Licensed. At Last.

A reflection by Zackery A. Tedder, Psy.D.

In 2006, I walked into my first undergraduate psychology course at the community college with a quiet sense of curiosity and a backpack full of possibility. I didn’t know then how long the road would be. Or how winding. I was armed with an idea but had no concept of what it meant. Back then, I didn’t have a five-year plan. I didn’t know anything about pre-doctoral internship and practicum hours, postdoc hurdles, or the utter alphabet soup of credentials. I just knew that people mattered. Their stories mattered. And I wanted to understand them. Somewhere deep down, I think I also knew that I needed to understand myself, too.

The years that followed weren’t linear. Life took its many turns. I was in college in 2008 when the economy tanked, but I persevered. Even through failed relationships, moving, jobs I outgrew, and losses I didn’t see coming. I entered the field at the master’s level in 2011 and worked hard for every inch of clinical ground I gained, finally earning my license to practice in 2012. I learned in the grittiest of conditions: courtrooms, treatment centers, schools, the state hospital.,probation offices, jails, but on the other end of heartbreaking phone calls and on the other side of the table from people whom I genuinely connected with as a part of their journey.

There were moments I thought I’d stop. Not because I didn’t love the work, but because the finish line kept moving. In 2018, I got declared an independent clinician by the board of psychologists. I had started my doctoral pursuits in 2016, and thought, why am I still going? The reality of the process of becoming a licensed clinical psychologist in this country is nothing short of brutal. It demands resilience. It tests your identity and resolve. And it will, at some point, make you question why you ever started.

But today, FINALLY, after all those years, hours, pages, sessions, reports, supervision logs, and sleepless nights, I can finally say it:

I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist.

Not just a postdoc in training. Not in progress. Not “almost.” I am here. Fully. Officially. Proudly.

This title isn’t just a credential. It’s a culmination. It’s a deep exhale. It’s the moment you realize that persistence is more than discipline, it’s an act of faith. You keep showing up because some part of you still believes in the work, even when the system around it wears you down.

So here we are.

At the helm of a practice I’m building from scratch. With the freedom to serve clients and courts the way I believe is right. With a voice I intend to use and a mission I plan to grow. To be as accessible as possible to the people of the community. We are here for it.

If you’ve been following my work, thank you. If you’re new to what we’re doing at Waypoint Psychology, welcome! This moment marks the beginning of something bigger.

More to come. And I can't wait to share it with you.

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Dr. Zackery A. Tedder, Psy.D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Waypoint Clinical & Forensic Psychology