N.M. Stat. § 61-9-16 — NM Code / Chapter 61 / Article 9 / Section 61-9-16
§ 61-9-16. Scope of act
Status: in_force

A. Nothing in the Professional Psychologist Act shall be construed to limit:

(1) the activities, services and use of an official title on the part of a person in the employ of a federal, state, county or municipal agency or of other political subdivisions or any educational institution chartered by the state insofar as such activities, services and use of any official title are a part of the duties of his office or position with the agency or institution;

(2) the activities and services of a student, intern or resident in psychology pursuing a course of study in psychology at a school or college if these activities and services constitute a part of his supervised course of study and no fee is charged directly by the student, intern or resident; or

(3) the activities of an applicant working under supervision seeking licensure pursuant to the Professional Psychologist Act.

B. Nothing in the Professional Psychologist Act shall in any way restrict the use of the term “social psychologist” by any person who has received a doctoral degree in sociology or social psychology from an institution whose credits in sociology or social psychology are acceptable by a school or college and who has passed comprehensive examinations in the field of social psychology as a part of the requirements for the doctoral degree or has had equivalent specialized training in social psychology and who has notified the board of his intention to use the term “social psychologist” and filed a statement of the fact demonstrating his compliance with this subsection. A social psychologist shall not practice in any psychological specialty outside that of social psychology without complying with the provisions of the Professional Psychologist Act.

C. Lecturers in psychology from any school or college may utilize their academic or research titles when invited to present lectures to institutions or organizations.

D. Nothing in the Professional Psychologist Act prohibits qualified members of other professional groups who are licensed or regulated under the laws of this state from engaging in activities within the scope of practice of their respective licensing or regulation statutes, but they shall not hold themselves out to the public by any title or description of services that would lead the public to believe that they are psychologists, and they shall not state or imply that they are licensed to practice psychology.

E. Nothing in the Professional Psychologist Act shall be construed to prevent an alternative, metaphysical or holistic practitioner from engaging in nonclinical activities consistent with the standards and codes of ethics of that practice.

F. Specifically exempted from the Professional Psychologist Act are:

(1) alcohol or drug abuse counselors working under appropriate supervision for a nonprofit corporation, association or similar entity;

(2) peer counselors of domestic violence or independent-living peer counselors working under appropriate supervision in a nonprofit corporation, association or similar entity;

(3) duly ordained, commissioned or licensed ministers of a church; lay pastoral-care assistants; science of mind practitioners providing uncompensated counselor or therapist services on behalf of a church; and Christian science practitioners;

(4) students enrolled in a graduate-level counselor and therapist training program and rendering services under supervision;

(5) hypnotherapists certified by the American council of hypnotist examiners or the southwest hypnotherapists examining board, providing nonclinical services from July 1, 1994 to June 30, 1998;

(6) pastoral counselors with master's or doctoral degrees, who are certified by the American association of pastoral counselors; and

(7) practitioners of Native American healing arts.