speaker-0: I've seen situations where AI has provided maybe inaccurate advice or unhelpful advice. I've heard of situations where AI has convinced, you know, young people to commit suicide. So if you're working with a live person like myself, I'm not going to encourage you to kill yourself.
speaker-1: I would hope not. Welcome back to another episode of Educators Game On. Today we have a really special guest. I've had the pleasure of working with her in the education sector. But before I introduce her, I need to apologize to her and for any other LMF, not to do it again, LMFTs. So during our premiere episode, I misspoke. I announced that I have
speaker-0: Now that we were gonna
speaker-1: in upcoming shows, LMFTs. But when I said it, I said, licensed family marriage therapist. You see my conundrum? You see how I messed that up, right? So I'm taking the time now to apologize because that is your occupation. That is your career. And I want to make sure that I am not misspeaking and mispronouncing your title. And you've earned that title. So I need to... give you your due. coming to the stage, Kristen Woods, LMFT, Licensed Marriage Family Therapist.
speaker-2: So happy to have you on here. The first question I do have for you just to jump right into it is there's a misconception that a lot of people think that LMFTs, you guys are like, you just do like groups like husband and wife or partners, but in reality you take on single people as well, correct?
speaker-0: Yes, that's correct. So our license allows us to treat everyone. So we can do children, we work with teenagers, adults, individuals, couples, families. So it encompasses a wide range of ⁓
speaker-2: Well, let me ask you, who your ⁓ main clients? May I ask?
speaker-0: I primarily serve adults, individuals, and then I also work with children.
speaker-2: I know Rhonda has a few questions over here. ⁓
speaker-1: So that we now that we have the title out of the way, I would like to know what drew you to this occupation? What was it that made you want to become an LMFT?
speaker-0: Well, to be honest, I had graduated with my bachelor's and I decided to pursue a master's degree. So when I started the master's program, I started out in special ed. So I was going to, at the time I was working for the school district as a sub teacher and I did a lot of special ed classes. And so I decided, okay, well, I've kind of seen the dollar signs and I'm like, well, I'll just go. and pursue a master's in special education and I'll become a special ed teacher. Well, after one to two classes into the program, I said, I don't want to retire in a classroom. And so I was talking to my best friend who was also pursuing a master's degree. And she said, well, why don't you do psychology, counseling psychology? And I'm like, well, what am I going to do with that? And she was like, well, there's a lot of things that you can do with it. Well, just so happened at the university that I was attending, National University, they had the Counseling Psychology Program with an MFT emphasis. So even going into that, I still really didn't have any direction. I had no clue where I was going and what I was doing. But after getting more into the program, so I switched from the SPED program to the Counseling Psych- program and after getting more into that program I had a little more direction but even upon like graduating I still didn't know exactly where I was going so I'm thankful for all of the jobs that I had because they helped me to get to where I am today and so that's kind of how I got into this field. Completing the degree, obtaining license, well I had to do my internship first and then obtaining licensure and then that's what kind of led me here, but I do believe that my steps were ordered and I'm at where I'm supposed to be because originally before starting the program, I wanted to become a criminal defense attorney and I didn't go to law school because I just simply couldn't afford it at the time. so that's how I ended up.
speaker-2: been doing this particular job.
speaker-0: Well, I completed my program in 2011, so I've been licensed since 2017, March of 2017. So it's been that I've been licensed, but I had to work as an intern leading after graduation.
speaker-2: was my next question. How long was your internship?
speaker-0: Well, so for me, it took a little bit longer because I did have a family and I was working, but I wasn't necessarily working in the field. So once I graduated from my, while attending school for the master's degree, I was working as a substitute teacher. And then towards the end of my, about the last six months of my program, I was able to transition over to Tarzana Treatment Centers where I worked as a case manager and a benefit specialist. And so once I completed, I graduated, my supervisor made provisions for me to start collecting hours, but it wasn't a lot of hours that I was collecting over there. So I worked there until I was able to transition over to Children's Bureau. And then I was able to finish up all my hours there, which was perfect for me because... you are required to complete so many child hours as an intern. And so I was able to do that and then sit for the state exam. There's, two parts. There's a law and ethics. So you have to take the law and ethics first. Once you pass the law and ethics thing, you can take the clinical exam, which was like the most stressful exam that I've ever taken in my life. But I was fortunate enough to pass on the first attempt. both exams. Once I passed those exams, then I became licensed. So it took me from graduation to licensure about six years, but there are people who can complete it in like two to three years if you're able to work.
speaker-2: full time. That's great. That's great. Another question I have. Well, let let Rhonda go ahead and ask a couple of questions. Yeah. I'm hogging the whole...
speaker-0: session.
speaker-1: Yes. So I would like to know, because I just like to know how to handle things head on. I want to meet people where they're at. So how would you handle an aggressive or angry client if you've ever had one? You seem so mild. I don't think anybody would ever come at you.
speaker-2: Yeah.
speaker-0: So the way I would handle an aggressive client, which I have not had, I've had verbally aggressive, because sometimes people are dealing with different life situations that cause them to become aggressive. It doesn't have to necessarily have anything to do with you or me and my practice, but they're just frustrated with life. And so the way that I would handle an aggressive client is to deescalate them. I would talk to them. I would validate their feelings. and try to get an understanding of what they're experiencing, what triggered them or caused them to feel that way and help them to work through and resolve whatever issues that they're dealing with.
speaker-2: Has the family unit evolved since you've been working in this field or has it been evolving for the better or for the worse?
speaker-0: Well, I think that it's a continuum, so it's evolving, but there's still a lot of work to do. And so, I do want to ask a clarifying question. Are you referring to my family unit or people in general?
speaker-2: When you are giving them therapy, how has that been impactful for the family unit? I should say that.
