Here's a really tough question.  I am going to graduate next summer
with a Master's degree in Psychology that counts toward a license as a
Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) in California.  I live in San
Francisco and am looking to move somewhere
less expensive with a good quality of life and collect hours for my
license, and maybe settle down and practice.

California License Issues

I am currently working toward collecting my pre-graduation clinical
hours.  When I graduate, I'll need to work under a supervisor until I
collect 3,000 hours.  I would like to do this outside of San
Francisco, maybe outside of California.  I've discovered that I do not
need to complete my supervision in California.  My supervisor needs be
a psychiatrist/psychologist/MFT/MFCC/LCSW who has been licensed for
two years or more, and we need to work out of the same office or
building.  So, wherever I move, I need to find a good supervisor,
preferably one within a mental health organization where I can get
lots of feedback and support.

Reciprocity License Issues

Each state and country has its own idea of psychological licensing. 
Many places do not recognize MFT licenses at all.  Some states have
similar requirements, so that, like a lawyer, you need only pass a
licensing exam to practice in a state, while others make it quite
difficult, and require you take lots of classes.  I am willing to take
a few classes, perhaps, but I do need to be able to support myself and
get going.  I
have only figured out what I need to do to collect hours and get a
license in Hawaii so far.

Theoretical Issues

My training and preference is to work with a supervisor with a strong
psychodynamic background.  I am being trained in object relations,
Winnicot, Klein, Lacan, among other theorists.  I'd ideally like to
work in a non-profit clinic that reaches out to underserved
populations.  I want to do real psychoanalytic psychotherapy, not the
time-limited behavioral and drug treatments that HMOs and the
pharmaceutical companies try to force on people.

Ideally, I would like to attend a psychoanalytic institute and begin
my own analysis, so the place I live must have a strong community of
analysts.  The institute must accept MFTs.  I would be willing to let
the institute requirement pass as long as I could find my own analyst
and maybe join a consultation group.

Where I Want to Live

Now that I got all the weird legal/career requirements out of the way,
I can finally tell you about where I'd like to live.

Here's what I'm looking for, in order of importance:

+ High quality of life: meaning low stress, inexpensive, and good
weather (no Minnesotan-like freezing winters)  The coldest I'd like to
go is maybe the Pacific Northwest.

Please realize that my idea of inexpensive is relative to San
Francisco, however, I am going to be collecting hours for a long time
and would like to build a private practice.  I need to be able to live
okay from a low salary for a few years.

+ LGBT open.  I'm queer.  I'm less interested in moving somewhere I
can meet gay men and am more interested in living in a community that
is generally open and accepting.  I would be happy, for example, to
live in a community that has a stronger lesbian presence.

+ Decent outdoor scene - I love to ski/snowboard and surf, so a close
proximity to mountains or the ocean would be great.  I'd be willing to
settle for inland lakes as well.

+ Strong social-justice perspective - the thing I love most about San
Francisco is how so many people here are passionate about freeing the
US from our corporate dictatorship.  I'm not sure I could handle
living in Kansas and being a total corporate drone.

+ Tech industry -- this is something I can do without, but I have a
long, successful career in the tech industry that I might want to fall
back on if things get rough in my new career.  So a place with decent
high tech jobs (an oxymoron for anyone concerned with quality of life,
I know) would be good.

What I Know So Far...

I've researched moving to the Big Island of Hawaii, and know I can
collect hours there and get licensed, but have had no luck connecting
with the psychological community there, let alone any analysts.  I
haven't noticed much of a tech industry or social consciousness there
either, but after all, it is Hawaii and the weather is pretty awesome.

I am pretty interested in Vancouver, but can't figure out how to
practice there.  In general, I'd love to become a Canadian citizen and
get decent health insurance and the ability to marry who I want, but
it looks like I have to become a clinical psychologist, and that isn't
going to happen.

Research Advice

Well, this is a tall order, but I totally need some help.  If I were
doing the research, I would start by looking for psychoanalytic
institutes or communities, and then compare areas that have them with
standard of living surveys, weather, and LGBT tolerance.  This way you
can narrow things down a bit before you get into the rat-hole of
licensing and internships.

With the exception of Canada or other foreign countries, I can dig
through the licensing mess myself, but I'd prefer you get some
information on it.  I am willing to move outside the US, but only
speak English.  If you can
tell me how to make a living and get hours as an MFT in Vancouver, you
could be my new best friend.