Professional counselors in Texas are governed by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors – a subsidiary of the Department of State Health Services. Counselors are considered to be any professional who practices at the application of mental health services, psychotherapeutic services, and services using human development principles to aid people at any stage of life. The sorts of mental health intervention treatments offered by these professionals are categorized by law into four types:
- Counseling: assisting clients via a therapeutic relationship in order to aid a client through development or adjustment.
- Assessment: utilizing instruments designed to assess and interpret any of a person’s various mental categorizations, such as personality, disabilities, mental or behavioral disorders, personality, and so on.
- Consulting: aiding a client by applying scientific methods to solving a problem the client may have with a third party.
- Referral: determining if a client needs to be referred to other specialists and taking the proper steps to make it happen.
Professional counselors go through a great deal of training—often amounting to years of schooling (in some cases both undergraduate and postgraduate) and supervision. All of that work can be wiped away by one complaint. When a counselor is formally accused of having breached the duties that inhere to any of the above elements of practice—such as the duty of confidentiality, the duty against forming an inappropriate client-provider relationship, or the duty to maintain accurate records, among others—it can put their professional license on the line. A complaint filed with the Board also puts the counselor’s reputation at stake—and in counseling, a good reputation is important because trust is required in order to develop a therapeutic relationship—because the board publicizes every act of discipline it takes on its website for up to seven years.
The Board reviews every complaint filed against counselors to determine if any rules or laws have been violated. And counselors have the right to defend themselves at every stage of the process. Should things go wrong, a counselor becomes subject to some form of discipline, including administrative penalties, disciplinary action against their license, and even total revocation of their license to practice counseling.
If you have been notified of a complaint filed against you with the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors, BERTOLINO LLP can help. We are experienced license defense attorneys and we know how to navigate the complaint process against licensed counselors. We are prepared to represent you at any legal hearing or proceeding regarding your license.
Our Firm believes that immediately consulting an experienced license defense attorney to review allegations of misconduct helps ensure the most favorable outcome in your case.
With offices in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio, we serve clients all over the state. As experienced attorneys, well-versed in state and federal laws, we know how to win. Our results speak for themselves!
If you are facing disciplinary action from a professional licensing board, contact us today or call (512) 476-5757 and schedule a case evaluation.
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