speaker-0: would say it can help decrease some of the issues that they're having as a unit. Improving communication. And communication is key, it's critical because a lot of problems that people have can very easily be resolved when they're talked about. And so those simple conversations, just learning how to listen and listen for understanding, you may not always necessarily agree. and that's okay, but learning how to listen and understand where a person is coming from, what it is that they're trying to communicate with you is helpful in improving the family's life.
speaker-2: Having said that, guess that's the number one important factor when trying to bring the families back together is communication. Correct? Absolutely. What are the mental health that you have to deal with yourself? Because you're listening to people's problems every day. How do you deal with your mental health?
speaker-0: Absolutely. self-care. So I try to do lot of self-care for myself. love spa days. Exercising is helpful for me. Sometimes I just come in my room and I'm like, okay, I need a moment. I need some time for myself. And then really just setting boundaries, you know, recognizing that it's okay to say no, I don't have to show up for everyone and just giving myself time and space to enjoy life and kind of decompress. Vacation, so that's another way that I take care of myself. Because you do deal with a lot, you deal with a lot of personalities, you deal with a lot of different feelings and emotions and problems that people experience on a day-to-day basis. And so you do have to take that time for yourself.
speaker-1: What does a typical day look like in your current role?
speaker-0: So what I didn't share earlier is that I do also work for the district as a social emotional learning specialist. In that role, you do have to be licensed, a licensed clinician, whether it's a licensed marriage and family therapist, a licensed professional clinical counselor, or a licensed clinical social worker. And so in that particular role, my day to day is working with the kids, showing up for the kids every day. assisting the teachers, providing them with tools and strategies to help the students in their classrooms. I run groups. Those groups can consist of trauma groups, social skills, anger management, foster youth, and homeless youth groups that I run. And then also working with the parents. And then on the private practice side, because I do have that. that consists of me seeing the clients that I have for the day. I love working with the kids in the district, but I also love the private practice because it gives me that freedom and flexibility. So the beauty of that is I get to set my own schedule. So when I want time off, I can take time off if I want to schedule breaks during the day because I have appointments and things that I need to attend or I need to deal with my own children and family, I'm able to do that. Yeah, I love it. so that, and then, you know, once you're done with, or I'm done seeing my clients, I do, I am responsible for documentation. So that's note taking and just making sure if I have referrals that I need to complete, because I have clients who have higher needs and may need like a psyche vow. I may refer them to the psychiatrist or if there's other resources that they may need, provide.
speaker-2: Let me go back to the education. Do you need a master's degree?
speaker-0: For a license, yes. So in order to become a licensed therapist, you have to, of course, have a master's degree. Once you complete the master's degree, you have to have 3,000 hours. So you complete the 3,000 hours of internship while you're in school. So the school that I attended and other campuses may be different, other universities may be different, but the university that I attended one of our requirements, had to complete 200 hours as a trainee before graduation. One thing I did appreciate about that is we were required to complete, and this is many years ago, so I could, my numbers may be a little off, but I believe it was 24 hours as a client myself. So I was required to go to therapy. And I appreciate that because it gives you the opportunity to experience what it feels like. You do that, complete the 3,000 hours, and then you sit for the...
speaker-2: What's the retention rate for LMFTs out of curiosity?
speaker-0: Well, it depends, you know, there are some that once they become licensed, then they venture out on their own. And there's a lot of things that we can do in this field, a lot of things. So it's not just therapy. I actually have a cousin who's also a LMFT who does a lot of corporate training. And then we can do crisis response. So there's organizations and companies. who will contract you to respond to crises. So for instance, I'm just throwing something out there like 9-11, you may get a call to go out and respond and provide services to those, or if there's a shooting at a McDonald's, you may go and respond, provide support to the staff and anyone connected to those events or situations that happen.
speaker-2: You guys just kind of, it almost reminds me like a FEMA, but in the different avenue, but at the same time, it's almost similar where you guys are put into the different areas that need help because of a crisis or something that has happened.
speaker-0: Yes. And then just to kind of go back to licensing, one thing I do appreciate about California is that we are one of the strictest states. And so there's this thing called reciprocity. So I am also licensed in ⁓ Nevada. So I can practice in Nevada. I'm in the process of completing my application to become licensed in Texas. So the beauty of it is, There's other states where clinicians have become licensed and when they come to California, they have to take other classes and take the exam. I don't have to do that in a lot of the states. So there's a lot of states that I can just submit for since they're in then become licensed. at Texas, I didn't have to do much outside of. my application. Of course, I had to do live scan and fingerprinting, but I didn't have to take any courses. did not have to, you know, go back to school or take an exam there. It was just application, provide the required documents, and then.
speaker-2: Kind of like lawyers here, the same thing. People come from different states a lot of time. They have to do more tests at California mandates that they do. So that's great. So you're very, very, very versed in that. That's very good. I know you have some questions.
speaker-1: Let me jump in there. I have a question about your industry. How do you see your industry evolving in the next five years with the addition of AI? Tell me how that looks.
speaker-0: That's actually a really good question. And I think AI is great. However, you don't necessarily get that personal experience. And so I do believe that, you know, people may be going to AI for advice, but I think it's also important to seek help from a professional, someone who's actually lived and can... have these back and forth dialogues with you to help you process and work through whatever.
speaker-1: more of a human connection because AI is generated by someone, but they're not actually there. Like it's data based on what you're saying is how they respond.
speaker-0: Yes, and I've seen situations where AI has provided maybe inaccurate advice or unhelpful advice. I've heard of situations where AI has convinced, you know, young people to commit suicide. So if you're working with a live person like myself, I'm not going to encourage you to kill yourself.
speaker-1: I would hope not. I have another question since we're talking about virtual and in person. You're alluding me to believe that your preference is in person. Is that true or do you like doing Zoom?
