# Dr. Laura wants her first amendment rights back... **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 18, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594 "2010-08-18T01:27:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/121 "2010-08-18T19:19:25Z")
> [@capeo](#): > > > [@Shodan](#): > > > > Could I see a cite, please? > > Again, I would like to see a cite that it is illegal to refer to yourself as a psychotherapist if you have a post-doctoral certification. > > > > Regards, > > Shodan > > Post 97 and a quick google search. > > As for the illegality? Do you really have to ask if it is illegal to represent yourself as a licensed medical provider when you are not? Here’s some clarification from a quick search (bolding mine): > > > [@](#): > > > > The title “psychologist” is protected by California law, and is reserved for doctors trained in professional psychology and licensed by the Board of Psychology(BOP) to diagnose and treat mental and emotional problems. All of the states delineate similar requirements in order to practice psychology. (Neuropsychologists are licensed psychologists with extensive training in neuroscience and brain-behavior relationships that is in addition to their training as psychologists. Neuropsychologists are minimally required to be doctors who hold a license through the BOP.) > > > > Consumers may be understandably confused because the title “psychologist” is often erroneously used to refer to those who are not doctors, and do not hold a clinical license. For example, a “school psychologist” typically holds a master’s degree and is not licensed (see “What is a School Psychologist” below). **To make matters even more complicated, other master’s level practitioners such as social workers (LCSW), marriage & family therapists (MFT), and licensed educational psychologists (LEP) sometimes incorrectly identify themselves as psychologists.** LEPs, LCSWs and MFTs are licensed by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. > > > > The differences? Too many to mention, but simply put (and probably most understandable to the layperson), is the amount and difficulty level of the training involved. A master’s degree in psychology generally takes 2 years to complete, whereas a doctorate takes an additional 4-6 years of training past the master’s level. Besides doctoral-level coursework, the Ph.D. in professional psychology requires prolonged supervised fieldwork. It also requires training as a scientist…in research methodology and statistics, as well as completion of a major research project (dissertation). Additionally, the doctor who is licensed is required to complete lengthy post-doctoral training and supervision, as well as national and state examinations (boards) that evaluate competency. > > [http://www.child-neuropsychologist.com/html/body\_common\_questions\_child\_psychol.html](http://www.child-neuropsychologist.com/html/body_common_questions_child_psychol.html) That’s all very nice, but we were talking about “psychotherapist”. Do you have a cite for that? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/122 "2010-08-18T19:25:05Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Okay. Was there anyone saying it was a secret? You asked if there was government involvement, and I said if there was any, it would be public knowledge. More important, Schlessinger hasn’t said the government is involved. So this is kind of pointless. > [@](#): > > What were the threats? A boycott? Public protest? Letter bombs? Complaints to the FCC? Again, does anyone know the specifics? The only person who has alleged there were threats, boycotts, or anything else is Laura Schlessinger. And she did not make any comments about the reaction to this incident. She made a more general comment about what happens when she says something that upsets people. There were calls for boycotts and other actions after her comments about gays years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/123 "2010-08-18T19:32:30Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Sure, email USC and get some confirmation that she has anything which could be accurately described as “post-doctoral certification” in marriage or family counselling. Here is the text of the e-mail I sent to the Dean, USC Rossier School of Education: Question about a post-doctoral certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy Dear Dr. Gallagher: A recent news item about radio host Laura Schlessinger included, as part of her C.V., her “post-doctoral certification in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling from the University of Southern California.” Numerous other websites, including Schlessinger’s own, also make this statement. Does USC offer such a certification, or did you at some point previous to this? And to the extent you can answer, so far as you are aware, does Laura Schlessinger have such a credential? This inquiry is purely a matter of personal interest, and has nothing to do with my position at _(my organization)._ If you cannot comment on this, I certainly understand. Thanks in advance for your time and attention to this question. I will report back any response. (I mentioned my organization because I used my work e-mail, and wanted to make clear it’s a personal and not professional inquiry. I redacted here for obvious reasons). ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/124 "2010-08-18T19:33:21Z")
As the branch is bent [so grows the tree - Dr. Laura’s son Deryk Schelssinger becomes a monster](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmgAylbZjss) [http://mostlywater.org/dr\_lauras\_little\_monster](http://mostlywater.org/dr_lauras_little_monster) ---
