The path to becoming a licensed mental health therapist is not an easy one. It requires years of undergraduate and graduate school, competency exams, hours and hours of supervision and client contact, and the passing of a state or national licensing exam, along with continuing education to maintain licensure. But for some, a more daunting challenge is the process of introspection that is required.
There is a misconception that therapists are perfect or lead near-perfect lives — that’s far from the truth. What typically separates great therapists from average therapists is the amount of work that they’ve put in to understand their own brokenness. One therapist’s journey Arguably the most talented therapist I know, Las Vegan Jimmy Monaghan has lived a life that could well inspire a smash-hit Netflix documentary.
He was exposed to a lot as a child, including deep-rooted traumas that led him to develop vices such as substance addiction. Addiction led him down dark paths, including brushes with the law. However, he clung to hope and his faith, along with an incredible wife who stood by his side.
Monaghan today is a licensed clinical professional counselor and supervisor, and a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor supervisor. He is also an executive director for Olive Crest, a community-based agency that focuses on developing strong families and safe kids. The abbreviated licensing credentials listed after his name could form an alphabet.
But on top of being a great.
