor needs a contract and a working understanding of state law, even when rules don’t explicitly require it.

Ready to feel equipped, confident, and grounded as you step into supervision? Subscribe for more conversation about supervision, leadership, and building practices that thrive.

If you’re ready to lead with confidence, join the 2026 Supervisor Course waitlist for early access to bonus tools, templates, and fast-track grading. Strengthen your systems today with the free Supervision Onboarding Checklist, and get ongoing CEUs and live coaching inside the Step It Up Membership. You’re not just building a practice, you’re building a legacy.

Get your step by step guide to private practice. Because you are too important to lose to not knowing the rules, going broke, burning out, and giving up. #counselorsdontquit.

What happens when supervision feels intimidating, chaotic, or “too big” to take on?

In this episode, Dr. Ashley Stevens and I pull back the curtain on the early days of supervising: what we didn’t know, what caught us off guard, and why becoming a supervisor is more doable (and more meaningful) than it first appears. From unexpected gaps in supervisee education to the business acumen no one warns you about, we break down the essentials every new supervisor needs to hear.

The myth is that supervision unfolds like a tidy classroom with learners who grow at the same pace. The truth? Your supervisees will span ages, backgrounds, life paths, and competencies. This wide range is part of the joy. When supervisors let go of rigid expectations and ground themselves in experience, structure, and curiosity, supervision becomes a collaborative, energizing process rather than something to fear.

Supervision is also leadership. That means stepping into your authority, addressing tough supervisee dynamics directly, and recognizing that you’re not training employees, you’re growing future colleagues and referral partners. The sooner new supervisors embrace clarity, boundaries, and business savvy, the sooner they protect themselves and serve their supervisees well.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why supervisees arrive with wildly different levels of training, and how to meet them where they are.
• The business mindset every supervisor needs: from money boundaries to the real-world questions supervisees will inevitably ask.
• How to avoid rookie supervisor mistakes like pigeonholing your niche or over-assuming competence.
• Why community matters and how joining supervisor networks combats isolation and burnout.

Ready to grow your confidence as a supervisor and develop the next generation of clinicians? Subscribe for more step-by-step conversations on supervision, leadership, and building practices that thrive.

If you’re ready to lead with confidence, join the 2026 Supervisor Course waitlist for early access to bonus tools, templates, and fast-track grading. Strengthen your systems today with the free Supervision Onboarding Checklist, and get ongoing CEUs and live coaching inside the Step It Up Membership. You’re not just building a practice, you’re building a legacy.

Get your step by step guide to private practice. Because you are too important to lose to not knowing the rules, going broke, burning out, and giving up. #counselorsdontquit.

What happens when supervision feels overwhelming before it even starts?

In this episode, Dr. Ashley Stevens and I name the invisible administrative weight (hours, paperwork, compliance) and show how structure, not heroics, turns supervision from exhausting to sustainable. With clear systems, even tentative supervisors lead with confidence.

The first trap is assuming that organizing must be complex. Clarity is the ultimate goal, not fancy software and color-coded spreadsheets. A simple planner, onboarding checklist, and shared drive can prevent costly mistakes and protect both you and your supervisees. Add in a few digital aids, like a law app that keeps you compliant across states, and supervision becomes less about scrambling and more about teaching.

Supervision is also protection. Requiring personal malpractice insurance, documenting HIPAA training, and keeping dual copies of every note aren’t busywork. They’re care structures that safeguard both sides. When supervisors model these systems, supervisees learn that professionalism is part of ethics, not bureaucracy.

A smooth supervision process doesn’t just save time; it creates psychological safety and trust. The right systems signal to supervisees that their work and their growth actually matter.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to use a few key tools (like the Telemental Health Laws app) to stay legally confident.
• Why onboarding checklists and planners turn chaos into clarity.
• How to protect yourself and your supervisees with individual malpractice coverage.
• The simple documentation habits that keep supervision organized and secure.

Ready to turn supervision chaos into calm? Subscribe for more step-by-step playbooks on supervision, ethics, and building organized, sustainable systems that help supervisors lead confidently and clinicians thrive.