**Author:** ![capeo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@capeo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capeo)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/125 "2010-08-18T19:34:35Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > > [@capeo](#): > > > > Post 97 and a quick google search. > > > > As for the illegality? Do you really have to ask if it is illegal to represent yourself as a licensed medical provider when you are not? Here’s some clarification from a quick search (bolding mine): > > > > [http://www.child-neuropsychologist.com/html/body\_common\_questions\_child\_psychol.html](http://www.child-neuropsychologist.com/html/body_common_questions_child_psychol.html) > > That’s all very nice, but we were talking about “psychotherapist”. Do you have a cite for that? > > Regards, > Shodan Actually, you got me there. I was thinking _psychologist_ in my head the whole time. A little research shows there are only four fields allowed legally to call themselves psychotherapists in California and MFTs are one of them. So she can call herself a licensed psychotherapist after all. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/126 "2010-08-18T19:38:02Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > > [@Shodan](#): > > > > Please provide a cite, then. > > A cite that she’s never been licensed? Are you kidding me? Do states keep data bases for people who are not licensed psychotherapists? > > You’re the one claiming she’s ever been licensed in anything. This burden is on you. But that has already been cited many times, and you don’t seem to notice. You made a claim that she had falsified her credentials. The burden of proof, therefore, is on you, and you haven’t even come up with one single cite for any of the nonsense you are pitching. I understand how it works for you, where you make things up and repeat them over and over until people get tired of wasting time on your nonsense, and then you have the feeling that you have established your point by sheer pig-headedness. I am simply highlighting this, so that no one makes the mistake of taking your assertions seriously. You made this claim > [@](#): > > She also falsely claims to be a college professor on that same page of her book. which is false ([cite](http://www.biography.com/articles/Laura-Schlessinger-9542197)). You made this one > [@](#): > > She doesn’t have a post-doctoral certification. which is also false as has been cited. Like I say, it is important to good debate that it is clear which statements are reliable, and which are not. Yours in this thread are not. > [@capeo](#): > > Actually, you got me there. I was thinking psychologist in my head the whole time. A little research shows there are only four fields allowed legally to call themselves psychotherapists in California and MFTs are one of them. So she can call herself a licensed psychotherapist after all. See how it works for honest debate, **Diogenes**? Now think who comes out of this exchange looking better? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/127 "2010-08-18T19:40:48Z")
> [@astro](#): > > As the branch is bent [so grows the tree - Dr. Laura’s son Deryk Schelssinger becomes a monster](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmgAylbZjss) > > [http://mostlywater.org/dr\_lauras\_little\_monster](http://mostlywater.org/dr_lauras_little_monster) Supposedly there’s a video of him beating and stomping a woman at an anti-war protest too. Sounds like a total psychopath. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/128 "2010-08-18T19:46:01Z")
Nevermind…already covered. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/129 "2010-08-18T19:46:44Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > > > A cite that she’s never been licensed? Are you kidding me? Do states keep data bases for people who are not licensed psychotherapists? > > > > You’re the one claiming she’s ever been licensed in anything. This burden is on you. > > But that has already been cited many times No it hasn’t. Cite? > [@](#): > > You made this claim which is false ([cite](http://www.biography.com/articles/Laura-Schlessinger-9542197)). You made this one which is also false as has been cited. Nope, both of those claims are true. She has never been a coillege professor (seh claims in her bio that she was on the “faculty” but she wasn’t), and no cite (other than her own biography) has been shown that she has ever been licensed in any state to perform any kind of psychotherapy. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/130 "2010-08-18T19:51:23Z")
> [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](#): > > [QUOTE=Whack-a-Mole] > > Aren’t we supposed to not hold someone’s impulsive youth against them later? (“I smoked, but I didn’t inhale…” 😛 ) > > I won’t defend her latest gaff, but she ain’t Hitler, either. You know who else wasn’t Hitler when he was younger? Hitler! [/QUOTE] 🙂 Just to clear up any misunderstandings, I think the mistyped attribution with the quote function was unintentional. I said that, not **Whack-a-Mole**. ---
