What it Means to Work with a Pre-Licensed Therapist in Minnesota (and Why It Can Be a Great Fit)
- 3 days ago
- 8 min read
When you are searching for a therapist in Minnesota, you might notice that some clinicians have letters after their name that look a little different - LGSW, LAMFT, or LPC instead of LICSW, LMFT, or LPCC. If you have wondered what that means and whether it should change your decision, you are not alone. It is a completely fair question, and you deserve a clear, honest answer.
The short version: a pre-licensed therapist in Minnesota is a fully trained mental health professional with a graduate degree who is completing their required hours of supervised practice on the path to full, independent licensure. Far from being a red flag, working with a pre-licensed therapist at MindBalance Mental Health Care offers real advantages, including built-in support and oversight that many independently licensed clinicians lack.
Let's review what it means.
What does a pre-licensed therapist in Minnesota actually mean?
Every therapist in Minnesota - no matter what their specialty - must complete a graduate degree (a master's or doctoral degree in social work, marriage and family therapy, counseling, or a related field) before they can work with clients.
After earning that degree, they do not automatically receive a license. They have to:
Accumulate thousands of hours of supervised, post-graduate clinical experience working directly with real clients
Receive regular, ongoing supervision from a board-approved clinical supervisor throughout that entire period
Demonstrate specific education and training in required areas
Pass one or more state and/or national licensing examinations
The supervised period - before the full, independent license is granted - is what we mean when we say pre-licensed. Your therapist has their graduate-level training. They are working in the field. They are seeing clients. And they are doing so under a structured, board-regulated system of oversight and support.
At MindBalance Mental Health Care, every pre-licensed therapist on our team is supervised by an independently licensed clinician who is registered and approved as a clinical supervisor by their respective Minnesota licensing board.
Who are pre-licensed therapists at Mindbalance Mental Health Care?
Depending on their training background, our pre-licensed therapists in Minnesota hold one of the following licenses:
LGSW - Licensed Graduate Social Worker | An LGSW has earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and has passed the ASWB Master's examination — a national licensing exam — before the LGSW license is granted. They are working toward their Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) credential, which requires 4,000 to 8,000 hours of clinical supervised practice (including at least 1,800 hours of direct clinical client contact), 200 hours of supervision across that period, documentation of 360 clinical clock hours in six specific clinical knowledge areas, and passing the ASWB Clinical exam — a second, more advanced national licensing exam. |
LAMFT - Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist | An LAMFT has completed a graduate degree in marriage and family therapy and has passed the AMFTRB National Examination in MFT — a national licensing exam — before the LAMFT license is ever granted. They are working toward their Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) credential, which requires completing a minimum of 4,000 post-graduate supervised hours in the practice of MFT and passing the Minnesota state oral examination — all under a board-approved supervisor throughout. |
LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor | An LPC has a master's or doctoral degree in counseling from an accredited program and has passed a national counseling examination. All of our Minnesota therapists pursuing the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) credential must first apply to and register with the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy as an LPC. The LPC requires 2,000 hours of supervised post-degree professional practice, and each therapist works from a board-approved supervision plan throughout that period. |
Want the full breakdown of what each credential means, what exams are required, and where each license leads? Read Understanding Your Minnesota Pre-licensed Therapist's License: LGSW, LAMFT, and LPC Explained |
What is a board-approved clinical supervisor in Minnesota?
This is the piece that really matters - and it's worth understanding in some detail, because it speaks directly to the quality of care you receive.
Not just any licensed therapist can supervise a pre-licensed therapist in Minnesota. Each licensing board - the MN Board of Social Work, the MN Board of Marriage and Family Therapy, and the MN Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy - has its own specific requirements for becoming a registered, board-approved clinical supervisor.
To become a board-approved supervisor in Minnesota, a clinician must:
Already hold an active, independent license in their field
Have practiced independently for a required period - in most cases, at least two years of post-licensure independent practice before they can even apply
Complete 30-45 hours of training specifically focused on clinical supervision - not just general continuing education, but education dedicated to the skill and ethics of supervising other clinicians
Apply to their Minnesota licensing board for formal review and approval
And it does not stop there. To maintain their status as a board-approved supervisor, they must continue to complete supervision-specific training during each licensure renewal period, which happens every two years. This means the people guiding our pre-licensed therapists are not only experienced clinicians; they are professionals who have specifically invested in learning to supervise well and who are held to an ongoing standard by the state of Minnesota.
What does supervision actually look like?
Clinical supervision is not a quick check-in. It is a structured, professional relationship built around your therapist's growth and care.
Your pre-licensed therapist meets regularly - typically weekly - with their clinical supervisor to:
Review their current cases, always with your confidentiality protected
Discuss treatment approaches and what is working
Work through any questions or challenges that have come up
Continue developing clinical skill, ethical practice, and professional judgement
Assist with helping to stay on track with the licensure process
In practical terms, this means your therapist has an experienced, credentialled clinician actively engaged in supporting their work with you. They have individual and group supervision with a clinical supervisor. If a situation is complex or a new approach might be helpful, your therapist is not navigating that alone - they have a built-in consultation relationship with a seasoned clinician.
