Choosing the Right Therapist
As you go through the process of choosing the therapist that will best serve your needs, it may appear that there is a confusing array of academic degrees, licenses, and certifications used in the psychology profession. Some will be “licensed”, some “certified”, and others will be “registered.” They may also list a particular orientation like psychoanalytic, psychodynamic, cognitive/behavioral, gestalt, or solution-focused. Quite understandably, many people are confused about what all of these initials and titles mean. They may be unsure about just what they should be looking for, and they worry about making a wrong choice. These concerns can be heightened by the fact that when you’re in emotional pain, you want help and you want it right away.
Wisdom, empathy, compassion and character are all attributes you’ll want your therapist to have, but they aren’t enough. Knowledge and good professional training are essential.
You will want a therapist who has acquired all of the following:
- Intensive academic study in a field of mental health:
A good, competent therapist starts with a master’s or a doctorate in a field of mental health (e.g., MA, MS, MSW, PhD, PsyD, MD).
- Supervised clinical experience:
It is important to know whether or not the therapist you are considering choosing has completed an extensive psychotherapy training program (“clinical training”). This could have been part of their academic degree, or it could have been a separate postgraduate program. You want a therapist who has also benefited from supervised training.
- Certification or registration or licensure:
This can come from a government licensing board, or some other credentialing organization. Some of the more common designations you might see include: LCSW, CSW, MFT, LMFT, MFCC, AAPC, LPC, NCC, or NCPsyA.
There are many ways to approach people’s problems. Depending on their personal background, training, and preferences, therapists attribute problems to different sources. Some look to childhood events, some to the interrelationship of family members, others to faulty thinking, bad habits, or societal and cultural influences. Make sure your therapist’s beliefs and philosophy are at least somewhat in sync with your own views.