**Author:** ![capeo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@capeo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capeo)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/131 "2010-08-18T19:57:29Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > > [@Shodan](#): > > > > But that has already been cited many times > > No it hasn’t. Cite? > > > [@](#): > > > > You made this claim which is false ([cite](http://www.biography.com/articles/Laura-Schlessinger-9542197)). You made this one which is also false as has been cited. > > Nope, both of those claims are true. She has never been a coillege professor (seh claims in her bio that she was on the “faculty” but she wasn’t), and no cite (other than her own biography) has been shown that she has ever been licensed in any state to perform any kind of psychotherapy. I don’t believe she’s ever been on the faculty of anything because the only thing I can find is her having guest speaking engagements and her own bio. She is, in fact, a licensed MFT in Cali though: [http://www2.dca.ca.gov/pls/wllpub/WLLQRYNA$LCEV2.QueryView?P\_LICENSE\_NUMBER=14914&P\_LTE\_ID=720](http://www2.dca.ca.gov/pls/wllpub/WLLQRYNA$LCEV2.QueryView?P_LICENSE_NUMBER=14914&P_LTE_ID=720) I did a license search on the California BBS website. None of this makes me loathe her any less and I still think she’s a raging hypocrite, but she is a licensed raging hypocrite. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/132 "2010-08-18T19:59:48Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > See how it works for honest debate, **Diogenes**? Now think who comes out of this exchange looking better? Actually, **Diogenes** did identify a valid point. He cannot cite the claim “She’s never been licensed.” He rejects the evidence from Schlessinger herself. His claim, in other words, is two-fold: (1) Schlessinger has never been licensed in any state or by any licensing board; and (2) Any claim to the contrary originating from Schlessinger herself is unacceptable to prove this point. So it’s true that the burden rests with his opponents to [show the contrary.](http://www2.dca.ca.gov/pls/wllpub/WLLQRYNA$LCEV2.QueryView?P_LICENSE_NUMBER=14914&P_LTE_ID=720) Where his position may become untenable is in what evidence he _will_ accept. It’s not unreasonable, in other words, to take the position that Schlessinger herself is lying. It would be unreasonable to say, at the other extreme, that only a notarized copy of her original license, “long form,” from the vault in [del]Hawaii[/del] California would suffice to prove the point. ---
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/133 "2010-08-18T20:01:32Z")
> [@capeo](#): > > . . . She is, in fact, a licensed MFT in Cali though: > > [http://www2.dca.ca.gov/pls/wllpub/WLLQRYNA$LCEV2.QueryView?P\_LICENSE\_NUMBER=14914&P\_LTE\_ID=720](http://www2.dca.ca.gov/pls/wllpub/WLLQRYNA$LCEV2.QueryView?P_LICENSE_NUMBER=14914&P_LTE_ID=720) > > I did a license search on the California BBS website. > > None of this makes me loathe her any less and I still think she’s a raging hypocrite, but she is a licensed raging hypocrite. So, to make this crystal clear, when **Dio the Expert** averred (indeed, the claim that set us down this path to begin with): > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > She has no credentials in mental health or counselling whatsoever. He was completely incorrect, and that further, a modicum of research, rather than going off half-cocked, would have made that apparent. Is that not a fair assessment of the situation? And what effect, in your opinion, should this have on his credibility when making subsequent similar claims? ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/134 "2010-08-18T20:04:51Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > > > Sure, email USC and get some confirmation that she has anything which could be accurately described as “post-doctoral certification” in marriage or family counselling. > > Here is the text of the e-mail I sent to the Dean, USC Rossier School of Education: > > Question about a post-doctoral certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy > > Dear Dr. Gallagher: > > A recent news item about radio host Laura Schlessinger included, as part of her C.V., her “post-doctoral certification in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling from the University of Southern California.” Numerous other websites, including Schlessinger’s own, also make this statement. > > Does USC offer such a certification, or did you at some point previous to this? And to the extent you can answer, so far as you are aware, does Laura Schlessinger have such a credential? > > This inquiry is purely a matter of personal interest, and has nothing to do with my position at _(my organization)._ > > If you cannot comment on this, I certainly understand. > > Thanks in advance for your time and attention to this question. > > I will report back any response. (I mentioned my organization because I used my work e-mail, and wanted to make clear it’s a personal and not professional inquiry. I redacted here for obvious reasons). Thanks for doing that, **Bricker** , but as someone who fields requests like this for my own university, I can say you probably will be told (if you hear from them at all) that they can’t release that information without the consent of the former student involved. For a case like this involving a public figure/celebrity/someone in the news, I can almost guarantee they won’t bother trying to get that consent. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/135 "2010-08-18T20:06:46Z")
