Credentials
What it means to work with an RMHCI in Florida, and how supervision fits in.
In Florida, RMHCI stands for Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern. It's the credential for someone who has completed a graduate degree in clinical mental health counseling and is now working through the supervised hours required by the state before becoming fully licensed as an LMHC, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.
The word "intern" tends to conjure the wrong image, something closer to a college student shadowing a professional. That's not what this is. An RMHCI has already completed a full graduate program (in my case, an M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University), passed the required state exam requirements to register with the Florida Department of Health, and is providing real clinical therapy to real clients. The internship period is about accumulating supervised direct-client hours, not about training in a classroom.
Every case I work is done under the direct clinical supervision of a Qualified Supervisor, in my case Elizabeth Ann Mahaney, LMHC, through South Tampa Therapy. That means a fully licensed clinician is actively reviewing my clinical work, available for consultation, and accountable for the quality of care being provided. It's not a formality; it's an added layer of oversight that fully licensed therapists working independently don't have.
Rates are often somewhat lower than a fully licensed clinician with many years in practice. Some clients also simply connect better with someone earlier in their career, whose specific training (in my case, in attachment-focused work) is current and directly relevant to what they're looking for. Licensure level isn't the only thing that determines whether a therapist is a good fit.