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I want to be a therapist



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amother
Rose


 

Post Tue, Jan 19 2016, 2:48 am
Any therapist here that can help me? My dream was always to become a therapist but somehow it never worked for me to go to school and study! I've got the opportunity now! Where do I start? What do I have to do/study? Is there such a thing as a bachelor of therapy? Or which bachelor will get me to being a therapist? Ideally I want to be a CBT therapist! I'm still young and I live in Israel! Thank you as always!
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amother
Lawngreen


 

Post Tue, Jan 19 2016, 3:22 am
I am a therapist. I am not licensed yet even though I graduated with my MA a while back because state requirements take a very very long time. I am not kidding. It is a long haul to get there and any quicky programs are worthless. BA programs, AFAIK, are not enough. At least in the USA, you usually need a masters degree, practicum and years of internships. Most of the time, these internships are not paid. Practicums are never paid. It is a long and expensive process so make sure you really want to do it and for the right reasons (and that you can do it practically- financially, you have the family/spousal support etc). You will have about 3 years in a MA program (and decent ones you typically can't get into with 1 year BA programs... you won't have all the pre-reqs.)
BA programs are only to get you into a MA/PhD program. You cannot sit for exams in the US with just a BA.
CBT is a theory of therapy. There are many of them and I didn't know so many existed until I started my MA program. I wouldn't close off other possibilities! That's one of my favorite things about the field- how to approach the same problem from a variety of viewpoints! Each MA program will differ in their approach- some are more general, some push one theory over another, and some allow the "compare and contrast" idea.

There are upsides and problems with this profession... the upsides will vary by person but some of the issues I face consistently: not being able to share your work experiences with DH, issues finding jobs/internships (field is flooded as there isn't that much funding for some programs), bumping into clients in the street. Because confidentiality rules are so strict, you could theoretically be invited to someone's house for lunch and guess who the other guest is? You have to pretend you don't know them (unless they acknowledge knowing you first). Your husband might have invited them over for Shabbos lunch but you have to find a way to disinvite without spilling the reason. (We have a rule here that if one of us wants to invite someone over, we need to ok it first and the other has veto power for no reason. That way professional rules are not broken, plus if say we don't get along with someone etc we don't have to go into the details if not necessary... so a no doesn't always mean "client").
hope this helps you!
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theotherone




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 19 2016, 8:36 am
Would you consider coaching? The education seems much easier than counseling.
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amother
Peach


 

Post Tue, Jan 19 2016, 9:05 am
Practically speaking, you can start with a bachelors in psychology or social work and then masters in either of those or mental health counselor.

I just started on this long road last semester. I began with an associates (to help reward myself with an actual accomplishment halfway to the bachelors) and then I will focus on psychology for my bachelors. I haven't done the research yet for the masters but it's too early still.

Follow your dreams! Good luck.
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amother
Indigo


 

Post Tue, Jan 19 2016, 9:15 am
I am a therapist. I have a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's in social work. I am licensed in the state I practice in.

CBT is a type of therapy. Once you get your degree, you can choose to specialize in CBT, but like a previous poster said, that's a long way off and you might change your mind before you get there. Don't close yourself off to other options.

I don't practice in the frum community so I haven't had the same experience as the previous poster. While I enjoy my job, I find that the downsides are the pay and the fact that it's based on client availability. That means I have to work in the afternoons instead of being home with my kids since that's when other people's kids are available.
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amother
Lawngreen


 

Post Tue, Jan 19 2016, 11:52 am
theotherone wrote:
Would you consider coaching? The education seems much easier than counseling.


Coaching means nothing. In the USA there are no rules about being one and ANYONE can call themselves that, even without taking a single class. Your 5 year old brother, 18 year old screeching seminary girl or the neighbors dog can technically be one. I am serious. They obviously won't get clients too quickly, but "life coaches" require nothing to the name.
Don't waste your time and money on "certificate" programs. If you want to do it, go the real route even if longer.
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amother
Rose


 

Post Tue, Jan 19 2016, 12:54 pm
amother wrote:
I am a therapist. I am not licensed yet even though I graduated with my MA a while back because state requirements take a very very long time. I am not kidding. It is a long haul to get there and any quicky programs are worthless. BA programs, AFAIK, are not enough. At least in the USA, you usually need a masters degree, practicum and years of internships. Most of the time, these internships are not paid. Practicums are never paid. It is a long and expensive process so make sure you really want to do it and for the right reasons (and that you can do it practically- financially, you have the family/spousal support etc). You will have about 3 years in a MA program (and decent ones you typically can't get into with 1 year BA programs... you won't have all the pre-reqs.)
BA programs are only to get you into a MA/PhD program. You cannot sit for exams in the US with just a BA.
CBT is a theory of therapy. There are many of them and I didn't know so many existed until I started my MA program. I wouldn't close off other possibilities! That's one of my favorite things about the field- how to approach the same problem from a variety of viewpoints! Each MA program will differ in their approach- some are more general, some push one theory over another, and some allow the "compare and contrast" idea.