speaker-0: Well, I prefer telehealth, which is the Zoom. However, depending on the severity of the client's symptoms, I may recommend in-person. And because I'm not currently providing in-person services, I would then refer out. What?
speaker-2: What message would you give to someone who is struggling with their mental health in a relationship? Whether it be toxic or even if it was a healthy relationship, because you can have a healthy relationship and still have mental health issues. What message would you give to someone who's struggling with...
speaker-0: I would encourage them to seek help. Seek help, work on yourself, do that self work because if you're no good, then what good are you to your relationship? And so I think it's extremely important to prioritize your mental health.
speaker-2: So in your particular field, do we need more LNF teams or is the market saturated with him?
speaker-0: No, we definitely need more. I'm seeing, and it's very interesting that you asked that question. When I graduated from my program, I had a difficult time finding an internship where I could work full time. And so there was not a lot of open positions. That's 2011. But fast forward to 20, what are we, 2026? There's... a high need for clinicians. And so now agencies are offering bonuses for people to sign on. Well, as the social emotional learning specialist with the district, when I first started in my role, the position was only open for a certain amount of time, maybe a month, maybe two months, and now it's continuous. So there's no close date on it because they need people.
speaker-2: OMFT for me, comes, brings to mind like a social worker. Is that similar?
speaker-0: Not necessarily. are, and I don't know, social work is not my scope of practice, so I don't know everything that they do. What I do know is they work a lot with like DCFS. They can also provide therapy, but I believe our background and our training is slightly different. I do know we take different exams and I think their requirements for licensure slightly differs from ours, but with Our work, like I said, we focus a lot more on mental health rather than like the social work part of things that that makes sense.
speaker-2: Do you ever go into the prisons and work?
speaker-0: I personally have not, but I do know that there are clinicians.
speaker-2: Yeah, I work there, so I know there are some, but I was just wondering if you that personally, you know, went into any of the prison and did work.
speaker-0: been offered but I just have it.
speaker-2: That's good, that's good.
speaker-1: Kristen, knowing what you know now as an LMFT, it is now 2026. You've been in the field since 2011, if I'm correct, if I've been taking correct notes, right? What advice would you give someone graduating from high school and they wanted to follow in your footsteps? What would be the first thing that you would tell them to do as far as their education? What would they need to attain? And then as far as their temperament, what type of person... would you advise them to be in that field?
speaker-0: Well, I would tell them first to keep going because you have to, of course, complete the bachelor's in order to obtain the master's degree. And then once you have master's, then you can become licensed. However, my bachelor's degree, it was in sociology with a minor in criminal justice. So you don't have to necessarily have a bachelor's in psychology. You can get it in anything. You just have to have the master's in this field. What I would tell them though is sociology, feel, and even psychology. I took some psychology courses in my undergrad is a good start, a good foundation for helping you once you get into the master's program. And then what I would also encourage them to do, your temperament, anybody can get into this field. You know, I come from a background of trauma. I've experienced trauma. was involved in a shooting. or I was the victim of a shooting when I was about 21 years old. And so what I didn't know then after that shooting is that I was experiencing PTSD. But now knowing what I wish I knew then what I know now, because I didn't go to therapy, I did not seek help, and that was something that I really struggled and dealt with for many years. And so I would encourage anybody one thing that I'd do appreciate about being in this field is that it has helped me evolve on a personal level and helped me in dealing with different situations and identifying my feelings and emotions and learning how to have healthy conversations. And so I would encourage people to go to therapy, you know, if you've experienced any type of trauma or just stress. period. It doesn't have to be trauma. It could be stress from work or stress from ⁓ friendships or relationships, but go to therapy. And then one thing I would also encourage as you're becoming licensed and even after you are licensed is to find you a good mentor, someone who is in the field, who can help to guide you as you are. mean. I, yes, I have, you know, individuals who.
speaker-2: Enter in anybody right now
speaker-0: whom I mentor and just help them along their way.
speaker-2: Thank you.
speaker-1: I was getting ready to say, she'd be mentoring me all the time, but I didn't want to go ahead and put it out there. Yeah, she'd be mentoring me.
speaker-2: Listen, are there a lot of minorities in this particular field? And if not, do we need more? you encourage people of color to get into this field? Because a lot of times you can go to a therapist that can't even relate to you because they know nothing about your background, your different, what I'm trying to say is your ethnicity. They don't know nothing about it. So they're giving you advice based off of what they think. but they really don't know anything about the black culture, the brown culture, know, whatever, the Asian culture. A lot of times they don't know anything about that.
speaker-1: They're going on book knowledge, something that they read.
speaker-0: Yes. So I always encourage, because I get a lot of like friends and family members or acquaintances who ask me to work with them, but ethically, I cannot. So I always provide referrals. And when I refer them, I'm looking for someone who is related. That's good. Yeah, absolutely. So we definitely do need more. There All right.
speaker-2: That's good, yeah, because that does make a big difference. I have been to counseling before and everything, and it's never nobody of color that I've ever, you know, never.
speaker-0: They're hard to find for sure, but they are out there. It's not a lot of us, but when I, like I said, when I refer, I try to refer to African-American or, you know, someone who looks like us. not simply because they, we are more relatable because of our life experiences and because of what we experience on a day-to-day basis.
speaker-2: Definitely true. Go ahead Rhonda, because I noticed you had something else.
speaker-1: ⁓ one question I was getting ready to ask you is how can we change the mindset of people not wanting to go to a therapist? Because people often say, I don't want to go to a therapist. It's in our community because it's so invasive and intrusive. How can we change that culture? Because we need that extra support. And, we're afraid because it's a stigma. How can we change that?
speaker-2: It's in the black.
