After graduation, one of the final steps in becoming an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) was submitting my application to the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS). On paper, the process seemed straightforward: complete the application, submit the required documents, pay the fee, and wait for the registration to be issued.
For me, however, the waiting began before I even submitted the application.
Some of my colleagues submitted their applications immediately after graduation and received their registration numbers weeks before I did. But I had made a different choice.
During the final months of graduate school, my priority was to finish my courses, complete my required hours, and make it through the many requirements that came with finishing the program. There was already plenty to keep track of, and I decided not to turn the AMFT application into another deadline.
Instead, I used the weeks after graduation to rest and prepare. I attended a BBS workshop, completed my fingerprinting, opened a PO Box, and reviewed the application requirements. I also decided to wait until my degree was officially conferred before submitting my application.
So, while some of my colleagues were already moving through the registration process, I was still preparing for it. Once my degree was conferred, I submitted my application and entered a new stage: waiting for the BBS to process it.
In that part of the process, there was nothing to do but wait, yet I followed the BBS’s weekly processing updates to get a sense of how applications were moving. I watched the processing dates advance and tried to estimate when my application would reach the front of the queue.
About six weeks after I mailed my application, the fee was processed. About a week later, I received the news I had been waiting for: my AMFT registration had been approved.
Graduate school provides a structured path. Courses have start and end dates, assignments have deadlines, and graduation is a shared milestone. After graduation, those timelines begin to separate. One person may apply for registration immediately, while another may wait. One may begin working as an associate right away, while another may take more time before starting. Each person has to find a pace that makes sense for them.
In my case, I decided how I wanted to manage the transition out of graduate school. I could have submitted my application sooner. But I wanted to finish one stage, take a short break to rest and reorganize, and only then turn my attention to the next.
Receiving my AMFT registration is a major step toward licensure, but there are still several requirements to complete before I reach that goal.
My next challenge is the California Law and Ethics Exam. I have already registered for the exam, which is scheduled for early October, and signed up for a preparation course. I plan to write about my experience studying for and taking the exam in future posts.
For now, though, I am taking a moment to appreciate this achievement. Graduate school is finished, my AMFT registration is official, and the next stage toward becoming a licensed therapist has begun.
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I will see you next week!
Roque Neto 