High Pass Education was founded in 2017 as Ben Caldwell Labs, with a mission of providing innovative tools to help therapists become more clinically effective and professionally successful.
About Ben Caldwell, PsyD
I'm a California licensed marriage and family therapist (#42723) specializing in working with couples. I serve as Adjunct Faculty for California State University Northridge, and occasionally teach for The Wright Institute in Berkeley. My research has been published in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy and several other peer-reviewed journals.
My History as an Advocate
In 2005, I was hired by Alliant International University to launch our MFT program on our Sacramento campus. Knowing that I would be moving to Sacramento, I volunteered to serve on the AAMFT-CA Policy & Advocacy Committee. I knew nothing about advocacy, but I figured I would be close by where licensing board meetings happen, so I could at least show up.
AAMFT-CA made me the chair of that committee, a role I held for a decade. In that role, I learned a great deal about what therapists can accomplish in the policy world. We just have to show up and build relationships.
In the time I've been involved in advocacy, I've had a hand in groundbreaking and impactful legislation:
- My wife Angela and I drafted some of the language for SB1172, California's first-in-the-nation ban on reparative therapy for minors. The bill has survived a Supreme Court challenge and become a model for states around the country.
- I led the charge to change the title of prelicensed MFTs and Clinical Counselors to "Asssociate" rather than "Intern."
- I worked with CAMFT and the BBS to streamline the process of MFT licensure, allowing California MFTs to get licensed more quickly.
Today, I remain deeply involved in policy impacting mental health professionals. I attend all meetings of the BBS and its committees, and work with other stakeholders to improve the laws and regulations governing mental health work.
What High Pass Education Offers
High Pass Education provides books, online exam prep courses, on-demand continuing education courses, and additional resources for mental health professionals. Our exam prep courses are offered at much lower prices than competing programs, as part of our advocacy on behalf of prelicensed therapists.
