My former T doesn't have a license. She has a PhD and I always assumed she was a psychologist but she was actually a "psychotherapist" without all the training that a T has. She didn't tell me but I found out that she was fined and had to pay $500 and changed her business cards.

When I confronted her about it, she said that her lawyer had advised her that it was not illegal to call herself a psychotherapist. Apparently, it was in my state since she was fined! In any case, she became very defensive whenever I brought up her background and said if I don't like it, to go somewhere else. I was already attached to her, so I stayed, but I was always angry with her for "deceiving people" by not being upfront about her background.

Instead of a license, she had about 30 years of experience, but it always bothered me. I think it was her ego that got to me. She used her social security number for insurance and I vaguely remember her saying something about not having a license # to give me, but it didn't resonate with me then! After she got fined she told me I couldn't try to get insurance coverage any more.

She even told me that you have to be careful because anyone can put up a shingle. She thinks very highly of herself and has a good reputation, and she was good at what she did, but it still bothered me.