There are upsides and problems with this profession... the upsides will vary by person but some of the issues I face consistently: not being able to share your work experiences with DH, issues finding jobs/internships (field is flooded as there isn't that much funding for some programs), bumping into clients in the street. Because confidentiality rules are so strict, you could theoretically be invited to someone's house for lunch and guess who the other guest is? You have to pretend you don't know them (unless they acknowledge knowing you first). Your husband might have invited them over for Shabbos lunch but you have to find a way to disinvite without spilling the reason. (We have a rule here that if one of us wants to invite someone over, we need to ok it first and the other has veto power for no reason. That way professional rules are not broken, plus if say we don't get along with someone etc we don't have to go into the details if not necessary... so a no doesn't always mean "client").
hope this helps you!



Thank you so much for taking the time! I understand it's a long road and I'll need to do masters etc. but I need to start somewhere so bachelor of what is the best ?
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amother
Amethyst


 

Post Tue, Jan 19 2016, 2:17 pm
You can generally have any undergrad and still get a counseling degree. I got my undergrad in history and sociology and was still able to do a masters in social work. That being said, if I had known I was going to be a therapist I would have done a bachelors of social work. It means a shorter masters program. I feel that my practicum is what prepared me best, better than any classes.

If you went to seminary or had and post secondary education you may be able to apply that to a BA. So worth looking in to that.

I love being a therapist. It has been very emotionally draining at times. But I feel it's my calling. And if you are willing to work for it- go for it!
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amother
Emerald


 

Post Tue, Jan 19 2016, 2:18 pm
If you are in Israel do you plan to do a Hebrew speaking program and stay and work in Israel? If so the options are very different than if you want English or want to be able to work in America. Therapy training works very differently here, it's less structured and there is less oversight over the therapy business in general, which means that there are a lot of different paths to becoming a therapist (though a more rigorous path may mean a more successful career). Generally, if you train in America (or through in America type program) you can work in Israel, but if you train Israeli you likely won't be able to work in America.

If you are thinking only America/American programs then your BA doesn't really matter so much, though a background in psychology couldn't hurt, but any field of study that teaches you how to analyze/investigate/assess is good too.

Another thing to consider is that being a good therapist means having done a lot of work on yourself, so you might want to think about therapy for yourself while you start this process, because it will make it easier for you and benefit you in the long term, both as a therapist and as a person.
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GAP




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 19 2016, 2:27 pm
Check with your local colleges and find out what programs they offer. If you know you want to become a social worker, best way would be to go for a BSW (Bachelor's in social work) and then go to grad school for the MSW. You can choose to take more CBT classes if that's what you'd like to specialize in.

The psychology route is a lot longer and usually takes about 5-7 years of grad school and that's after you would get your bachelor's. There are other newer fields like mental health counseling, but I don't know too much about that.
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amother
Emerald


 

Post Tue, Jan 19 2016, 2:32 pm
If she's in Israel then a BSW is not necessarily the best route. That's why it's important to clarify if she plans to work in America or not.
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amother
Amethyst


 

Post Tue, Jan 19 2016, 2:36 pm
I can't agree enough with amother Emerald about doing therapy for yourself and knowing yourself well. Very integral!!
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Miri7




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 19 2016, 2:43 pm
Where do you want to be licensed? I don't know about Israel, but in the US, each state has a licensing board. Look up the state where you want to be licensed, there will be a lot of information about required coursework, and licensing requirements. Also the different licenses, MFT, LCSW, etc. That's a good place to start.
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GAP




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 19 2016, 2:45 pm
amother wrote:
If she's in Israel then a BSW is not necessarily the best route. That's why it's important to clarify if she plans to work in America or not.


Absolutely. Check with your local schools or people who've done it in your location. It might vary depending on where you live.
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ora_43




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 19 2016, 2:58 pm
amother wrote:
If she's in Israel then a BSW is not necessarily the best route. That's why it's important to clarify if she plans to work in America or not.

I would have thought that if she plans to stay in Israel a BSW is her best route. Here you can legally work as a therapist with just a bachelors in social work, although most people do choose to do a masters first and to get clinical experience.
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amother
Chocolate


 

Post Tue, Jan 19 2016, 3:02 pm
amother wrote:


There are upsides and problems with this profession... the upsides will vary by person but some of the issues I face consistently: not being able to share your work experiences with DH, issues finding jobs/internships (field is flooded as there isn't that much funding for some programs), bumping into clients in the street. Because confidentiality rules are so strict, you could theoretically be invited to someone's house for lunch and guess who the other guest is? You have to pretend you don't know them (unless they acknowledge knowing you first). Your husband might have invited them over for Shabbos lunch but you have to find a way to disinvite without spilling the reason. (We have a rule here that if one of us wants to invite someone over, we need to ok it first and the other has veto power for no reason. That way professional rules are not broken, plus if say we don't get along with someone etc we don't have to go into the details if not necessary... so a no doesn't always mean "client").
hope this helps you!


That's why it's recommended to practice outside of your community.
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amother
Peach


 

Post Tue, Jan 19 2016, 3:14 pm
amother wrote:
I can't agree enough with amother Emerald about doing therapy for yourself and knowing yourself well. Very integral!!


Yup.

I actually decided to take the plunge and begin working towards my degree while in therapy for help with a difficult family situation. I enjoyed the process so much I was inspired to help others in a similar way.

It used to be a requirement for some forms of therapy (I think mostly psycholoanalysis) to undergo the process as part of the training. I think it ought to be mandatory for all therapists.
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