If you’re ready to lead with confidence, join the 2026 Supervisor Course waitlist for early access to bonus tools, templates, and fast-track grading. Strengthen your systems today with the free Supervision Onboarding Checklist, and get ongoing CEUs and live coaching inside the Step It Up Membership. You’re not just building a practice, you’re building a legacy.

Get your step by step guide to private practice. Because you are too important to lose to not knowing the rules, going broke, burning out, and giving up. #counselorsdontquit.

What happens when clients don’t come back after the first or second session?

For supervisors, this pattern is more than a numbers problem. It’s a mirror. High early drop-off often reflects gaps in a supervisee’s session structure, boundaries, or clinical stance that can (and should) be coached, not shamed. When supervision reframes “ghosting” as actionable data, associates gain clarity, confidence, and practical tools to keep clients engaged.

The first trap is interrogation disguised as concern. Firing off questions (“What did you do? Why didn’t they rebook?”) breeds defensiveness and shuts down learning. A better path starts person-centered: slow the pace, reflect on what you’re noticing, and observe the process through short role-plays. That’s where parallel process and isomorphism surface, manifesting in over-seriousness that constricts warmth, humor that avoids depth, or family-of-origin patterns that make hard moments feel unsafe. Name the pattern, then coach the skill.

Sometimes the fix isn’t deep. Rather, it’s logistical. Clock placement, session endings, and professional presence matter more than new clinicians realize. Starting late, eating during sessions, or letting intakes feel like interrogations can push conscientious clients to quietly disengage. Supervisors can normalize structure as care: clear openings, visible time cues, and intentional closures that protect the client’s hour.

Evaluation turns insight into growth. Anchoring remediation in concrete assessments (e.g., SPAI for Level 1 skills, CCSR for Level 2) keeps plans specific and fair. Define target behaviors, practice them on camera or in role-play, and document small wins at each supervision. When supervisors coach like future colleagues (not bosses), associates learn to convert first sessions into second, third, and a full course of meaningful work.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to replace rapid-fire questioning with person-centered supervision that reduces defensiveness.
• Where parallel process and isomorphism show up in early sessions—and how to coach around them.
• Simple environment and structure fixes (clock, openings/closures, intake framing) that improve retention.
• How to use SPAI/CCSR-anchored remediation so growth plans are objective, specific, and doable.

Ready to turn ghosting into growth? Subscribe for more practical playbooks on supervision, ethics, and building robust clinical systems that help clients stay and clinicians thrive.

If you’re ready to lead with confidence, join the 2026 Supervisor Course waitlist for early access to bonus tools, templates, and fast-track grading. Strengthen your systems today with the free Supervision Onboarding Checklist, and get ongoing CEUs and live coaching inside the Step It Up Membership. You’re not just building a practice, you’re building a legacy.

Get your step by step guide to private practice. Because you are too important to lose to not knowing the rules, going broke, burning out, and giving up. #counselorsdontquit.

Power and pay should never silence honest supervision, yet that’s exactly what happens when your supervisor is also your boss. We take you inside the messy overlap of employment and clinical supervision and lay out a simple blueprint to protect ethics, growth, and income without burning bridges.

We start by drawing a bright line between two documents most people blur: the clinical supervision contract and the policies and procedures manual. One governs evaluation, documentation, and remediation; the other covers schedules, dress codes, write-ups, and progressive discipline. Then we tackle the landmines—mid-contract rate hikes, clawbacks passed to associates, and the myth that hours can be held hostage. You’ll hear how to set stable payment terms, define “timely” access to supervision records, and create remediation plans that build competence instead of fear.

We also unpack the W-2 vs 1099 decision with a clear control lens: if you set schedules, restrict methods, and review records, you likely have an employee, not a contractor. That choice impacts taxes, benefits, records custody, subpoenas, and HIPAA responsibilities. To make dual roles workable, we share practical systems: split meetings into admin then clinical, start the supervision clock only when clinical begins, label agendas by role, and document goals and feedback every session. The mindset shift matters most—coach toward a future colleague rather than punish from a hierarchy.

Whether you’re a small-town agency owner wearing two hats or an associate vetting your first role, you’ll leave with concrete steps to protect your license path and your paycheck: what to ask for in contracts, how to assess classification, where to set boundaries, and when to walk away. If the goal is a thriving practice and a strong professional reputation, clarity beats charisma every time.

If this was helpful, follow the show, share it with a colleague who needs cleaner supervision systems, and leave a quick review so more therapists can find it. Grab the free “10 Delegation Quick Wins for Counselors” at KateWalkerTraining.com/bonus and tell us: what boundary will you set this week?

Get your step by step guide to private practice. Because you are too important to lose to not knowing the rules, going broke, burning out, and giving up. #counselorsdontquit.

What if the fastest way to grow isn’t doing more, but letting go—carefully? We pull back the curtain on how we hired and trained two very different assistants, one in Texas and one in the Philippines, and the systems that make those partnerships smooth, secure, and genuinely business-changing. From the first grading task to a multi-role teammate, and from a five-hour bookkeeping trial to dashboards, course ops, and content workflows, this is a real-world blueprint for delegating without losing your mind.

We walk through the decisions that matter: how to choose between 1099 and W‑2, where to source talent (and what marketplace reviews actually tell you), and how to set pay based on skill, scope, and outcomes. Security and ethics are baked in—NDAs, HIPAA training when needed, and password managers like LastPass so you can grant access without giving away the keys. You’ll hear how simple, living SOPs turn chaos into consistency: short Loom or Camtasia videos, Trello checklists, and clear definitions of “done” that make handoffs clean and quality predictable.

Communication is the backbone. We explain why one primary channel and a weekly check-in beat scattered pings and why screenshots with specific notes eliminate rework. We also share candid red flags—vanishing act replies, task-dumping without initiative, and hidden subcontracting—and the green flags that signal a pro: proactive problem-solving, honest updates, and resilience when life or weather hits across time zones. Most of all, we make the case that delegation is an investment, not a cost. Start with five to ten hours, document one process, ship it, and use the time you get back for higher-leverage work—or real rest.

Ready to turn overwhelm into a system that scales? Listen now, subscribe for more practical playbooks, and leave a review with the first task you plan to delegate.

Get your step by step guide to private practice. Because you are too important to lose to not knowing the rules, going broke, burning out, and giving up. #counselorsdontquit.

What happens when therapists abandon group practices en masse? This phenomenon is sweeping across the mental health field, leaving practice owners scrambling to understand why their associates are heading for the exits. At the heart of this exodus lie several critical issues that, once recognized, can be addressed to create thriving, ethical practices where clinicians want to stay.

The financial relationship between practices and clinicians represents the most significant source of dissatisfaction. Fee splits of 50/50 or 60/40 aren't inherently problematic, but the lack of transparency about where that money goes creates resentment. When clinicians generate thousands in revenue but don't understand how their contribution supports the business infrastructure, they question the value of remaining with the practice. Similarly, practices that pass insurance clawbacks to clinicians or make them wait for payment until insurance reimburses claims create financial instability that drives talented therapists away.

Beyond compensation issues, many practices make promises they can't keep. The most damaging is guaranteeing full caseloads to new hires without having the marketing infrastructure or client base to deliver. Therapists who join a practice expecting consistent work find themselves with empty schedules and insufficient income, forcing them to seek opportunities elsewhere. Successful practice owners understand that growth should be organic—adding clinicians only when current therapists are at capacity and there's genuine client demand.

The power dynamics become even more complex when practice owners also serve as clinical supervisors. This dual role requires careful navigation to maintain boundaries and ensure associates feel supported in both their professional development and financial wellbeing. Practice owners must recognize this inherent power imbalance and take extra steps to create safe spaces where supervisees can voice concerns without fear of retaliation.

Building an ethical group practice isn't mysterious—it requires patience, strategic planning, and a commitment to fair treatment of clinicians. Seek guidance from business resources, learn from adjacent industries, and prioritize creating a workplace where therapists feel valued and fairly compensated. The return on this investment will be staff retention, positive word-of-mouth, and ultimately, a thriving practice that makes a meaningful difference in your community.

Ready to transform your group practice? Subscribe for more insights on building an ethical, sustainable therapy business that benefits both clients and clinicians alike.

Get your step by step guide to private practice. Because you are too important to lose to not knowing the rules, going broke, burning out, and giving up. #counselorsdontquit.