How does therapy actually work, how do you find a good one, and what’s the difference between counseling/therapy/psychiatrists/psychologists/etc.?
In: Other
There’s already a lot of conversation on degrees and education, so I won’t focus on that much here. All I’ll say is that degree mostly tells you 1. how much research experience the person has (PhDs are research-heavy), which frankly has little to do with you in therapy, and 2. some insight into the therapist’s background (social workers look at social factors impacting mental health, marriage/family therapists use the whole family system in treatment, etc.)
Honestly speaking, your relationship with the therapist is the biggest driving factor for change. So, don’t focus too much on degree when looking for a therapist.
Finding a “good” therapist is all about finding a good fit for you. Some people scoff at the idea of Christian or religious therapy, but others would only feel comfortable with a therapist who shares their spiritual beliefs. Therapists with a strong background in research may be a good fit for clients with specialized and complicated problems (like multiple severe mental disorders), but typically wouldn’t serve diverse populations as well as social workers. So, your search should mostly focus on the therapist’s personality, with a little consideration for specialization.
Personality is basically random. It’s normal to “shop around” and see a few therapists before finding someone who you mesh with. Please remember to ask plenty of questions when you do this! Therapists understand that shopping around is a part of the process, and they don’t get offended by it. They want to help you find a good fit, too.
Specialization is easier to recognize. What’s important to note here is that certifications and trainings have nothing to do with the therapist’s degree, as they are acquired after graduation. The degree is foundational knowledge; the certification/training is specialization.
While not every problem needs a specialist, that information can be helpful to know. Psychology Today’s website is actually a great resource for looking up therapists in your area, and you can filter results by many things including the issue you want treated and the type of therapy used to treat it.
As a general rule, most therapists are experienced in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). Trauma specialists are often trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and, for youth, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). Marriage Therapists typically pursue training in the Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)/Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT). Child therapists usually have training in things like Sandplay and other play-oriented methods. However, this barely scratches the surface of certifications so there are certainly other models that are useful with these problems.
Again, it’s the therapist’s individual personality/skills and their relationship with the client that makes therapy successful – the method that the therapist uses is pretty much secondary. And, honestly, very few therapists are “purists” – most would call their approach “integrative” which means that they pull skills and theories from multiple models (called “common factors”) into their work. Just focus on how you feel in the therapy room with them and they’ll figure out a treatment that works for you. That’s their job, after all.
Latest Answers