speaker-0: Well, I think it has, it is changing and it has been changing since the pandemic. I've seen an influx, like a significant increase in people seeking and pursuing treatment. I also believe that, you know, all we can do, you know, there's that saying, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. All we can do is continue to encourage them. When I work with individuals or I'm having conversations with people and we're talking about mental health. Always tell them that therapist is not a good fit and that's okay. So try until you find one that works well or fits for you. And so I'm never offended. I've worked with individuals where they've come back and say, ⁓ you know, this isn't working. And I'm not offended. I'm not offended. And sometimes it's just simply because I, you know, I'm honest. And so I don't, I'm not going to lie to you or tell you what I think you want to hear. That's not my job. My job is to help you get to a better place. And so if I'm not being real with you, I'm doing you a disservice. And so I have had clients in the past where, and it's, you know, it's not a lot, but it happens where they're like, this isn't working and I'm, I'm not offended at all. Because like I said, every therapist is not a good fit. And if it's not working, you're more than welcome to reach out to your insurance panel to get another referral. Or if you would like, I can provide you with some. And so we just got to continue to encourage people, continue to have those conversations. And I think, you know, social media plays ⁓ an active role in with a lot of... therapists and life coaches who are speaking out on those platforms that where they see okay, there are relatable people out here where we can go to and see
speaker-2: normal time and I know it varies depending on the individual that you typically will see a patient and what I mean by that is five months, six months, I mean I know it's typically it's based on how they're evolving you know in the therapy session but typically how often does a patient usually stay with you?
speaker-0: It really honestly depends on the individual. I've had clients for a month. I've had them for six months. I've had them, I had one client that I've been seeing for about four years now. And so it just really depends on them, how much work they're doing on their own. I tell my clients, I want you to fire me because therapy is not meant to last forever. So I want them to take the skills and the tools that they're learning and put them into practice so they can move on. it just, like I said, it really just depends on the individual because there are some who come and the treatment plan could be developed for, let's say, 12 months. They may only come for two months because they feel like they're getting better and then they just stop showing up. But then they may experience a crisis and then I reach back out and say, I need to come back. Can I schedule? And so it just really depends on the client. But I would say anywhere from roughly two to 18 months, ideally. So, and the reason why I say two is because sometimes there's clients who are just dealing with like work related stress. And so they're just coming to kind of learn some skills or some tools to help them with that. And once they're starting to feel better, then they, they decrease. But what I typically do, depending on the severity of the symptoms, after the initial assessment, I may see them on a weekly basis. And as they are improving, will decrease the frequency to twice a month or once a month and then go from there. so usually you can reevaluate after if they're coming consistently after six months and then determine if you're going to continue with treatment or if it's a good time.
speaker-2: know where to send people when they therapy now.
speaker-0: Absolutely. ⁓
speaker-1: Of not. Of course not.
speaker-0: Exactly.
speaker-1: I have a question for you. How do you deal with a client who you're you're seeing but as you are going through their history you realize you need to get the other party that's involved with them in There as well like you feel like it's gonna be no good without the other person How good are you at persuading them to bring that person or does that ever happen?
speaker-0: So one thing about therapy, my job, my focus is my client. However, if I feel like these external relationships are impacting their overall mental health and wellbeing, then that's a conversation that I'll have with the client and I'll offer, we can invite them into the session. Even if they come into the session, my client is still my client. And so my job is to work with them, but we can invite, like I said, the other parties into the session, but that doesn't become a regular thing.
speaker-2: Well, you've answered a lot of questions that we didn't know beforehand and some that we did, but we we want to get clarification from the expert in this field, which is you, you know, and we're so happy that you took the time out to even come over here as a guest. And we would like to see you back again, maybe later on down the, you know, months from now, we'd like to have you again to see, talk a little bit more because this is a really wide. broad subject, it covers a lot. And we just really just touched the surface talking to you, just touched the surface right now.
speaker-1: Would you come back? Would come?
speaker-0: Would you come back? Absolutely. So I do, yes, absolutely. And I do appreciate you thinking of me. Thank you for inviting me onto your show. I'm very happy to be here and happy that I was able to share this information with you as well as your viewers and listeners. And so I would love to come back whenever you're ready for me. Just swing.
speaker-2: Is there any way that if people that are watching this when they see this episode come out that they can reach you yourself? You know, because we're here to help you also not that you need it We're just here to make sure people can reach out to you if they want to
speaker-1: Is your phone blowing up during this time? So we know you busy. We're gonna keep you busy ass.
speaker-0: Yes, I do have, I have two IG pages. One of them I'm not very active on. And that one is the, well, it's on Instagram. It's at Kristen the therapist. And so that's the spelling of my first name, K-R-I-S-T-E-N-T-H-E therapist, T-H-E-R-A. T-H-E-R-A-P-I-S-T. And then my other.
speaker-2: I put you on the spot, I'm sorry.
speaker-0: The other one is... And then my other Instagram is at the real Chrissy love. it's R-E-A-L-K-R-I-S-S-Y-L-O-V-E. And so you can always reach me on there. You can send me a DM. And again, you know, if there's any referrals or resources that I'm able to provide, if you're looking for a therapist and I'm... available and I have openings I'm willing to and work with.
speaker-2: The different types of medical insurances ⁓ you take or is it cash? Out of curiosity, because you know.
speaker-0: I am, ⁓ kenneled with Kaiser. So I do a lot of, ⁓ referrals that I get from Kaiser. And then I'm also contracted with, ⁓ Rula. And so I'm contracted with them and I am seeing their clients and I am also contracted with Daybreak. And then I accept.
speaker-2: ⁓ Cash is always good. Andres, Stan, we want to thank you again for being a guest on the show. And this episode will premiere in two weeks, I think. Two, three weeks.
speaker-1: three because we still got to get the other one that we just did last.
