Kathleen’s Public Comments LPC Board 6-6-25
I'm Kathleen Mills LPC-S and I currently supervise 4 associates.
I watched the video of the last MFT meeting and was dismayed to hear the head of the board calling for action to interfere with the financial relationship between a business owner and it's labor force. I don't believe that type of action is within the purview of any of our boards.
Splits are determined based on business expenses and the right of the person who's putting up the capital to run a business and make a profit. Splits are not determined based on feelings, social ideology, or what the uninformed who wish to run things from their Facebook Groups think.
An entitled generation of grad students has made enough noise to convince people that any split that doesn't meet their arbitrary idea of what's "fair" must be coming from a heartless, greedy supervisor. That's not the case and I find it insulting that the MFT Board even implied that. I certainly hope the LPC Board doesn't follow them down that errant line of thinking.
Lisa Marchan asked what could be done about supervisors who are being unfair and "taking advantage" of associates with their splits?
Three Things to Consider
Maybe academia could take just one hour of time, 60 minutes, and teach grad students how business-oriented splits are based on business expenses not social entitlement. Manage some expectations. That would really help our interview process out here.
Maybe the boards could set an example by not giving credence to the idea that all supervisors are greedy opportunists. Just because a grad student with only 300 practicum hours and 80k in school loan debt I had nothing to do with ISN'T taking home 70% or more of every dollar doesn't mean I'm a bad person. NO business owner takes home 70% of every dollar earned.
But here's the most important way to fight the handful of bad supervisors that are out there.
As an associate if you don't like the split being offered and the program that goes with it then vote with your feet and look elsewhere. THAT'S how the free market works, and THAT'S how you'll root out the few that do need a spotlight on them. But we have to better inform our grad students how the process needs to work.
When Do Supervisors Get to Matter?
I've had associates interview and tell me they couldn't survive, couldn't pay their student loan debt or their car payment on my very fair splits which are based on my expenses and the program and services I offer.
So their expenses matter, but mine don't?
It's not my duty or obligation to pay off their student debt or pay out what they think I should just because someone online has determined what's fair or not. Things are expensive, student debt is out of hand but looking to make supervisors your scapegoat is not the answer.
One More Thought
I suggest you spend your time over-hauling the 40-Hour Supervisor Training requirement to something that more closely reflects how the real world works; something that might actually teach supervisors how to accurately calculate and then explain their fair split to associate interviews. We'd be happy to consult with you on that if that would help.
Thanks for listening.
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About the Author
Kathleen Mills is a fire-breathing, 33+ year veteran of the counseling world. People react in one of two ways when evil touches their lives: some retreat in fear, and some advance without pause to engage it. Kathleen falls firmly in the latter group. She owns and operates Life Tree Counseling in Frisco, TX, possesses a tireless work-ethic, and eagerly awaits your arrival into her growing army of warriors.
