Ben Caldwell, PsyD, LMFT

Benjamin E. Caldwell, PsyD, LMFT, is a California therapist. He serves as adjunct faculty for the graduate program at California State University Northridge, and is the author of several books, including Saving Psychotherapy and Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs. He has served on the AAMFT Ethics Committee and spent more than a decade as the Legislative and Advocacy Chair for AAMFT-California, working on groundbreaking legislation including California's first-in-the-nation ban on reparative therapy for minors. He lives in Los Angeles.

Ben Caldwell, PsyD, LMFT

The key to HIPAA-compliant email for therapists

Sending HIPAA-compliant email is a key concern for all therapists and health care providers. In fact, you may have noticed … Continued

Ethics Consult: Therapists Homesick for the Holidays

Dear Ethics Consult, Every year, many of my clients spend the holiday season talking about visits with their families. Before … Continued

How to Increase Rates for Clients in Private Practice

The costs of running your business—including rent on your office space and supplies—may have gone up over the last year. … Continued

Should Therapists Get Certified?

If you’re a therapist wondering whether you need to get certified or apply for a certification, read on. We’ll dig … Continued

How Keeping Secrets Can Help Couples Therapy Succeed

For years, my clinical specialty has been working with couples in couples therapy. When I started, I had a “no-secrets” … Continued

3 Ways for Therapists to Save Time in Private Practice

As therapists, time is one thing that we never seem to have enough of. We’re often reminded to value our … Continued

Why Most Therapists Are Not Legally Compliant

Wondering whether you’re legally compliant? When the Department of Health and Human Services released its 2020 HIPAA Audit Report, the … Continued

How to Fire a Client (Respectfully and Ethically)

Sometimes you and a client aren’t a good fit for each other. If this turns out to be the case, … Continued

3 HIPAA Compliance Errors Therapists May Be Making

Curious about how therapists can stay HIPAA-compliant and avoid HIPAA compliance errors? Just over three years ago a Department of … Continued

What to Do After a Potential HIPAA Violation

Wondering what to do after a potential HIPAA violation? First, let’s consider some of the most common ways HIPAA violations … Continued

Can a Therapist Do Telehealth Across State Lines?

Modern society is incredibly mobile. Our therapy clients may cross state lines to travel for work, visit family, go away … Continued

How Are ICD and CPT Codes Different—and Why Are They Important?

ICD codes and CPT codes are two of the most important coding systems to understand in the billing process. Whether … Continued

Clients Who Threaten and Stalk Therapists – How to Stay Safe

The overwhelming majority of those with mental illness will never become violent. That said, it’s also true that therapists can … Continued

When Can a Therapist Break Confidentiality?

Therapist confidentiality is a cornerstone of therapeutic treatment. Client confidentiality ensures all clients the knowledge and comfort that they can … Continued

Breaches of Client Confidentiality by Counselors

Confidentiality is a cornerstone of effective counseling, but there are certain scenarios that require breaches of client confidentiality by counselors. … Continued

Marriage and Family Therapists and Counselors Will Be Eligible as Medicare Providers in 2024

As a result of legislation passed in late 2022, meaningful changes are coming to the federal Medicare program in 2024. … Continued

How to Notify Clients About a HIPAA Breach

Most modern mental health practices gather and store client information digitally. Doing so can be convenient and secure—improving the efficiency … Continued

Why Therapists Stopped Creating No-Harm Contracts

No-harm contracts involve a signed commitment from the client, stating that they will not do anything to harm themselves or … Continued

How State Bans on Gender-Affirming Care Affect Mental Health Practitioners

Numerous states across the U.S. are actively considering new legislation to restrict gender-affirming health care, also called affirmative care. And … Continued

Interstate Compacts Gain Ground in Expanding Access to Mental Health Care

Interstate compacts for practitioners in the professions of psychology, counseling, and social work can help increase access to mental health … Continued

4 Ways Therapists Can Overcome Imposter Syndrome

If you suffer from imposter syndrome as a therapist, you’re not alone. Even therapists who have been in the business … Continued

Any Difference Between a Therapist and Life Coach, Psychologist, and Psychiatrist?

Is there a difference between a therapist and life coach? What about a counselor, life coach, psychologist, and psychiatrist? How … Continued

How the Counseling Compact Enables Counselors to Work Across State Lines

States and professional groups have been working on creating solutions to enable licensed mental health professionals to practice across state … Continued

How Mental Health Care Is Impacted When Federal COVID Emergency Ends in May

The U.S. government has announced that the federal COVID-19 pandemic public health emergency (PHE) declarations will officially end on May … Continued

What the No Surprises Act and Good Faith Estimates Mean for Your Practice

Wondering about the No Surprises Act and Good Faith Estimates and how they may impact your practice as a clinician? … Continued

The Controversy Over Racial Bias in Mental Health Clinical Exams

Clinical exams are used as a licensing requirement for all U.S.-based behavioral health practitioners. However, these mental health clinical exams … Continued

Why Therapists Are Getting Licensed in Multiple States

For therapists, getting licensed in multiple states used to be relatively uncommon. However, a number of social shifts helping to … Continued

Ethics Consult: Should I Write Letters on Behalf of Clients?

Dear Ethics Consult, I’ve been practicing psychotherapy for seven years now. In the past couple of years, I’ve gotten more … Continued

Ethics Consult: What to Do When Clients Speak Negatively About Prior Therapists

Dear Ethics Consult, Most of my clients aren’t in therapy for the first time. They’re frequent fliers. Usually their stories … Continued

Jobs for Prelicensed Therapists—Warning Signs to Watch Out For

You may see plenty of potential employers posting jobs for prelicensed therapists. But, as a prelicensed therapist seeking a position, … Continued

How to Hire Prelicensed Therapists

Looking to hire prelicensed therapists? It can be a great way to maximize your positive impact. Expanding your practice and … Continued

Why Some People Lie in Therapy

The therapeutic relationship is built on good faith. Clients share deeply personal information about their emotional and relationship struggles in … Continued

3 Key Tips to Self-Publishing a Book on Health and Wellness

Health and wellness professionals often want to write and publish books, and it makes sense—having a published book can build … Continued

3 Things to Know About Non-Compete Clauses

Considering the nationwide shortage of mental health providers, the agencies and companies that employ therapists are increasingly competing to recruit … Continued

Mental Health Provisions in New Compromise Gun Law

In the wake of the school shooting on May 24, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas, federal lawmakers worked to build a … Continued

3 Toxic Messages New Therapists Hear All the Time

The process of becoming a therapist is difficult. It’s long and expensive. It often involves working with high-need clients while … Continued

MFTs and Counselors Make Advances on Medicare Inclusion

For more than 30 years now, licensed counselors (LPCs) and marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) have been trying to become … Continued

Ethics Consult: Trying to Do The Right Thing

Dear Ethics Consult, My teenage client told me that she had unprotected sex. Do I tell the parents? She doesn’t … Continued

Therapists Have More Bargaining Power Than They Have in Years. Will They Use It?

The mental health professions aren’t immune from the Great Resignation happening throughout the US economy. In fact, there’s some evidence … Continued

Ethics Consult: The Client Who Wouldn’t Leave