Thirty years as an Analytically Oriented Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

​It dawned on me recently that I had not written a specific  Blog post about becoming an analytically oriented LPC, and practicing as one for the last 30 years. My preparation to become an LPC in the State of Virginia, began as part of my pastoral psychoanalytic psychotherapy training. At the Pastoral  Counseling Institute where I trained, Certified Pastoral Counselor (CPC), and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) training, were combined in one dual track training program. 

Normally, one would need to get a Masters Degree in Counseling  to become an LPC. Fortunately for  me, my Seminary counseling courses, the Pastoral Counseling Institute's counseling coursework,  one course at a nearby University, and all the experience and supervision requirements were sufficient for me to obtain an equivalency  of a Masters Degree in Counseling.   

The supervision requirements were to complete a practicum, internship  and  residency. I  did my practicum, internship, and half my residency at the Pastoral Counseling Institute. I then  completed my  residency at the Pastoral Counseling Center where I first practiced as a LPC Resident. Because my interest and training was in psychoanalytic psychotherapy, my residency supervisors consisted of two pastoral analytic psychotherapists and a psychoanalyst. 

After all the didactic coursework, supervision, and required hours of experience  in therapy , I took and passed the LPC exam in the State of Virginia.  I was then a Licensed Professional Counselor. 

In the LPC training world, you are required to learn the ten main counseling  theories and techniques. And, you are then free to  choose any one of those theories and  techniques as your orientation, or to integrate them in various ways as you practice as an LPC. 

Of course  I chose psychoanalytic theory and technique as my therapy orientation.  And with additional  continuing education and supervision, I practiced as a psychoanalytically oriented LPC  for twenty five years. 

In the last  five years I have further trained in neuropsychoanalysis/ psychotherapy, and now practice this approach to therapy. 

I have also been happy  these last thirty years to have had the opportunity of supervising fourteen LPC Interns and Residents  in psychoanalytic  therapy. And, in the last five years, I have served as a consultant and teacher for  several clinicians  in neuropsychoanalytic psychotherapy. Supervising trainees has required me to keep up with what is going on  in the LPC world, the psychoanalytic  world,  and now the neuropsychoanalytic world. I must say that I have enjoyed the continuing education in all three of these worlds. Today, as a neuropsychoanalytically  oriented LPC, I maintain a small private practice and consult with other  clinicians interested in neuropsychoanalysis/psychotherapy.