There are more than fifty types of therapeutic approaches. With the ability to improve or transform people's lives, many people find a career as therapists very rewarding. Because there are a wide variety of different types of therapists, you can focus on the area of mental health that best suits your specific interests. Reviewing a list of some of the most common types of therapists can help you decide which one you might want to explore further.
An addiction therapist is a counselor who has specialized training to help their clients overcome substance abuse problems. They can help their clients process problems from their past that may have led to their addiction. Some addiction therapists work one-on-one with clients, while others may work as a group with several people struggling with addiction who can share their individual experiences and support each other. This type of counselor works with clients who are experiencing challenges due to a mental disorder.
For example, a behavioral therapist may work with clients who are struggling with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, helping them develop coping strategies so that they can improve their daily lives. A divorce therapist is a counselor who specializes in helping couples who are struggling in their marriage and feel they are approaching divorce. The therapist often works individually with each of the partners, as well as with the couple together. Some of the common topics that divorce therapists discuss in this type of counseling include communication, infidelity, inequality, and abuse.
This type of therapist has specialized training that enables them to treat children 17 and younger with emotional, behavioral, and mental disorders. May work in private practices, schools, or as part of a medical team. Clinical therapists are similar to behavioral therapists in that they help their clients overcome the challenges they have related to mental health problems. However, rather than just helping their clients cope with their problems, clinical therapists also focus on treating the underlying problems that cause their clients to experience problems in other areas of their lives.
A cognitive-behavioral therapist (CBT) is a counselor who uses behavioral and psychotherapeutic techniques to help his clients address a variety of different psychological problems, such as substance abuse, depression, and eating disorders. A dialectical behavioral therapist (DBT) is a therapist who treats patients who have borderline personality disorder (BPD) or other types of serious mental illness. This type of specialization is less common than the other types of therapists mentioned above, as BPD is extremely rare. An addiction therapist is a specially trained counselor with the knowledge, skills, and clinical experience to help clients overcome substance abuse problems.
This could take the form of an individual therapy in which the therapist helps his client overcome the traumas related to his addiction. Clinical therapists are very similar to behavioral therapists in that they use their counseling training to provide clients with therapeutic interventions that help them overcome difficulties related to mental health problems. Cognitive therapy focuses on the thoughts that clients have that derail healthy mental functioning. As a result, cognitive therapists work to help their clients identify problematic thinking patterns and create new, healthy cognitions that lead to greater functionality and greater life satisfaction.
A cognitive behavioral therapist is a highly specialized counselor who uses psychotherapeutic and behavioral techniques to help his clients address a wide range of psychological problems, from depression and anxiety to substance abuse and eating disorders. Psychiatrists are doctors (MD or DO) who can prescribe medications to their patients, in addition to practicing psychotherapy. Psychologists are similar to psychiatrists, but they cannot prescribe medication. In a scenario where they believe a patient would benefit from medication, psychologists often have a working relationship with other psychiatrists and doctors to facilitate that conversation.
Psychologists usually have a PhD (Ph, D or Psy, D typically) and are trained to understand how mind and behavior correspond. You may see that some psychologists are listed as counseling psychologists and others as clinical psychologists; the main difference is that a counseling psychologist helps patients deal with more day-to-day problems, where clinical psychology can focus more on serious mental illnesses. That said, they both consider themselves licensed psychologists and neither will prescribe medication. Psychodynamic therapy developed from psychoanalysis, a long-term approach to mental health treatment.
Psychodynamic therapy may be a long-term approach to mental health treatment, compared to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and other types of therapy. Traditional psychoanalysis is an intensive form of treatment that people can go to for years. Research suggests that many people continue to improve, even after completing psychodynamic therapy. Behavioral therapy is a focused and action-oriented approach to mental health treatment.
Behavioral Therapy Can Help You Change Your Behavioral Responses. Another important principle in humanistic therapy is unconditional positive consideration. This simply means that your therapist will accept you, even if they don't agree with you on some things. Humanistic therapy is particularly useful in dealing with the negative (perceived or real) judgment of others.
Probably the most common form of therapy falls on the work of a psychotherapist. Day-to-day tasks often involve regularly scheduled and strategically directed conversations with patients who have emotional problems or barriers. To succeed in this position, psychotherapists must be patient and caring listeners who help clients continually examine their feelings and actions, cope with past mental illness or trauma, and repair damaged or difficult relationships. There are different types of psychotherapists, but most require a postgraduate degree in the field and experience in some form of counseling.
