Online Therapy in Arizona: Licensing and Telehealth Rules Explained

The short version for Arizona residents

Online therapy is regulated by state, and what counts is where you are sitting during the session. The Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners publishes the telehealth sections of its statutes and rules, and the rule is direct: a person who provides counseling, social work or marriage and family therapy by telehealth to a client located in Arizona must be licensed by the Board.

The same rule adds two more duties. The therapist must be competent in providing behavioral health services by telehealth, and must make sure that telehealth is appropriate for the client's needs.

This article explains what the Board's own pages say. It is general information for people looking for a therapist, not legal advice. For a question about a specific situation, the Board is the place to ask.

Who the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners is

The Board describes its mission as setting and maintaining standards of qualifications and performance for licensed behavioral health professionals in fields that include counseling, marriage and family therapy and social work, and regulating their practice for the protection of the public. It is made up of twelve members, eight professional and four public.

The letters after an Arizona therapist's name usually refer to a license the Board issues. Its list includes these, among others:

• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC)
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) and Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW)
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (LAMFT)

What Arizona's telehealth rule expects from your therapist

Arizona law defines telehealth as the interactive use of audio, video or other electronic media for health care. It does not include fax, instant messages, voice mail or email.

Beyond holding a license, the Board's rule asks a therapist who works by telehealth to do some specific things. Knowing them helps you understand a few questions that might otherwise seem odd.

Therapists licensed in another state

Arizona law contains a narrow exception. A person who is not an Arizona resident and is authorized to practice where they live may perform behavioral health services in Arizona for no more than ninety days in a calendar year. The Board's rule applies this to telehealth: someone licensed in good standing in another state, and not by the Board, may not provide telehealth to a client located in Arizona for more than ninety days.

The statute also says that a person using this exception must inform the client of the limited nature of the services and that they are not licensed in Arizona. So if a therapist you meet online does not hold an Arizona license, you should be told.

For ongoing therapy, the practical point is simple: look for someone who holds an Arizona license.

How to verify an Arizona therapist's license

The Board invites the public to search its online directory, and says that its public database is its primary source for license verification. Checking takes a few minutes.

1. 1Ask for the full name and license typeAsk the therapist for the name they are licensed under, the type of license they hold and their license number. It is an ordinary question to ask.
2. 2Go to the Board's websiteOn the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners site, the home page has a section called Searching for a Licensee, and the Verifications page links to the same search of behavioral health professionals.
3. 3Search the directoryLook the person up and compare what you find with what you were told. The Verifications page also links to a separate search for licensed professional counselors through the Counseling Compact.
4. 4Raise concerns with the BoardThe Board's home page links to a portal for filing a complaint against a licensed practitioner or an applicant for licensure.

Being physically in Arizona, and what happens when you travel

Because the rule turns on where the client is located, your location matters at every session, not only when you sign up. A snowbird who spends summers elsewhere, a college student who goes home for break, or anyone on a long work trip should tell their therapist before the session.

The Board's rule says that a licensee who provides telehealth to a client located outside Arizona must comply with the laws and rules of the place where the client is located. In plain terms, an Arizona license does not automatically cover a session you join from another state. Your therapist can tell you what is possible.

Telehealth has practical sides too. The National Institute of Mental Health notes that virtual visits need no travel and may reach people in remote areas, and that they do require an internet connection, a device, and a spot where others cannot overhear.

How we can help

Locascio Wellness is an all-virtual practice. Sessions are by secure video, and clients must be physically located in Pennsylvania, West Virginia or Arizona during a session. We match Arizona clients with a therapist licensed in Arizona. Our online therapy in Arizona page has more for Arizona residents, and you can read about our team before you choose.

Therapists on our team work with concerns such as worry and panic, which our anxiety therapy page describes, along with low mood, ADHD and relationship stress. Coverage depends on your plan, so please check our insurance and fees page or ask us to verify your benefits.

You can start with a free 15-minute consultation on our booking page. Online therapy is for ongoing care, not emergencies. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988, or call 911. Locascio Wellness does not provide emergency services.

Checking a license is a sensible first step, and a good therapist will welcome it. Once that is settled, you can put your attention where it belongs: finding someone you feel comfortable talking to.