2 answers
willa
Student
Grafton, Ohio
4
Questions
Asked
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Can you describe your everyday life as a therapist?
I would like to know the everyday steps you take to be a good therapist. #therapist #therapy
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2 answers
Raffinée Wilson, M.S., LPC
Providing mental health counseling to adults and teens struggling with anxiety, depression, esteem concerns, and communication issues.
7
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Raffinée’s Answer
Everyday life as a therapist working in private practice includes seeing 4 to 7 clients for 50 minutes per session. I begin and end my day based on priorities so I work late 2 nights per week and get off earlier 2 days per week. I don't choose to work Fridays or weekends. I write notes between sessions or during my breaks. I write treatment plans for all new clients and update those for existing clients every 3-4 months. I sometimes create posts for social media engagement through my business page. Since the pandemic began, I've been seeing my clients 100% virtually and will likely continue for the foreseeable future.
While working in an outpatient and inpatient facility each day consisted of running 2-4 groups and 2-4 individual sessions per day. We wrote treatment plans, discussed client goals, created safety plans, coordinated with outpatient providers, conducted family sessions, and other necessary paperwork. The outpatient facility required writing monthly, and sometimes weekly, reports of the client's progress due to forensic or Child Protective Services engagement. Each facility has different requirements yet there typically is quite a bit of paperwork involved.
While working in an outpatient and inpatient facility each day consisted of running 2-4 groups and 2-4 individual sessions per day. We wrote treatment plans, discussed client goals, created safety plans, coordinated with outpatient providers, conducted family sessions, and other necessary paperwork. The outpatient facility required writing monthly, and sometimes weekly, reports of the client's progress due to forensic or Child Protective Services engagement. Each facility has different requirements yet there typically is quite a bit of paperwork involved.
Jane Roark MD
Retired Psychiatrist
6
Answers
Huntsville, Alabama
Updated
Jane’s Answer
To become a therapist, you have many educational options:
First, you could go to medical school (typically four years), then do a residency in psychiatry,(typically four years), even training beyond that in fellowship (typically 2 years) to care for children (child fellowship) or elderly (geriatric fellowship). Along the way, you can ask for extra training in doing therapy as well as current medical standards for care. For instances, you can ask/demand in a training program to be trained in Family therapy, in dialectical behavior therapy (excellent and being adapted for many problems with abused individuals, those with anxiety, those with depression), in group therapy. The world is your oyster. Don't be shy to ask about therapies that come to your attention; there are so many out there. But the relationship is also very important. We have known for years that therapy works; only recently have we learned how therapy can actually change the genes, therefore being transmitted into the next generation of children. That truly is exciting. There is something both humbling and honorable about being a small helpful cog when a person is having problems. In my practice, I often celebrated improvement or remission by calling for applause from my staff when they "graduated". It is however a heavy burden and there are times, even with much experience, when your worry for some patients goes home with you despite your best efforts to leave it at work. It becomes very important for this reason to have a support network.
Second, you can finish college and go into a PhD program to become a psychologist. Their internship/training period is one year after they have done their dissertation. They do therapies as noted above, but cannot prescribe medication (only MDs like a psychiatrist or family doctor can prescribe medication).
Third, you can finish college and get Master's level training to become a social work therapist.
Fourth, you can complete nursing training (RN) and do extra training to become a nurse practitioner (RNP, in psychiatry further specified as CRNP). Most do medication management, but you could do therapy if negotiated with your collaborating physician.
Google different schools of therapy to see how many options there are
Look for studies documenting efficacy about these options before you deep dive into studying/exploring them
Ask your high school advisor how you can shadow a psychiatrist, a counselor, a psychologist. Be aware due to laws, this may be limited.
If you are unable to shadow therapists, look online to find therapists and call their office, asking if you could speak with them about their profession. You will get some "no"s but you will also get some "yes"s.
First, you could go to medical school (typically four years), then do a residency in psychiatry,(typically four years), even training beyond that in fellowship (typically 2 years) to care for children (child fellowship) or elderly (geriatric fellowship). Along the way, you can ask for extra training in doing therapy as well as current medical standards for care. For instances, you can ask/demand in a training program to be trained in Family therapy, in dialectical behavior therapy (excellent and being adapted for many problems with abused individuals, those with anxiety, those with depression), in group therapy. The world is your oyster. Don't be shy to ask about therapies that come to your attention; there are so many out there. But the relationship is also very important. We have known for years that therapy works; only recently have we learned how therapy can actually change the genes, therefore being transmitted into the next generation of children. That truly is exciting. There is something both humbling and honorable about being a small helpful cog when a person is having problems. In my practice, I often celebrated improvement or remission by calling for applause from my staff when they "graduated". It is however a heavy burden and there are times, even with much experience, when your worry for some patients goes home with you despite your best efforts to leave it at work. It becomes very important for this reason to have a support network.
Second, you can finish college and go into a PhD program to become a psychologist. Their internship/training period is one year after they have done their dissertation. They do therapies as noted above, but cannot prescribe medication (only MDs like a psychiatrist or family doctor can prescribe medication).
Third, you can finish college and get Master's level training to become a social work therapist.
Fourth, you can complete nursing training (RN) and do extra training to become a nurse practitioner (RNP, in psychiatry further specified as CRNP). Most do medication management, but you could do therapy if negotiated with your collaborating physician.
Jane recommends the following next steps: