What is a Registered Intern?

In the state of Florida, there are many different levels and types of mental health professionals. As mentioned in our first ever blog titled,”What Type of Mental Health Professional do I Need?” we lined those levels and divisions out to help you find the person who could most effectively help you. In this particular blog we will focus on the Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern, or RMHCI.

An RMHCI is registered with the state to provide mental health services as an unlicensed professional. These individuals must work under a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who is also a Qualified Supervisor with the state. However, prior to getting registered as an intern, you must fulfill certain education requirements. It is required that to get registered an individual must first receive a Master’s degree from a regionally accredited university. A university that is vouched by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, or CACREP, is the best way to assure that your educational institution will meet the requirements for you to become licensed. Some states require that you attend a CACREP school in order to be licensed in the particular states. Others, as is true in Florida, offer you the option to complete certain courses and still be able to apply for licensure. Before you enter a Master’s program, be sure that they offer the courses you need for your particular state. In Florida you can find this information at the Department of Health Website at http://www.floridahealth.gov/

One definite requirement for all states is a school approved internship. This is an intensive period of hands on experience where you learn the ins and outs of becoming a therapist. Internships will be very different depending on the agency where you work. But you MUST see clients to received hours towards graduating. Once again, each state regulates how many hours you must complete during you internship. In Florida, the required minimum is 1,000 hours. Finishing this task can be daunting, however it is a great opportunity to briskly trim the surface of the mental health profession.

After successful completion of a Master’s program, the RMHCI candidate must find a qualified supervisor and apply with the state. He or she must work under this supervisor for a minimum of 2 years and 2,000 hours. Fifteen hundred of those hours must be in direct client contact! This period can be very challenging for the RMHCI in that compensation may not be very high, but work load will. Depending on where you aquire employment will govern how much and when you work, as well as how quickly (or slowly) you complete your hours. The benefit to this two years however is great. One, you are able to learn from experience as well as a supervisor giving you a great deal of support. It is an opportunity for you to make some mistakes and learn from them (well, minus anything that would severely be a detriment to the client). This time is meant to provide protection for the client as well. The client’s well being is the most important thing to consider in counseling. They are better served and safer with someone who has an extensive amount of experience, or with someone who works under a supervisor that is well qualified as a support.

RMHCIs in the state of Florida must also complete a few trainings on specific items such as confidentiality among others. Once these are complete, the intern can then take a state derived test to become licensed. If you pass the test, you will receive your credential as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. This title will open up new opportunities for the RMHCI and will allow you to work individually, and also accept insurance payments (once approved and accepted by insurance agencies).

A great deal of education and work is required for pre-licensed professionals to become licensed. What is important to remember is that its not always just the goal that is important, but rather its the journey that will mold you and teach you how to be a great therapist.

At Affordable Counseling of Brandon registered interns play a huge role. Co-founder and Clinical Director, Clarissa Crystal-Belle hand picks each intern that works for her. She is very instrumental in helping teach and support interns working with her clients. Clarissa makes sure that each client gets high quality services. Registered interns are available at reduced rates, however the effectiveness of counseling is the same as they are supervised by a very compassionate, experienced and knowledgable licensed professional.

For more information on mental health counseling and related topics, check out our website at http://www.affordablecounselingbrandon.com or visit our sister company at http://www.starpointcounselingtampa.com!

Working Out Benefits Your Mental Wellness

Many people are aware of the physical benefits of exercise. Regular, daily exercise is can help with many physical health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and may reduce strain on the body placed by additional weight. But there are many other positive benefits of exercise as well. Looking at things from a very holistic perspective, exercise can help your mind, body and spirit in equally important ways.

A recent study by Harvard Men’s Health Watch agrees with us on this one. Exercise can reduce stress, anxiety and even depression. Take a look at the link below…

http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/benefits-of-exercisereduces-stress-anxiety-and-helps-fight-depression

Although there is little time to fit in daily cardio, it may be something important on your priorities list. Often times we see little immediate payoff from working out, and sometimes we are just looking to lose weight. This type of thinking can lead to frustration and may even result in quitting sooner than later. We have to know that our bodies and minds are thanking us when we utilize them in the right ways. One thing you can do to track your mood improvement is to keep a journal. Journaling your daily mood over time may be helpful to see the long term benefits to exercies even if you aren’t seeing immediate physical results. Its a lifestyle change that you have to make habitual, but the payoff is so great in the end!

For more information on mental health wellness, check out our website at http://www.affordablecounselingbrandon.com. Or visit our sister company at http://www.starpointcounselingtampa.com.

Perfection Can Be Detrimental

I think many of us have at some point tried to “do it all.” Whether it was working and being a parent, or putting together a dinner party while writing a proposal for the boss. Or even trying to fit your personal time in when things need to get done around the house. But many people find that success is not always feasible, to the extent in which we wish it to be. A recent article has lined out how this quest for multi-task perfection sometimes leads to behaviors and stress that are unwanted and unhealthy for our lives. Read what this mother had to say about her story, and how she found that her kids were suffering the most from her need to be perfect. Then, comment below. Let us know what you think about this parent’s situation. Can you relate to her? What area’s of your life are you concerned about? Could counseling be a viable option for you? Affordable Counseling wants to hear from you!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rachel-macy-stafford/the-important-thing-about-yelling_b_4484027.html

For more information on mental health counseling in the Tampa Bay area, visit our website at http://www.affordablecounselingbrandon.com, or visit our sister company’s site at http://www.starpointcounselingtampa.com.