speaker-2: Yes. So in three weeks and we hope that you.
speaker-0: I think I'm already subscribed and thank you for having me.
speaker-1: I would hope not. Welcome back to another episode of Educators Game On. Today we have a really special guest. I've had the pleasure of working with her in the education sector. But before I introduce her, I need to apologize to her and for any other LMF, not to do it again, LMFTs. So during our premiere episode, I misspoke. I announced that I have
speaker-0: Now that we were gonna
speaker-1: in upcoming shows, LMFTs. But when I said it, I said, licensed family marriage therapist. You see my conundrum? You see how I messed that up, right? So I'm taking the time now to apologize because that is your occupation. That is your career. And I want to make sure that I am not misspeaking and mispronouncing your title. And you've earned that title. So I need to... give you your due. coming to the stage, Kristen Woods, LMFT, Licensed Marriage Family Therapist.
speaker-2: So happy to have you on here. The first question I do have for you just to jump right into it is there's a misconception that a lot of people think that LMFTs, you guys are like, you just do like groups like husband and wife or partners, but in reality you take on single people as well, correct?
speaker-0: Yes, that's correct. So our license allows us to treat everyone. So we can do children, we work with teenagers, adults, individuals, couples, families. So it encompasses a wide range of ⁓
speaker-2: Well, let me ask you, who your ⁓ main clients? May I ask?
speaker-0: I primarily serve adults, individuals, and then I also work with children.
speaker-2: I know Rhonda has a few questions over here. ⁓
speaker-1: So that we now that we have the title out of the way, I would like to know what drew you to this occupation? What was it that made you want to become an LMFT?
speaker-0: Well, to be honest, I had graduated with my bachelor's and I decided to pursue a master's degree. So when I started the master's program, I started out in special ed. So I was going to, at the time I was working for the school district as a sub teacher and I did a lot of special ed classes. And so I decided, okay, well, I've kind of seen the dollar signs and I'm like, well, I'll just go. and pursue a master's in special education and I'll become a special ed teacher. Well, after one to two classes into the program, I said, I don't want to retire in a classroom. And so I was talking to my best friend who was also pursuing a master's degree. And she said, well, why don't you do psychology, counseling psychology? And I'm like, well, what am I going to do with that? And she was like, well, there's a lot of things that you can do with it. Well, just so happened at the university that I was attending, National University, they had the Counseling Psychology Program with an MFT emphasis. So even going into that, I still really didn't have any direction. I had no clue where I was going and what I was doing. But after getting more into the program, so I switched from the SPED program to the Counseling Psych- program and after getting more into that program I had a little more direction but even upon like graduating I still didn't know exactly where I was going so I'm thankful for all of the jobs that I had because they helped me to get to where I am today and so that's kind of how I got into this field. Completing the degree, obtaining license, well I had to do my internship first and then obtaining licensure and then that's what kind of led me here, but I do believe that my steps were ordered and I'm at where I'm supposed to be because originally before starting the program, I wanted to become a criminal defense attorney and I didn't go to law school because I just simply couldn't afford it at the time. so that's how I ended up.
speaker-2: been doing this particular job.
speaker-0: Well, I completed my program in 2011, so I've been licensed since 2017, March of 2017. So it's been that I've been licensed, but I had to work as an intern leading after graduation.
speaker-2: was my next question. How long was your internship?
speaker-0: Well, so for me, it took a little bit longer because I did have a family and I was working, but I wasn't necessarily working in the field. So once I graduated from my, while attending school for the master's degree, I was working as a substitute teacher. And then towards the end of my, about the last six months of my program, I was able to transition over to Tarzana Treatment Centers where I worked as a case manager and a benefit specialist. And so once I completed, I graduated, my supervisor made provisions for me to start collecting hours, but it wasn't a lot of hours that I was collecting over there. So I worked there until I was able to transition over to Children's Bureau. And then I was able to finish up all my hours there, which was perfect for me because... you are required to complete so many child hours as an intern. And so I was able to do that and then sit for the state exam. There's, two parts. There's a law and ethics. So you have to take the law and ethics first. Once you pass the law and ethics thing, you can take the clinical exam, which was like the most stressful exam that I've ever taken in my life. But I was fortunate enough to pass on the first attempt. both exams. Once I passed those exams, then I became licensed. So it took me from graduation to licensure about six years, but there are people who can complete it in like two to three years if you're able to work.
speaker-2: full time. That's great. That's great. Another question I have. Well, let let Rhonda go ahead and ask a couple of questions. Yeah. I'm hogging the whole...
speaker-0: session.
speaker-1: Yes. So I would like to know, because I just like to know how to handle things head on. I want to meet people where they're at. So how would you handle an aggressive or angry client if you've ever had one? You seem so mild. I don't think anybody would ever come at you.
speaker-2: Yeah.
speaker-0: So the way I would handle an aggressive client, which I have not had, I've had verbally aggressive, because sometimes people are dealing with different life situations that cause them to become aggressive. It doesn't have to necessarily have anything to do with you or me and my practice, but they're just frustrated with life. And so the way that I would handle an aggressive client is to deescalate them. I would talk to them. I would validate their feelings. and try to get an understanding of what they're experiencing, what triggered them or caused them to feel that way and help them to work through and resolve whatever issues that they're dealing with.
speaker-2: Has the family unit evolved since you've been working in this field or has it been evolving for the better or for the worse?
speaker-0: Well, I think that it's a continuum, so it's evolving, but there's still a lot of work to do. And so, I do want to ask a clarifying question. Are you referring to my family unit or people in general?
speaker-2: When you are giving them therapy, how has that been impactful for the family unit? I should say that.
