Psychotherapists, psychologist, licensed clinical social workers,
counselors, therapists, licensed professional counselors, licensed marriage
and family therapists, psychiatrists... these are all generic labels for
someone in the business of helping others with their problems. In
Sydney, anyone can legally call themselves a "psychotherapist","counselor" or "therapist".
As a matter of fact, anyone can legally practice psychotherapy in
Sydney, regardless of their academic education or professional
training...or the lack thereof. There are significant differences in
training, qualifications and experience from one practitioner to another.
The business card and shingle may be very shiny but take very close note - a
six week course does not a "Therapist" make - beware.
Regardless of whether or not Counselling and Psychotherapy is regulated or
not it's best to be selective when you put your mental and physical health
at the mercy of any practitioner.
Unfortunately, there is no easy way to know who is competent, ethical or
effective in helping others. However, you can learn how to interview a
prospective therapist and assess whether that person matches your personal
needs and concerns.
Determining Competency and Ethical Standards
Membership in a recognized professional organization however, like the
Psychotherapist and Counselling Federation of Australia or the Sydney
Counselling Association for example, may be important. Associations like
these may hold the practitioner accountable for following their
organization's professional code of ethics.
The Importance of Interviewing a Referred Therapist
Even though a therapist may come highly recommended and has many years of
experience helping countless others, he or she still may not be the right
match for you or your needs. It is essential that you feel comfortable with
the person whom you will inevitably entrust with your deepest secrets and
fears. Take some time to interview a few different therapists. You have a
right to ask questions and make an informed choice.
Assessing Competence
The following questions may further help you to determine the level of
competence of the therapist you are interviewing by assessing their
professional training, credentials, licenses, organizational affiliations
and history of experiences in clinical practice.
- What diploma and graduate degree did they receive? From which school? What
year?
- Did they graduate from a specific clinical training program from their
university? What was their major?
- How many years have they been practicing therapy? How long privately?
- What was their previous employment prior to private practice? Did they
work in clinical agencies?
- Do they currently have a clinical supervisor who reviews their work? For
how many years? If not, why not?
- What professional organizations are they a member of? What was the
criteria for membership?
- How much and what kind of specific experience have they had treating any
particular problem you may be concerned about?
- What specific personal experiences or training programs qualifies them to
practice their style of therapy? Have they been in therapy themself?
- Do they carry liability (malpractice) insurance?
- Have they had any formal complaints filed against them?
Evaluating Referral Sources
Some caution is advised however when receiving referrals from personal
recommendations.
Take into account who you are receiving the referrals from. Friends,
relatives or neighbors may not necessarily be the best judge of competence
or be able to determine the right match according to your needs. Selecting a
friend's therapist could also raise concerns of loyalty, competitiveness or
confidentiality.
Doctors or clergy may not necessarily know very much about psychotherapy or
the different approaches and practitioners. You might wind up being referred
to a doctor's colleague or friend, who is biased towards a particular
treatment approach accepted among their limited professional circle only.
The same holds true for referring mental health professionals.
Evaluate for yourself how well the person you are receiving referrals from
understands your needs and how knowledgeable they are about varying styles
and approaches that differ from their own. Also, do not choose a therapist
who you may already know socially. It is unethical for a therapist to work
with someone with whom he or she may have a dual relationship.
Other Referral Sources
Other sources for referrals can be found by ads in the yellow pages, local
newspapers, and other free community magazines and directories available at
restaurants and shops around town. Keep in mind that these advertisements
are designed to catch your attention and do not necessarily provide any
assurance that the person is qualified, experienced or reputable. Attending
public presentations or workshops by therapists is another way to get
introduced and learn about one's personality or practice style.
Psychotherapy referral services may appear to be a good way to get
referrals, but they typically only give out names of therapists who have
paid a marketing fee to the company or get a commission for making the
referral. If you call an agency or large group practice for a referral, you
may be assigned to a therapist solely on the basis of who has an opening in
their schedule. If you have selected a health insurance plan which limits
you to seeking treatment only from an "in network" provider, you may get
referred to a therapist selected solely because their post code location is
nearest to yours. You may also find that that therapist in the provider
network is severely restricted to the kind and amount of therapy covered
under your insurance policy.
After asking around, you may find that the same person is recommended from
several different sources of referrals. That may be a good sign that you
have found someone competent. But, are they compatible? Regardless of which
method you ultimately use to get a particular therapist's name, it is
essential to follow up with a personal interview. Only then can you better
assess for yourself if working with this person is right for you.
Understanding the Different Credentials
There are a wide variety of master's and doctoral degrees available to
someone who seeks to become a therapist. In addition, after completing
certain post-graduate training programs or meeting specific criteria
established by state or national professional organizations, one can obtain
an ever widening variety of certifications which may indicate additional
achievement in a particular area of practice.
Unfortunately, there are also an increasing number of "degree mills" and
self serving training programs which enable anyone to obtain an official
looking graduate "Diploma" or framed "Training Certificate" for the right
price. It is often difficult to discriminate between the legitimately
recognized universities and organizations from the meaningless ones.
Summing It All Up
A highly recommended, experienced and licensed therapist may have the right
credentials, with a wall covered with prestigious diplomas and certificates,
and still not be very effective in helping you. Some people have a natural
ability to listen and communicate well with others. This factor alone can
sometimes make all the difference in being helped. In the long run, the
theoretical practice style or technique one uses may not make much
difference at all. Most likely, the ideal therapist for you has a healthy
balance of:
* professional credentials and training
* a natural ability to communicate
* a long history of having helped many others effectively with caring and
respect.
