29: Michael Pipich, LMFT – Nationally Renowned Speaker on Bipolar Disorder Discusses his Book and Licensure Requirements in the State of California

Masters in Psychology Podcast

Michael Pipich has always been interested in the field of psychology. As long as he can remember, he has found people fascinating and always wondered about their personalities, quirks, and the how and why behind their behaviors and interactions with others. He recalls one weekend when his older brother came home from college with a psych 101 book, and he spent the whole weekend looking through his book and admitted that was his first “act of academic nerdiness.” Like his older brother, he applied for admission to Loyola Marymount University and when he got accepted, he declared psychology as his major right away. Michael has been in the field of psychology for over 30 years and has treated patients with a wide range of mental disorders and relationship problems. Michael currently works as a marriage and family therapist at the Colorado Center for Clinical Excellence which has two locations in Colorado (one in Denver and the other in DTC/Greenwood Village). He has been featured on television, radio, and in print media on a variety of topics and has become a national speaker and writer on bipolar disorder. He book, “Owning Bipolar: How Patients and Families Can Take Control of Bipolar Disorder” (Citadel Press, 2018) has become an important book and reference in the field of bipolar treatment. In this podcast interview, Michael opens up about why he wrote the book and recalls his academic and professional journey in hopes that others will benefit from his advice and suggestions regarding selecting psychology graduate schools and programs. Michael also discusses the licensure requirements in the state of California regarding getting your Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) license (which used to be called the Marriage Family Child Care [MFCC] license). He explains that it really starts with the graduate school you select and attend. In his case, the program at California State, Fullerton provided the classes necessary for the MFCC (now LMFT license). Beyond that, he had to accrue over 3,000 plus supervised hours for which any licensed clinician (PhD, LCSW, MD, etc.) could sign off on. Then, he had to pass a written examination and then pass an oral examination. To learn more about his experience getting his LMFT in California, tune in to our discussion around 22 minutes into the podcast interview. Michael enjoys music, playing guitar, and has even dabbled in music composition. He also enjoys the outdoors (hiking, skiing, water sports) and believes staying active is important for a healthy life, especially if you are in a profession where you are helping people. He has been married for 32 years and has two adult children who he really loves and admires. Connect with Michael Pipich, LMFT: LinkedIn | TwitterConnect with the Show: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn https://vimeo.com/739569482 Interests and Specializations Michael Pipich treats a wide range of mental disorders and has been working with families, adults, and adolescents for over 30 years in office and via online teletherapy. His therapy style is highly interactive, and his background involves using psychodynamic, psychoanalytic, and existential theories to better understand and discuss presenting concerns with his patients. He has become known for his work with bipolar disorder and has written a well-known book on the topic. Education Bachelor of Science (BS), Psychology (1983); Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA.Master of Science (MS), Clinical/Community Psychology (1986); California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, CA. Other Sources and Links of Interest Michael Pipich, LMFT at the Colorado Center for Clinical ExcellenceMichael Pipich, LMFT at Psychology TodayOwning Bipolar: Psychology Today Blog Breakthrough with Michael Pipich (Podcast)Owning Bipolar Disorder with Michael Pipich, LMFT (Podcast) Podcast Transcription 00:00:13 BradleyWelcome to the Master’s in Psychology Podcast where psychology stu...