Many independently licensed therapists seek consultation with other licensed clinicians. Your pre-licensed therapist has it built-in, required, and ongoing.
To understand exactly how clinical supervision works and what qualifies someone to provide it in Minnesota, read: What is Clinical Supervision in Therapy - And Why It Matters for your Care in Minnesota. |
How MindBalance mental health care supports our pre-licensed therapists
At MindBalance Mental Health Care, all of our pre-licensed therapists are hired as W2 employees - regardless of how many hours they work. This is a deliberate choice, and it matters for your care.
In many mental health practices, therapists - including pre-licensed ones - are hired as independent contractors, classified as 1099 workers. On paper, the difference is about taxes and employment status. In practice, it reflects something deeper: the extent of control, support, and integration a therapist actually has in their practice.
A 1099 independent contractor arrangement means the therapist is largely operating independently. The practice has limited say over how, when, and in what way they work. There is less built-in infrastructure around them - less administrative support, less practice-wide coordination, and often a more transactional relationship between the clinician and the organization. For pre-licensed therapists, especially, this can mean less day-to-day support beyond their required supervision hours.
A W-2 employment relationship is fundamentally different. As employees, our pre-licensed therapists are part of the MindBalance Mental Health Care team in a full and meaningful sense. The practice can provide direction, support, and oversight in ways that are not possible - and in some cases not legally appropriate - in a contractor arrangement. This includes:
Integration into practice-wide training, consultation, and professional development
Administrative and operational support so therapists can focus on clinical work
A consistent, structured relationship with the practice and clinical supervisor
Access to practice resources, policies, and team community
This is not just an operational detail. It is a values decision. Hiring pre-licensed therapists as W-2 employees, for any number of hours. -is an expression of our commitment to anti-oppressive practice and to supporting our team with the same care and dignitiy with bring to our therapy participants. Independent contractor arrangements can shift financial and professional risk onto the clinician in ways that we believe are disproportionate and inequitable, particularly for therapists who are still building their careers and working toward licensure.
When your therapist is genuinely supported by the practice they work for - not just contracted to do it - that stability and investment shows up in the space with you.
Still have questions about working with a pre-licensed therapist? We have answered the most common ones. Read: Common Questions About Working With a Pre-licensed Therapist in Minnesota |
What pre-licensed therapists bring to the table
Beyond the structure of supervision, pre-licensed therapists often bring something that is easy to undervalue: genuine motivation and engagement.
Clinicians in this stage of their careers have often just completed intensive graduate training, meaning their frameworks, research, and evidence-based practices are fresh. They are deeply invested in their therapy participants, in growing their skills, and in doing excellent work.
At MindBalance Mental Health Care, our pre-licensed therapists work within the same values that define our entire practice: anti-oppressive holistic mental health care rooted in the belief that every person deserves to be met with dignity, respect, and genuine understanding - not judgment.
You are in good hands
Choosing a therapist is a personal decision, and it should be an informed one. We hope this helps you feel more confident about what a pre-licensed therapist means in Minnesota - and what it does not mean.
Working with a pre-licensed therapist at MindBalance Mental Health Care means working with someone who is trained, licensed, and actively supervised by a board-approved clinician, and deeply committed to your well-being. It means your care is being supported by not one, but two professionals dedicated to getting it right.
If you have questions about any of our therapists or supervision arrangements, we are always happy to talk with you. Transparency is part of how we show up for the people we serve.
Go Deeper
This post is part of a series on working with pre-licensed therapists at MindBalance Mental Health Care. Explore the other posts below:
What is Clinical Supervision in Therapy - And Why It Matters for your Care in Minnesota | A closer look at how clinical supervision works, what board-approved supervisors are required to do, and why that structure benefits you as a client.
Understanding Your Minnesota Pre-Licensed Therapist's License: LGSW, LAMFT, and LPC Explained | A plain-language guide to what each pre-licensed credential means, what exams are required, and where each therapist is headed
Common Questions About Working With a Pre-Licensed Therapist in Minnesota | Direct answers to the questions we hear most - including whether pre-licensed therapists are qualified, how they compare to independently licensed clinicians, and what support looks like at MindBalance Mental Health Care.
Ready to find the right fit?
Reach out to MindBalance Mental Health Care today to learn more about our team and schedule a consultation.
About the Author
Merrily Young-Hye Sadlovsky (she/her/hers), MSW, LICSW, LCSW, is a therapist, clinical supervisor, and co-owner of MindBalance Mental Health Care, an independent holistic mental health practice serving Minneapolis and individuals across Minnesota. She is an EMDRIA EMDR-Certified Therapist and teaches clinical courses as an adjunct faculty member in an MSW program in Minneapolis. Her work focuses on culturally responsive, trauma-informed therapy supporting adoptees, BIPOC, immigrant, and LGBTQ communities, and college and graduate students navigating anxiety, OCD, trauma, disordered eating, and life transitions.
Educational Disclaimer
The information shared in this blog is for educational and informational purposes only and reflects our perspectives and understanding at the time of writing. It is not intended as medical, mental health, legal, or insurance advice, and should not be relied on as such. Reading this content does not create a therapeutic or professional relationship. For guidance specific to your situation, we encourage you to consult with a qualified professional.