Psychiatrists, who can prescribe psychotropic medications, need a medical degree. If you enjoy working with children and have the ability to communicate in a way that they understand, then a career as a play therapist may be for you. These therapists participate in different types of creative games to give children a familiar environment to express and overcome difficult emotions and situations. Play therapists use specific activities such as drawing, storytelling, and puppet shows to help children improve communication, solve problems, and constructively adapt their behavior.
Play therapists usually have a master's degree and are accredited by national organizations such as The Association for Play Therapy and the British Association of Play Therapists. A PhD will allow you to progress in an academic research role. Speech therapists, also known as speech-language pathologists, help treat and prevent speech and swallowing disorders in both children and adults. These conditions can result from a wide range of causes, including stroke, brain injury, cleft palate, or developmental delay.
Speech therapists help patients to strengthen the necessary muscles, improve their voice and fluency, and expand their vocabulary and grammatical knowledge. Speech therapists often work with a whole treatment group that includes doctors, surgeons, physical therapists and social workers. You may prefer to specialize in a particular age group or speech problem. While several therapist careers focus on helping with mental health, there are other forms of therapy.
Patients who have suffered a chronic injury, illness or condition often require physical therapy to regain function and mobility. Physical therapists (PT) use exercises, stretching, and hands-on manipulation of the limbs, joints and muscles to help rehabilitate patients and mitigate their pain. They also guide patients in the temporary or permanent use of assistive devices, such as crutches and wheelchairs. Educational requirements may vary by country, with some requiring postgraduate degrees.
To succeed in this position, you'll also need good communication, interpersonal, and teamwork skills to pursue a career as a physical therapist. Massage therapists use repetitive movements to manipulate the client's muscles and other soft tissues in order to relieve pain and stress, improve circulation, and help heal injuries. May work independently or as employees of a spa or health care provider. Massage therapists usually combine their treatment with chiropractors and physical therapists.
Licensed social workers usually have at least a master's degree in social work. Most master's degree programs can be completed in two years, but some allow students to earn their degree with one year of graduate study. Marriage and Family Therapists Treat Mental Disorders and Psychological Problems. But instead of working only with the individual, they work in the context of families and relationships.
Licensed professional counselors often assess individuals experiencing mental distress, perform individual and group therapy, and help clients who are facing crisis situations. Therefore, these professionals can work in a variety of areas and settings within mental health. Instead, these therapists advise their clients on dietary recommendations that will help improve their physical, mental and emotional well-being. It may be an intense commitment, but the good news is that there are many types of therapy careers to pursue.
Like many types of therapy careers, marriage and family therapists often earn a master's degree in the field or a related topic, such as psychology or psychotherapy. A cognitive therapist is someone who offers short-term therapy to help their clients find new ways to behave by changing their thinking patterns. Physical therapists often work in hospitals or physical therapy clinics, where they work closely with the patient and their doctor to find an exercise plan that fits their physical and emotional limits. Just keep in mind that it's equally true that psychologists aren't better trained as therapists by default than other types of therapists just because they have a doctorate rather than a master's degree.
It could also take place in a group setting where addicts work together with the therapist to support each other in recovery. As a music therapist, you can help hospitalized patients reduce pain, help autistic children communicate, and lessen the effects of dementia on older adults. To become an LPC, LMHC, LCSW or LMFT, a therapist needs to earn a master's degree in the chosen field. These therapists can counsel couples through major life changes, job loss, relationship problems, or divorce.
The therapist helps patients devote time to self-examination and self-reflection, identifying their problematic relationship patterns to help them lead a healthier life. Therapists who employ this type of therapy are very focused on education, setting achievable goals, and measuring client progress. They then ensure that therapists follow ethical guidelines and professional standards after they are licensed. Sex therapists can also play an educational role, offering workshops and seminars on topics such as healthy sexual expression, sexual harassment and LGBTQ issues.
If you want to use your creative abilities to become an art therapist, you'll also need some advanced studies in psychology. A trauma therapist, or trauma counselor, is a mental health professional who has specialized training and clinical experience to work with people who have experienced a traumatic event. . .
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