Jessica Richards, LMHC owner of The Center of Life Counseling and Administrator of The Beginning Counselor’s of Florida. During my last year of grad school, in 2013, I knew I wanted to be in private practice and work with college age students struggling with anxiety and depression. It was the very reason I began my degree in psychology and counseling in the first place.

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Little did I know that the journey would be met with many hurdles and struggles that I was not prepared for. I now take my experience and journey and share it with new grads and registered interns providing tips and tools to have a successful internship to licensure journey.

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A few fun facts about my experience:

1. My licensure experience lasted from 2013-2017, approximately 4 years. More than the 2 year’s many assume it takes. 
2. I had over 4 qualified supervisors throughout this period, most at the same time. 
3. I was in private practice the entire journey along with agency and group contract work. 
4. I took 4 months off from the field altogether after a “post-grad existential crisis” 
5. I took the NCMHCE 3 times. 
6. I taught CEU courses for licensed clinicians during internship. 

A few fun personal facts about myself are I freaking love love adventures, traveling, fishing is a new hobby I’ve started within the last year or so, painting, and animals. I’m trying to learn how to golf but, have no idea what I’m doing just seems like a Floridian thing to do.