I Have My Degree... Now What?: A Complete Guide to Licensure, Career Building & Private Practice for the New Counselor

I Have My Degree... Now What?

The Complete Guide to Building a Successful Career as a Licensed Professional Counselor

You graduated. You earned the degree. Now comes the part graduate school didn't teach you.

What do you do next?

Whether you're navigating licensure, searching for your first counseling position, deciding between career paths, or dreaming of opening a private practice, this guide provides the roadmap every new clinician deserves. Built from real-world experience and designed specifically for Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs), LMHCs, LCPCs, LPCCs, LCMHCs, LPCMHs, and equivalent licenses, this isn't generic career advice—it's the guide that bridges the gap between graduation and a successful counseling career.

Inside You'll Discover

From Graduation to Licensure

Navigate supervision, licensing requirements, national exams, documentation, and multi-state licensure with confidence.

Find the Right Career Path

Explore community mental health, hospitals, schools, telehealth, government agencies, nonprofits, correctional settings, private practice, utilization review, consulting, and more to find the setting that fits your goals.

Land Your First Job

Learn how to create a standout resume, ace interviews, negotiate your salary, understand employment contracts, and choose the right employment structure.

Build Your Private Practice

Understand business formation, credentialing, insurance paneling, startup costs, bookkeeping, taxes, and how to determine whether private practice is the right next step.

Grow Your Career

Develop an ethical marketing strategy, build a referral network, establish your professional brand, and create a sustainable caseload without sacrificing your values.

Prevent Burnout

Strengthen your professional identity, plan your long-term career, pursue specialization, and build a counseling career that lasts.

Includes a Bonus Professional Toolkit

Your purchase also includes practical, ready-to-use resources, including:

• Private Practice Startup Checklist
• Business Budget Worksheet
• Quarterly Tax Planner
• Career Development Plan
• Annual CEU Tracker
• State-by-State Licensure Quick Reference
• Templates, Checklists, and a Counseling & Business Glossary

Who This Book Is For

✔ Graduate counseling students preparing to enter the profession

✔ New clinicians navigating licensure and supervision

✔ Provisionally licensed counselors seeking career direction

✔ Mental health professionals considering private practice

✔ Clinicians who want to build a fulfilling, financially sustainable career

Why This Guide Is Different

Most graduate programs teach you how to counsel.

This guide teaches you how to build a counseling career.

Written by a licensed counselor, private practice owner, and doctoral candidate who has navigated licensure across multiple states, built a successful practice, and learned the lessons graduate school never covered, this book helps you avoid costly mistakes, save time, and move confidently into the next stage of your career.

Your Career Starts Here

You've already earned the degree.

Now it's time to build the career.

One investment. A lifetime of guidance.

ISBN: 979-8-234-29257-5