speaker-0: would say it can help decrease some of the issues that they're having as a unit. Improving communication. And communication is key, it's critical because a lot of problems that people have can very easily be resolved when they're talked about. And so those simple conversations, just learning how to listen and listen for understanding, you may not always necessarily agree. and that's okay, but learning how to listen and understand where a person is coming from, what it is that they're trying to communicate with you is helpful in improving the family's life.
speaker-2: Having said that, guess that's the number one important factor when trying to bring the families back together is communication. Correct? Absolutely. What are the mental health that you have to deal with yourself? Because you're listening to people's problems every day. How do you deal with your mental health?
speaker-0: Absolutely. self-care. So I try to do lot of self-care for myself. love spa days. Exercising is helpful for me. Sometimes I just come in my room and I'm like, okay, I need a moment. I need some time for myself. And then really just setting boundaries, you know, recognizing that it's okay to say no, I don't have to show up for everyone and just giving myself time and space to enjoy life and kind of decompress. Vacation, so that's another way that I take care of myself. Because you do deal with a lot, you deal with a lot of personalities, you deal with a lot of different feelings and emotions and problems that people experience on a day-to-day basis. And so you do have to take that time for yourself.
speaker-1: What does a typical day look like in your current role?
speaker-0: So what I didn't share earlier is that I do also work for the district as a social emotional learning specialist. In that role, you do have to be licensed, a licensed clinician, whether it's a licensed marriage and family therapist, a licensed professional clinical counselor, or a licensed clinical social worker. And so in that particular role, my day to day is working with the kids, showing up for the kids every day. assisting the teachers, providing them with tools and strategies to help the students in their classrooms. I run groups. Those groups can consist of trauma groups, social skills, anger management, foster youth, and homeless youth groups that I run. And then also working with the parents. And then on the private practice side, because I do have that. that consists of me seeing the clients that I have for the day. I love working with the kids in the district, but I also love the private practice because it gives me that freedom and flexibility. So the beauty of that is I get to set my own schedule. So when I want time off, I can take time off if I want to schedule breaks during the day because I have appointments and things that I need to attend or I need to deal with my own children and family, I'm able to do that. Yeah, I love it. so that, and then, you know, once you're done with, or I'm done seeing my clients, I do, I am responsible for documentation. So that's note taking and just making sure if I have referrals that I need to complete, because I have clients who have higher needs and may need like a psyche vow. I may refer them to the psychiatrist or if there's other resources that they may need, provide.
speaker-2: Let me go back to the education. Do you need a master's degree?
speaker-0: For a license, yes. So in order to become a licensed therapist, you have to, of course, have a master's degree. Once you complete the master's degree, you have to have 3,000 hours. So you complete the 3,000 hours of internship while you're in school. So the school that I attended and other campuses may be different, other universities may be different, but the university that I attended one of our requirements, had to complete 200 hours as a trainee before graduation. One thing I did appreciate about that is we were required to complete, and this is many years ago, so I could, my numbers may be a little off, but I believe it was 24 hours as a client myself. So I was required to go to therapy. And I appreciate that because it gives you the opportunity to experience what it feels like. You do that, complete the 3,000 hours, and then you sit for the...
speaker-2: What's the retention rate for LMFTs out of curiosity?
speaker-0: Well, it depends, you know, there are some that once they become licensed, then they venture out on their own. And there's a lot of things that we can do in this field, a lot of things. So it's not just therapy. I actually have a cousin who's also a LMFT who does a lot of corporate training. And then we can do crisis response. So there's organizations and companies. who will contract you to respond to crises. So for instance, I'm just throwing something out there like 9-11, you may get a call to go out and respond and provide services to those, or if there's a shooting at a McDonald's, you may go and respond, provide support to the staff and anyone connected to those events or situations that happen.
speaker-2: You guys just kind of, it almost reminds me like a FEMA, but in the different avenue, but at the same time, it's almost similar where you guys are put into the different areas that need help because of a crisis or something that has happened.
speaker-0: Yes. And then just to kind of go back to licensing, one thing I do appreciate about California is that we are one of the strictest states. And so there's this thing called reciprocity. So I am also licensed in ⁓ Nevada. So I can practice in Nevada. I'm in the process of completing my application to become licensed in Texas. So the beauty of it is, There's other states where clinicians have become licensed and when they come to California, they have to take other classes and take the exam. I don't have to do that in a lot of the states. So there's a lot of states that I can just submit for since they're in then become licensed. at Texas, I didn't have to do much outside of. my application. Of course, I had to do live scan and fingerprinting, but I didn't have to take any courses. did not have to, you know, go back to school or take an exam there. It was just application, provide the required documents, and then.
speaker-2: Kind of like lawyers here, the same thing. People come from different states a lot of time. They have to do more tests at California mandates that they do. So that's great. So you're very, very, very versed in that. That's very good. I know you have some questions.
speaker-1: Let me jump in there. I have a question about your industry. How do you see your industry evolving in the next five years with the addition of AI? Tell me how that looks.
speaker-0: That's actually a really good question. And I think AI is great. However, you don't necessarily get that personal experience. And so I do believe that, you know, people may be going to AI for advice, but I think it's also important to seek help from a professional, someone who's actually lived and can... have these back and forth dialogues with you to help you process and work through whatever.
speaker-1: more of a human connection because AI is generated by someone, but they're not actually there. Like it's data based on what you're saying is how they respond.
speaker-0: Yes, and I've seen situations where AI has provided maybe inaccurate advice or unhelpful advice. I've heard of situations where AI has convinced, you know, young people to commit suicide. So if you're working with a live person like myself, I'm not going to encourage you to kill yourself.
speaker-1: I would hope not. I have another question since we're talking about virtual and in person. You're alluding me to believe that your preference is in person. Is that true or do you like doing Zoom?
