September
14
Is there an education difference between become a therapist and a psychologist?
Comments(3) | Under: Education Topic
In the middle of getting my BA in psychology and advisors just dont know what they are talking about.
Is there an education difference between becoming a therapist (is it easier?) as opposed to becoming a clinical psychologist? I am not looking to try and attain a Phd and i am not even sure if being a therapist requires one.
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September 14th, 2011 at 3:10 pm
Yes, there is a difference.
"Therapist" is actually a non-specific term in many states. Many types of mental health professionals can legally call themselves therapists or psychotherapists: clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), marriage and family therapists (MFT), art therapists, pastoral counselors (clergy with training in mental health issues), and others.
In many states, there is what is called "title protection" for some of these categories — that is, someone who claims to be a "social worker" must actually have specific educational credentials and be licensed to do so. Psychiatrists must always have an MD or DO (med school + residency) and be licensed, and psychologists must have a PhD or PsyD and be licensed in most states. But in a number of states, the legal requirements for using some of the other titles are not explicitly defined, so someone without a license could call him- or herself a "social worker" without actually having specific training in that field.
"Therapist" is an even more generic label; as long as one doesn’t claim specific qualifications one doesn’t have, in some states it is perfectly legal to market oneself as a "therapist" without actually having recognized qualifications to provide therapy. Some specific types of therapy (e.g. "art therapy") may require certification, or there may be a national organization that offers a credentialing process, but again this varies by state and by type of specialty.
Check the regulations of the state where you want to practice, and keep in mind that many states are moving towards greater regulation of the use of specific titles to protect consumers from fraud and harm.
Becoming a clinical psychologist, as you may already know, involves enrolling in a program of courses leading to a PhD or PsyD in psychology, completing additional clinical experiences, and also passing a certification exam to qualify for a license. The licensure requirements vary slightly from state to state in the U.S. Graduate study and clinical experiences generally take over 4 years to complete.
Social workers are often educated at the master’s degree level, and they usually complete many hours of clinical practicum during the course of their training. These programs are usually on the order of two years long (plus additional clinical experience in many cases), so they are quicker to complete than clinical psychology programs. This might be a good option for you. There are several social work "tracks" you could pursue, depending on your interests in working with different patient populations. "Psychiatric social workers" usually work with mentally ill patients in an inpatient or outpatient setting, while other types of social workers may deal primarily with marital, family, childhood, educational, occupational, and socioeconomic issues.
The link below provides some useful info about social work.
September 14th, 2011 at 3:10 pm
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September 14th, 2011 at 3:10 pm
A psychologist studies human behaviour in certain circumstances, for example in a prison situation or of that person is mentally disabled.
A therapist helps specific people with the problems they have like depression.