Therapy 101
What is psychotherapy?
My view of psychotherapy is as follows: A process through which an individual
is offered support in a safe and non-judgmental environment with the opportunity
to reflect upon their view of themselves, their view of the world as well as their choices.
Please refer to A
few words from yours truly for more details.
Who is a psychotherapist?
Psychotherapists may come from different educational backgrounds which
include, but are not limited to, the following:
Clinical Social Workers hold a Masters degree in Social
Work. Social Work training places great emphasis on exploring the effects
of one’s environment (family, work, community, culture, society) on
an individual’s mental health status. Due to Social work being a vast
field, those of us who provide psychotherapy are referred to as Clinical
social workers in order to be distinguished from others who are involved
in management, advocacy, policy making, politics, etc.
Marriage and Family Therapists, also referred to as MFTs,
have a Masters degree in psychology.
Psychologists have a doctorate degree (either PhD or PsyD)
in psychology. All psychologists receive training in testing (such as personality
tests, IQ tests, etc.), however, only a small group of psychologists choose
to conduct tests.
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who may be trained to provide
psychotherapy. Many psychiatrists
provide medication management only.
The word “Licensed” in front of the titles Psychologist,
MFT or Social Worker indicates that the psychotherapist has met the state
requirements to practice psychotherapy in a private setting by passing the
state two-part board exam.
On what basis does one evaluate their experience in psychotherapy?
One of the best ways to evaluate your experience in psychotherapy is to examine your relationship with your therapist. Therapy is an environment where clients come in with the intention of disclosing personal matters. Therefore, trusting your therapist and feeling comfortable enough to share sensitive information is of an enormous value. It is also important to regularly evaluate the mutually set goals along the way and identify improvements. If receiving months of therapy has not produced any results, it may be time to discuss lack of progress with your psychotherapist.