I wanted to spend several posts discussing what it's like to start psychotherapy because I know it's a daunting prospect for many people. I repeatedly hear that people will take weeks or months to prepare for starting therapy...and then when they start looking around for where to actually go for care, the options and the vocabulary are overwhelming.
So, in order to support those out there who want to know where they should begin, here's a new series called Starting Psychotherapy.
The first thing to cover is who is able to provide psychotherapy. Admittedly, my content is going to be geared towards California, where I practice. But overall, the themes should be helpful for most of the United States.
Common providers of therapy are:
Counselors
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)
Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs)
Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs)
Doctorate of Psychology (PsyDs)
Doctorate of Philosophy (PhDs)
Psychiatrists (MDs or DOs)
What's important to remember is that while each of the above providers are able to provide therapy, their training background and the extent of what services they can provide differ.
I'll spend the next several posts describing each kind of therapist in more detail, so people can better understand their options.
Comments