The Therapist’s Pathway: From Licensure to Private Practice

Danielle Cotter
Sep 30
5 min read

Launching a career in therapy is both deeply rewarding and uniquely challenging. Many therapists enter the field driven by a passion for healing, yet quickly realize that the journey from graduate school to a thriving private practice involves far more than clinical skills. Licensure requirements, supervision hours, professional consultation, business development, and personal growth are all part of the path.

I often describe this process as walking a stone pathway across a river. Each stone represents a stage of professional development, supporting your growth while preparing you for the next step. Some stones feel smooth and steady; others may wobble or feel slippery underfoot. But when you trust the path and take one step at a time, you find yourself crossing toward confidence, clarity, and a practice that feels aligned with your values.

Stone One: Supervision for Therapists

For marriage and family therapists (MFTs), professional counselors, and social workers, supervision is the very first stone. It’s both a requirement for licensure and an essential part of becoming a grounded, ethical clinician.

In Minnesota, for example, associate-level MFTs are required to complete at least 4,000 hours of post-graduate supervised clinical experience, including 200 hours of supervision. Similar requirements exist across disciplines and states, but the heart of supervision is the same everywhere: developing your clinical voice, learning how to navigate the therapeutic relationship, and deepening your confidence as a new professional.

Why Supervision Matters

Supervision provides:

Clinical guidance: How do you handle high-conflict couples? What about trauma disclosures? Your supervisor is there to walk through real cases and teach you new skills.
Ethical grounding: The codes of ethics are clear on paper, but real-world practice can feel murky. Supervision helps you build a strong ethical compass.
Professional identity: Supervision isn’t just about cases—it’s about who you are as a therapist. You’ll begin to define your style, values, and long-term vision.

My Approach to MFT Supervision in Minnesota

When I provide MFT supervision in Minnesota, I use a relational and experiential lens. We don’t just talk about theory; we explore it in action. I draw from modalities like EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and somatic-based approaches, while also addressing practical skills like treatment planning, client engagement, and boundaries.

Supervision also means holding space for the emotional weight of the work. Sitting with clients in their deepest pain can stir up your own history and vulnerabilities. Having a supervisor who normalizes that and teaches self-regulation strategies is vital for your long-term sustainability.

If you’re standing on the first stone of your pathway, know that supervision isn’t just about fulfilling hours—it’s about shaping the kind of therapist you want to be.

Stone Two: Therapist Consultation

After licensure, the next stone is consultation. Many therapists assume that once they have a license, they’ll feel “finished.” In reality, licensure is just the beginning. Now you’re working independently, making clinical decisions on your own, and often holding more complex cases.

Why Consultation Matters

Consultation provides a bridge between structured supervision and full independence. It gives you:

Ongoing support: No therapist should practice in isolation. Consultation ensures you have colleagues to lean on.
Specialized expertise: Maybe you’re learning EMDR, or beginning to work with perinatal clients, or navigating complex trauma cases. A consultant with advanced training can sharpen your skills.
Ethical accountability: Consultation keeps you practicing responsibly and protects against burnout and blind spots.

My Approach to Therapist Consultation

When I work with therapists in consultation, the focus often shifts from the basics of being a therapist to specialization and depth. Maybe you’re pursuing certification in a trauma modality. Maybe you’re noticing themes of countertransference that keep showing up. Maybe you’re wondering how to keep your work fresh and avoid compassion fatigue.

Consultation gives us the chance to refine the nuances of your work. I often integrate case consultation with experiential learning, teaching nervous system regulation skills that you can use both personally and with clients. We also explore the intersection of your personal life and professional role—because who you are in the therapy room can’t be separated from who you are outside of it.

If you’re on this second stone of the pathway, consultation can feel like finding your footing again after a big leap. It keeps you growing, learning, and supported even after the formal structure of supervision ends.

Stone Three: Private Practice Coaching

For many therapists, the third stone on the pathway is private practice. This is the dream: building a practice that reflects your values, choosing your clients, setting your schedule, and creating sustainable income. But the reality is that graduate school rarely prepares you for business ownership.

You might know how to facilitate a therapy session, but do you know how to set your fees, market your services, manage insurance, or design a schedule that avoids burnout? That’s where private practice coaching comes in.

Why Private Practice Coaching Matters

Private practice is both a clinical career and a business venture. Coaching helps you:

Clarify your vision: What kind of practice do you want to build? Who do you want to serve?
Develop systems: From paperwork to scheduling to finances, coaching helps you streamline the behind-the-scenes work.
Market ethically: Many therapists feel uncomfortable with self-promotion. Coaching helps you find authentic ways to connect with potential clients without feeling salesy.
Balance life and work: Building a practice should support your wellbeing—not overwhelm it. Coaching gives you strategies to set boundaries and create sustainability.

My Approach to Private Practice Coaching

When I provide private practice coaching, I draw from my own experience as a psychotherapist, supervisor, and business owner. I know what it’s like to juggle client care with paperwork, marketing, and the emotional weight of entrepreneurship.

Coaching sessions often cover:

Niche development: Helping you identify your unique strengths and the clients you’re most passionate about serving.
Business skills: From budgeting to scheduling, we break down the logistics into manageable steps.
Marketing strategy: Using relationship-building, networking, and SEO—not just social media—to help your ideal clients find you.
Mindset work: Exploring imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and the fears that often surface when therapists step into business ownership.

Standing on this third stone can feel like stepping into the unknown. But with coaching, you don’t have to figure it all out alone.

Walking the Pathway Together

The therapist’s pathway isn’t a straight line. You may return to earlier stones for support—seeking consultation years after licensure, or joining a supervision group for a new certification. Sometimes you’ll pause on a stone longer than expected, and sometimes you’ll leap forward more quickly than you imagined.

What matters is that you don’t walk the path alone. Each stone is steadier when you have someone alongside you: a supervisor who believes in you, a consultant who challenges you, a coach who cheers you on.

My role is to walk with you as you cross, offering guidance, tools, and encouragement at each stage:

Supervision for therapists: Building your clinical identity and confidence.
Therapist consultation: Deepening your skills and keeping your work sustainable.
Private practice coaching: Helping you create a career and life that feels aligned.

Whether you’re just starting your licensure journey in Minnesota, seeking ongoing consultation, or ready to step into private practice, you have a pathway—and you don’t have to cross it alone.

Final Thoughts

Becoming a therapist is not just about checking off hours or launching a business. It’s about transformation—becoming the clinician, colleague, and professional you were meant to be. Each stone on the pathway brings its own lessons and opportunities.

If you’re standing at the start of your pathway, take heart. The stones are waiting for you. With guidance and support, you can cross with steadiness and courage, building a practice and a life that reflect your deepest values.