Ok, she’s a licensed MFT in California. I was wrong. Fuck me.:mad: She’s still a really SHITTY MFT, and it’s still an artifice for her to call her certificate “post-doctoral,” but I was wrong to say she doesn’t have ANY credentials. Fuck me, I hate being wrong. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/136 "2010-08-18T20:11:03Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Ok, she’s a licensed MFT in California. I was wrong. Fuck me.:mad: > > She’s still a really SHITTY MFT, and it’s still an artifice for her to call her certificate “post-doctoral,” but I was wrong to say she doesn’t have ANY credentials. Fuck me, I hate being wrong. :mad: Considering the bad faith arguments you offer up to avoid these admissions, I can only imagine how much you hate it. > [@Duke](#): > > Thanks for doing that, **Bricker** , but as someone who fields requests like this for my own university, I can say you probably will be told (if you hear from them at all) that they can’t release that information without the consent of the former student involved. For a case like this involving a public figure/celebrity/someone in the news, I can almost guarantee they won’t bother trying to get that consent. I hope they’ll be able to comment on the general existence of the certificate, which will also put the skids to **Dio** ’s “artifice” claim about the existence of anything called a post-doctoral certificate. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/137 "2010-08-18T20:14:35Z")
I’m dead certain it will just be an ordinary certificate that she calls “post-doctoral” only because she got it after she got her doctorate in Physiology. I honestly don’t see how she could have qualified for a real post-doctoral program in psychology without even an undergrad degree in psychology. Physiology just doesn’t translate. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/138 "2010-08-18T20:15:16Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I hope they’ll be able to comment on the general existence of the certificate, which will also put the skids to **Dio** ’s “artifice” claim about the existence of anything called a post-doctoral certificate. Yeah, that would be a good outcome as well. Personally I’d wished you’d just asked that question, because asking about a specific person would give them all the more reason to ignore the e-mail. After all, it’s right before the start of the Fall semester and the Dean’s Office is probably swamped right now. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/139 "2010-08-18T20:21:13Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I’m dead certain it will just be an ordinary certificate that she calls “post-doctoral” only because she got it after she got her doctorate in Physiology. I honestly don’t see how she could have qualified for a real post-doctoral program in psychology without even an undergrad degree in psychology. Physiology just doesn’t translate. Here’s what she needed to get that license: California Business and Professions Code Section 4980.36: > [@](#): > > (b) To qualify for a license or registration, applicants shall possess a doctor’s or master’s degree meeting the requirements of > this section in marriage, family, and child counseling, marriage and family therapy, psychology, clinical psychology, counseling > psychology, or counseling with an emphasis in either marriage, family, and child counseling or marriage and family therapy, obtained > from a school, college, or university approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education or accredited by > either the Commission on the Accreditation of Marriage and Family Therapy Education or a regional accrediting agency recognized by the > United States Department of Education. The board has the authority to make the final determination as to whether a degree meets all > requirements, including, but not limited to, course requirements, regardless of accreditation or approval. > . > . > . > (d) The degree described in subdivision (b) shall contain no less than 60 semester or 90 quarter units of instruction that includes, > but is not limited to, the following requirements: > (1) Both of the following: > (A) No less than 12 semester or 18 quarter units of coursework in theories, principles, and methods of a variety of psychotherapeutic > orientations directly related to marriage and family therapy and marital and family systems approaches to treatment and how these > theories can be applied therapeutically with individuals, couples, families, adults, including elder adults, children, adolescents, and > groups to improve, restore, or maintain healthy relationships. > (B) Practicum that involves direct client contact, as follows: > (i) A minimum of six semester or nine quarter units of practicum in a supervised clinical placement that provides supervised fieldwork > experience. > (ii) A minimum of 225 hours of face-to-face experience counseling individuals, couples, families, or groups. Up to 75 of those hours > may be gained performing client centered advocacy, as defined in Section 4980.03. > (iii) A student must be enrolled in a practicum course while counseling clients. > (iv) The practicum shall provide training in all of the following > areas: > (I) Applied use of theory and psychotherapeutic techniques. > (II) Assessment, diagnosis, and prognosis. > (III) Treatment of individuals and premarital, couple, family, and > child relationships, including trauma and abuse, dysfunctions, > healthy functioning, health promotion, illness prevention, and > working with families. > (IV) Professional writing, including documentation of services, > treatment plans, and progress notes. > (V) How to connect people with resources that deliver the quality > of services and support needed in the community. > (v) Educational institutions are encouraged to design the > practicum required by this subparagraph to include marriage and > family therapy experience in low-income and multicultural mental > health settings. > (2) Instruction in all of the following: > (A) Diagnosis, assessment, prognosis, and treatment of mental > disorders, including severe mental disorders, evidence-based > practices, psychological testing, psychopharmacology, and promising > mental health practices that are evaluated in peer reviewed > literature. > (B) Developmental