Can my college student keep their Texas therapist when they go to school out of state?

Often yes. Little Dove Psychology's PSYPACT-authorized psychologists can continue seeing a student virtually while they attend school in any of 42 participating jurisdictions, which cover 40 states plus Washington DC and the Northern Mariana Islands. What matters is where the student is physically located during the session, not where they have residency. If the school is in California, New York, Oregon, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Iowa, Alaska, Louisiana, or New Mexico, PSYPACT does not apply and the sessions cannot continue while the student is in that state.

PSYPACT is an interstate compact that lets licensed psychologists with an Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) provide telehealth services across participating states. As of August 2026 it includes 42 jurisdictions. Texas has participated since July 2020.

What happens during winter break or summer when my student comes home to Texas?

Nothing changes. Little Dove Psychology's clinicians are licensed in Texas, so sessions continue seamlessly whether the student is at school in a PSYPACT state or home in Texas. Coverage follows where the student physically is at session time.

My student's school is in California or New York. What are our options?

California and New York do not participate in PSYPACT, so a Texas-based psychologist cannot see a student virtually while the student is physically in those states. Options include sessions during Texas visits and breaks, a planned transfer of care to a local provider near campus with records shared, or care through the university counseling center. Little Dove helps families set this up before the semester starts.

Can My College Student Keep Their Therapist Out of State?

Here is the short answer. If your student attends school in one of 42 PSYPACT jurisdictions, they can keep seeing their Little Dove psychologist by video, same clinician, same appointment rhythm, no starting over. If their school is in California, New York, Oregon, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Iowa, Alaska, Louisiana, or New Mexico, they cannot, and we will help you plan a handoff instead. Everything below is the detail behind those two sentences.

The problem nobody warns you about

Every August I hear a version of the same story. A family spent two years finding the right therapist for their teenager. The work is going well. Then the college acceptance arrives, from a school six states away, and someone mentions almost in passing that therapy licenses stop at state lines. The family assumes it is a paperwork detail. It is not. A psychologist licensed only in Texas generally cannot treat a client who is physically sitting in another state, even by video, even if that client grew up in Austin and comes home every Christmas.

That rule breaks continuity of care at exactly the moment students need it most. The first semester of college is a known pressure point for anxiety and depression, and it is also the moment students lose their home routines, their families, and, for most of them, their therapist.

How PSYPACT changes this

PSYPACT is an interstate compact that lets psychologists who hold a specific credential, called Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology, see clients by video across participating states. Texas has participated since 2020, and our PSYPACT-authorized psychologists can treat your student in any participating jurisdiction.

The rule that decides everything is simpler than people expect: what matters is where your student's body is during the session, not where they are a resident. A Texas kid in an Ohio dorm room is covered because Ohio participates. The same kid on a semester in Los Angeles is not, because California does not. Residency, tuition status, and where the family lives are all irrelevant.

The states where it works

As of August 2026, PSYPACT covers 42 jurisdictions: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, the Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

The states where it does not work

California, New York, Oregon, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Iowa, Alaska, Louisiana, and New Mexico do not participate, and neither do Guam, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands. A student at Berkeley, NYU, or Tulane cannot continue virtual sessions with a Texas psychologist while physically in those states. Montana has passed PSYPACT legislation but the compact commission does not yet list it as effective, so we do not count it. Membership changes; the authoritative list lives at psypact.gov, and we verify before every out-of-state arrangement.

What this looks like in practice

For a family starting now, before move-in day, the sequence is unremarkable in the best way. Your student begins or continues therapy with us over the summer from home. When they leave for school in a participating state, nothing about the appointment changes except the time zone math. Evening slots tend to work well around class schedules, and college students in our practice are treated as the adults they are, with parents involved exactly as much as the student wants.

When they come home for winter break or summer, sessions simply continue, because Texas is home ground. There is no re-enrollment, no new intake, no starting the story over with a stranger in a strange town during the hardest semester of their life.

If their school is in a non-participating state

We would rather tell you the truth early than lose you a semester. If your student is headed to a school in California, New York, or another non-participating state, we help you plan the handoff: sessions while they are physically in Texas, a warm transfer to a well-chosen clinician near campus with records shared, and a clear plan for who does what if things get hard mid-semester. Some families keep us as the home-base clinician for breaks and summers while a local provider covers the school year. That patchwork is not ideal, but done deliberately it works far better than the alternative, which is nobody.

Common questions

Does my student have to be an existing client?

No. Plenty of families start with us the summer before freshman year precisely because we can follow their student to school. Starting in June beats scrambling in October.

What about study abroad?

PSYPACT covers US jurisdictions only. For a semester abroad, we plan around it: sessions during US stays, and help lining up support in the host country when that is needed.

Does insurance still work across state lines?

Coverage depends on the plan, not on PSYPACT. Many plans cover telehealth with our in-network status regardless of which participating state the student sits in, but plans vary, so we confirm yours before the semester starts. Details on our Fees & Insurance page.

What if my student transfers schools mid-year?

We re-check the map and carry on. A transfer between two participating states changes nothing. A transfer into a non-participating state triggers the handoff plan above, and we will see it coming with you.

Sending a student to school this fall?

A free 15-minute call is enough to tell you whether their school is covered and what starting would look like. Most families begin the same week.

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Dr. Kristin Kroll, PhD is a licensed psychologist, the founder of Little Dove Psychology, and holds PSYPACT authority to practice interjurisdictional telepsychology. This page describes licensing rules in general terms and is not legal advice; the authoritative source for PSYPACT participation is psypact.gov.