speaker-0: Well, I prefer telehealth, which is the Zoom. However, depending on the severity of the client's symptoms, I may recommend in-person. And because I'm not currently providing in-person services, I would then refer out. What?
speaker-2: What message would you give to someone who is struggling with their mental health in a relationship? Whether it be toxic or even if it was a healthy relationship, because you can have a healthy relationship and still have mental health issues. What message would you give to someone who's struggling with...
speaker-0: I would encourage them to seek help. Seek help, work on yourself, do that self work because if you're no good, then what good are you to your relationship? And so I think it's extremely important to prioritize your mental health.
speaker-2: So in your particular field, do we need more LNF teams or is the market saturated with him?
speaker-0: No, we definitely need more. I'm seeing, and it's very interesting that you asked that question. When I graduated from my program, I had a difficult time finding an internship where I could work full time. And so there was not a lot of open positions. That's 2011. But fast forward to 20, what are we, 2026? There's... a high need for clinicians. And so now agencies are offering bonuses for people to sign on. Well, as the social emotional learning specialist with the district, when I first started in my role, the position was only open for a certain amount of time, maybe a month, maybe two months, and now it's continuous. So there's no close date on it because they need people.
speaker-2: OMFT for me, comes, brings to mind like a social worker. Is that similar?
speaker-0: Not necessarily. are, and I don't know, social work is not my scope of practice, so I don't know everything that they do. What I do know is they work a lot with like DCFS. They can also provide therapy, but I believe our background and our training is slightly different. I do know we take different exams and I think their requirements for licensure slightly differs from ours, but with Our work, like I said, we focus a lot more on mental health rather than like the social work part of things that that makes sense.
speaker-2: Do you ever go into the prisons and work?
speaker-0: I personally have not, but I do know that there are clinicians.
speaker-2: Yeah, I work there, so I know there are some, but I was just wondering if you that personally, you know, went into any of the prison and did work.
speaker-0: been offered but I just have it.
speaker-2: That's good, that's good.
speaker-1: Kristen, knowing what you know now as an LMFT, it is now 2026. You've been in the field since 2011, if I'm correct, if I've been taking correct notes, right? What advice would you give someone graduating from high school and they wanted to follow in your footsteps? What would be the first thing that you would tell them to do as far as their education? What would they need to attain? And then as far as their temperament, what type of person... would you advise them to be in that field?
speaker-0: Well, I would tell them first to keep going because you have to, of course, complete the bachelor's in order to obtain the master's degree. And then once you have master's, then you can become licensed. However, my bachelor's degree, it was in sociology with a minor in criminal justice. So you don't have to necessarily have a bachelor's in psychology. You can get it in anything. You just have to have the master's in this field. What I would tell them though is sociology, feel, and even psychology. I took some psychology courses in my undergrad is a good start, a good foundation for helping you once you get into the master's program. And then what I would also encourage them to do, your temperament, anybody can get into this field. You know, I come from a background of trauma. I've experienced trauma. was involved in a shooting. or I was the victim of a shooting when I was about 21 years old. And so what I didn't know then after that shooting is that I was experiencing PTSD. But now knowing what I wish I knew then what I know now, because I didn't go to therapy, I did not seek help, and that was something that I really struggled and dealt with for many years. And so I would encourage anybody one thing that I'd do appreciate about being in this field is that it has helped me evolve on a personal level and helped me in dealing with different situations and identifying my feelings and emotions and learning how to have healthy conversations. And so I would encourage people to go to therapy, you know, if you've experienced any type of trauma or just stress. period. It doesn't have to be trauma. It could be stress from work or stress from ⁓ friendships or relationships, but go to therapy. And then one thing I would also encourage as you're becoming licensed and even after you are licensed is to find you a good mentor, someone who is in the field, who can help to guide you as you are. mean. I, yes, I have, you know, individuals who.
speaker-2: Enter in anybody right now
speaker-0: whom I mentor and just help them along their way.
speaker-2: Thank you.
speaker-1: I was getting ready to say, she'd be mentoring me all the time, but I didn't want to go ahead and put it out there. Yeah, she'd be mentoring me.
speaker-2: Listen, are there a lot of minorities in this particular field? And if not, do we need more? you encourage people of color to get into this field? Because a lot of times you can go to a therapist that can't even relate to you because they know nothing about your background, your different, what I'm trying to say is your ethnicity. They don't know nothing about it. So they're giving you advice based off of what they think. but they really don't know anything about the black culture, the brown culture, know, whatever, the Asian culture. A lot of times they don't know anything about that.
speaker-1: They're going on book knowledge, something that they read.
speaker-0: Yes. So I always encourage, because I get a lot of like friends and family members or acquaintances who ask me to work with them, but ethically, I cannot. So I always provide referrals. And when I refer them, I'm looking for someone who is related. That's good. Yeah, absolutely. So we definitely do need more. There All right.
speaker-2: That's good, yeah, because that does make a big difference. I have been to counseling before and everything, and it's never nobody of color that I've ever, you know, never.
speaker-0: They're hard to find for sure, but they are out there. It's not a lot of us, but when I, like I said, when I refer, I try to refer to African-American or, you know, someone who looks like us. not simply because they, we are more relatable because of our life experiences and because of what we experience on a day-to-day basis.
speaker-2: Definitely true. Go ahead Rhonda, because I noticed you had something else.
speaker-1: ⁓ one question I was getting ready to ask you is how can we change the mindset of people not wanting to go to a therapist? Because people often say, I don't want to go to a therapist. It's in our community because it's so invasive and intrusive. How can we change that culture? Because we need that extra support. And, we're afraid because it's a stigma. How can we change that?
speaker-2: It's in the black.