issues from infancy to old age, including > instruction in all of the following areas: > (i) The effects of developmental issues on individuals, couples, > and family relationships. > (ii) The psychological, psychotherapeutic, and health implications > of developmental issues and their effects. > (iii) Aging and its biological, social, cognitive, and > psychological aspects. > (iv) A variety of cultural understandings of human development. > (v) The understanding of human behavior within the social context > of socioeconomic status and other contextual issues affecting social > position. > (vi) The understanding of human behavior within the social context > of a representative variety of the cultures found within California. > (vii) The understanding of the impact that personal and social > insecurity, social stress, low educational levels, inadequate > housing, and malnutrition have on human development. > (C) The broad range of matters and life events that may arise > within marriage and family relationships and within a variety of > California cultures, including instruction in all of the following: > (i) Child and adult abuse assessment and reporting. > (ii) Spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, intervention > strategies, and same-gender abuse dynamics. > (iii) Cultural factors relevant to abuse of partners and family > members. > (iv) Childbirth, child rearing, parenting, and stepparenting. > (v) Marriage, divorce, and blended families. > (vi) Long-term care. > (vii) End of life and grief. > (viii) Poverty and deprivation. > (ix) Financial and social stress. > (x) Effects of trauma. > (xi) The psychological, psychotherapeutic, community, and health > implications of the matters and life events described in clauses (i) > to (x), inclusive. > (D) Cultural competency and sensitivity, including a familiarity > with the racial, cultural, linguistic, and ethnic backgrounds of > persons living in California. > (E) Multicultural development and cross-cultural interaction, > including experiences of race, ethnicity, class, spirituality, sexual > orientation, gender, and disability, and their incorporation into > the psychotherapeutic process. > (F) The effects of socioeconomic status on treatment and available > resources. > (G) Resilience, including the personal and community qualities > that enable persons to cope with adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, > or other stresses. > (H) Human sexuality, including the study of physiological, > psychological, and social cultural variables associated with sexual > behavior and gender identity, and the assessment and treatment of > psychosexual dysfunction. > (I) Substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders, and > addiction, including, but not limited to, instruction in all of the > following: > (i) The definition of substance use disorders, co-occurring > disorders, and addiction. For purposes of this subparagraph, > “co-occurring disorders” means a mental illness and substance abuse > diagnosis occurring simultaneously in an individual. > (ii) Medical aspects of substance use disorders and co-occurring > disorders. > (iii) The effects of psychoactive drug use. > (iv) Current theories of the etiology of substance abuse and > addiction. > (v) The role of persons and systems that support or compound > substance abuse and addiction. > (vi) Major approaches to identification, evaluation, and treatment > of substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders, and addiction, > including, but not limited to, best practices. > (vii) Legal aspects of substance abuse. > (viii) Populations at risk with regard to substance use disorders > and co-occurring disorders. > (ix) Community resources offering screening, assessment, > treatment, and followup for the affected person and family. > (x) Recognition of substance use disorders, co-occurring > disorders, and addiction, and appropriate referral. > (xi) The prevention of substance use disorders and addiction. > (J) California law and professional ethics for marriage and family > therapists, including instruction in all of the following areas of > study: > (i) Contemporary professional ethics and statutory, regulatory, > and decisional laws that delineate the scope of practice of marriage > and family therapy. > (ii) The therapeutic, clinical, and practical considerations > involved in the legal and ethical practice of marriage and family > therapy, including, but not limited to, family law. > (iii) The current legal patterns and trends in the mental health > professions. > (iv) The psychotherapist-patient privilege, confidentiality, the > patient dangerous to self or others, and the treatment of minors with > and without parental consent. > (v) A recognition and exploration of the relationship between a > practitioner’s sense of self and human values and his or her > professional behavior and ethics. > (vi) Differences in legal and ethical standards for different > types of work settings. > (vii) Licensing law and licensing process. And you’ll forgive me if I discount your being “dead certain” about anything. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/140 "2010-08-18T20:26:40Z")
I wasn’t talking about her license, I was talking about the “post-doctoral” certification program she claims to have gone through at USC. That has nothing to do with her California licensure. What I’m saying is that I don’t believe it was really a post-doctoral program at all, but just an undergrad program that she called “post-doctoral” because she did it after she got her doctorate. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594.md?page=8)