If you see a therapist or a counselor, the Counseling Compact currently being considered in Congress affects you. The Counseling Compact is an interstate compact that will allow counselors and therapists to counsel across state lines without applying for a new license for every state. So far, there are already a couple states that have approved of the compact. Some of these states include Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and North Carolina. If all goes well, then the Counseling Compact should be enacted around the later months of 2023 to the early months of 2024.

If you or your family frequently travel, you’re moving soon, or you can’t find a suitable therapist in state, then you should be supporting the counseling compact’s approval. Currently, if you have therapy online, you have to be within your counselor’s licensed state lines. Similar to a teacher’s license, teachers cannot teach outside of the state(s) that they are licensed in. To get a license for a singular state, a therapist must go through a long process of applying, collecting documents, permissions, meeting requirements, and completing paperwork. If the Counseling Compact is passed, therapists and counselors won’t be required to endure this process to be allowed to practice in all states.

The Counseling Compact website states that “The Compact will help counselors by affording them greater ease of mobility, cutting drastically the time needed for authorization to practice in a new state. The Compact will also create new market opportunities for counselors. The Compact will help clients by improving continuity of care when clients or counselors travel or relocate.” Even though there seems to be no downsides to the compact, many states haven’t even put it into consideration yet. States like Texas, California, Michigan, New Mexico, and South Dakota haven’t even introduced the legislation.

So, how can students help pass the Counseling Compact? The most we can currently do is attend meetings organized by the supporters, as well as spread awareness about the compact. If you want to stay updated on the Counseling Compact news, the website has a section on the compact’s updated. Stay updated, and we’ll hope this comes to a close soon.