A Psychologist or Counselor Near You, Wherever You Live
When you search for a psychologist near me or a counselor near me, you are usually hoping for more than a short drive. You want someone with the right training, someone who understands what you are going through, and someone you can actually see. For a long time, the clinician who fit best could be out of reach simply because they were licensed in a different state. Two interstate agreements, PSYPACT® for psychologists and the Counseling Compact™ for professional counselors, are changing that.
Why therapy used to stop at the state line
Psychologists and counselors are licensed by individual states, and the rules that apply to a session follow the client. What matters is where you are physically located during the appointment, not where your clinician's office is. Before these agreements, a psychologist in Arizona could not see a client in Ohio by video without also holding an Ohio license. That limited choice for people in rural areas, for anyone looking for a specialist, and for families who move.
PSYPACT®: one psychologist, many states
The Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, known as PSYPACT®, allows a licensed psychologist who meets its standards to provide telepsychology to clients located in other participating states. The psychologist holds an Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT™), issued by the PSYPACT® Commission, alongside a home-state license.
In our practice, Dr. Della S. Lusk, a licensed psychologist, holds the APIT™ and also has a Hawaii license, which together give her the ability to practice in over 40 states by secure video. Because Dr. Lusk works in English and Spanish, that reach also brings bilingual therapy to people who might not find a Spanish-speaking psychologist nearby.
Some types of psychological evaluation are also easily conducted online with Dr. Lusk. Whether an online psychological evaluation is appropriate for you is determined in a consultation with Dr. Lusk, which can take place online or in person at our Flagstaff, Arizona office.
The Counseling Compact™: the same idea for counselors
The Counseling Compact™ does something similar for licensed professional counselors. A counselor licensed in a member state can receive a privilege to practice in other member states once those states begin issuing privileges. Ms. Alethea Braun-Dunagan, M.A., a Licensed Professional Counselor in our practice, sees clients by secure video in the states where the Compact is already issuing privileges, and that list grows as more states come online.
When a couple or family lives in more than one state
These agreements matter most when the people who want to work together are not in the same place. A couple may be living apart for a job or a deployment. A college student may be several states from home. Adult children and aging parents may be spread across the country, and blended families often span more than one household.
Couples and family sessions can work across those distances, with one important condition: each person needs to join from a state where the clinician is authorized to practice. It helps to confirm where everyone will be before the first session, so that the whole couple or family can take part. Ms. Braun-Dunagan and Dr. Lusk both see couples and families, and having a psychologist and a counselor with different state coverage gives more households a workable option.
What this means for you
- More choice: you can look for the clinician whose training and approach fit your needs, not only the one closest to home.
- Continuity: if you travel or move, you may be able to continue with the same clinician when your new location is a participating state.
- Access: people in rural or underserved areas can reach care that may not exist locally.
- In person when you want it: clients who live in or near Northern Arizona can also meet with us at our Flagstaff office.
Our primary approach is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), adapted to each person with cultural awareness. Whether we meet in Flagstaff or by secure video, the work is the same careful, individualized care.
If you are not sure whether we can see you, or everyone in your family, where you live, we are glad to help you find out. You can check your state on our telehealth by state page, meet our providers, read about couples counseling, or contact our office.
Sources: PSYPACT®, Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact Commission; Counseling Compact™, Counseling Compact™ Commission.
This post shares general information and is not a substitute for professional care.