speaker-0: Well, I think it has, it is changing and it has been changing since the pandemic. I've seen an influx, like a significant increase in people seeking and pursuing treatment. I also believe that, you know, all we can do, you know, there's that saying, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. All we can do is continue to encourage them. When I work with individuals or I'm having conversations with people and we're talking about mental health. Always tell them that therapist is not a good fit and that's okay. So try until you find one that works well or fits for you. And so I'm never offended. I've worked with individuals where they've come back and say, ⁓ you know, this isn't working. And I'm not offended. I'm not offended. And sometimes it's just simply because I, you know, I'm honest. And so I don't, I'm not going to lie to you or tell you what I think you want to hear. That's not my job. My job is to help you get to a better place. And so if I'm not being real with you, I'm doing you a disservice. And so I have had clients in the past where, and it's, you know, it's not a lot, but it happens where they're like, this isn't working and I'm, I'm not offended at all. Because like I said, every therapist is not a good fit. And if it's not working, you're more than welcome to reach out to your insurance panel to get another referral. Or if you would like, I can provide you with some. And so we just got to continue to encourage people, continue to have those conversations. And I think, you know, social media plays ⁓ an active role in with a lot of... therapists and life coaches who are speaking out on those platforms that where they see okay, there are relatable people out here where we can go to and see
speaker-2: normal time and I know it varies depending on the individual that you typically will see a patient and what I mean by that is five months, six months, I mean I know it's typically it's based on how they're evolving you know in the therapy session but typically how often does a patient usually stay with you?
speaker-0: It really honestly depends on the individual. I've had clients for a month. I've had them for six months. I've had them, I had one client that I've been seeing for about four years now. And so it just really depends on them, how much work they're doing on their own. I tell my clients, I want you to fire me because therapy is not meant to last forever. So I want them to take the skills and the tools that they're learning and put them into practice so they can move on. it just, like I said, it really just depends on the individual because there are some who come and the treatment plan could be developed for, let's say, 12 months. They may only come for two months because they feel like they're getting better and then they just stop showing up. But then they may experience a crisis and then I reach back out and say, I need to come back. Can I schedule? And so it just really depends on the client. But I would say anywhere from roughly two to 18 months, ideally. So, and the reason why I say two is because sometimes there's clients who are just dealing with like work related stress. And so they're just coming to kind of learn some skills or some tools to help them with that. And once they're starting to feel better, then they, they decrease. But what I typically do, depending on the severity of the symptoms, after the initial assessment, I may see them on a weekly basis. And as they are improving, will decrease the frequency to twice a month or once a month and then go from there. so usually you can reevaluate after if they're coming consistently after six months and then determine if you're going to continue with treatment or if it's a good time.
speaker-2: know where to send people when they therapy now.
speaker-0: Absolutely. ⁓
speaker-1: Of not. Of course not.
speaker-0: Exactly.
speaker-1: I have a question for you. How do you deal with a client who you're you're seeing but as you are going through their history you realize you need to get the other party that's involved with them in There as well like you feel like it's gonna be no good without the other person How good are you at persuading them to bring that person or does that ever happen?
speaker-0: So one thing about therapy, my job, my focus is my client. However, if I feel like these external relationships are impacting their overall mental health and wellbeing, then that's a conversation that I'll have with the client and I'll offer, we can invite them into the session. Even if they come into the session, my client is still my client. And so my job is to work with them, but we can invite, like I said, the other parties into the session, but that doesn't become a regular thing.
speaker-2: Well, you've answered a lot of questions that we didn't know beforehand and some that we did, but we we want to get clarification from the expert in this field, which is you, you know, and we're so happy that you took the time out to even come over here as a guest. And we would like to see you back again, maybe later on down the, you know, months from now, we'd like to have you again to see, talk a little bit more because this is a really wide. broad subject, it covers a lot. And we just really just touched the surface talking to you, just touched the surface right now.
speaker-1: Would you come back? Would come?
speaker-0: Would you come back? Absolutely. So I do, yes, absolutely. And I do appreciate you thinking of me. Thank you for inviting me onto your show. I'm very happy to be here and happy that I was able to share this information with you as well as your viewers and listeners. And so I would love to come back whenever you're ready for me. Just swing.
speaker-2: Is there any way that if people that are watching this when they see this episode come out that they can reach you yourself? You know, because we're here to help you also not that you need it We're just here to make sure people can reach out to you if they want to
speaker-1: Is your phone blowing up during this time? So we know you busy. We're gonna keep you busy ass.
speaker-0: Yes, I do have, I have two IG pages. One of them I'm not very active on. And that one is the, well, it's on Instagram. It's at Kristen the therapist. And so that's the spelling of my first name, K-R-I-S-T-E-N-T-H-E therapist, T-H-E-R-A. T-H-E-R-A-P-I-S-T. And then my other.
speaker-2: I put you on the spot, I'm sorry.
speaker-0: The other one is... And then my other Instagram is at the real Chrissy love. it's R-E-A-L-K-R-I-S-S-Y-L-O-V-E. And so you can always reach me on there. You can send me a DM. And again, you know, if there's any referrals or resources that I'm able to provide, if you're looking for a therapist and I'm... available and I have openings I'm willing to and work with.
speaker-2: The different types of medical insurances ⁓ you take or is it cash? Out of curiosity, because you know.
speaker-0: I am, ⁓ kenneled with Kaiser. So I do a lot of, ⁓ referrals that I get from Kaiser. And then I'm also contracted with, ⁓ Rula. And so I'm contracted with them and I am seeing their clients and I am also contracted with Daybreak. And then I accept.
speaker-2: ⁓ Cash is always good. Andres, Stan, we want to thank you again for being a guest on the show. And this episode will premiere in two weeks, I think. Two, three weeks.
speaker-1: three because we still got to get the other one that we just did last.
speaker-2: Yes. So in three weeks and we hope that you.
speaker-0: I think I'm already subscribed and thank you for having me.
