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Rachel
Student
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
1
Question
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Can I become a therapist with a CTAA certification?
I would like to Counselling and Therapy but I would like to know if there are other pathways than getting a degree.
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2 answers
Michelle M.
Entertainment Industry
1879
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Rachel !
The initials CTAA can mean a couple of things and you should clarify this further going forward to obtain accurate information. That being said, if you mean a Christian Teacher Training Association certificate, no, you cannot become a therapist with that and you would need an academic degree in order to do so. That CTAA certificate would allow you to work in a church or school teaching or in a ministry as a supplement to a teaching degree and credential.
To be a therapist, you would have to have at least a Masters Degree to obtain substantial employment and you could go to college for either Social Work or Psychology. There's a lot to learn and the CTAA certificate would be something that certifies you in a specialty. It takes a while to study human behavior because it is so diverse, conditional and complex, so just wanting to help people is not going to effectively prepare you to understand and work with the various situations you will need to work with. I am not sure what the job market in Canada is like for Bachelor level Social Workers, but in the U.S. most positions require a Masters Degree, so you can choose how far in education you may go, but realize that the salary is better with a Masters Degree. Most employers expect the candidates to have a Masters, though.
One of the best routes to becoming a therapist (for the United States and your country) would be to become a Social Worker as they do Clinical Therapy. In the U.S. it is a six year college study. Similarly in your country, you would need certification, hands on experience, register with your province after working required hours. After certification, you would need to do supervised work in the therapy field.
One thing that you can do is do searches online for counselor and therapist jobs and see the predominant education requirement. I encourage you to also do the certification you've mentioned because any certifications will be a benefit along with a degree, licensing, and hands on experience.
There are options, but a Bachelors Degree in Psychology would be most helpful to you. You can then choose to go for the Masters in Social Work or Psychology or something else related that will give you experience in working with populations on a clinical level. Explore all of the types of counselors and therapists that there are in your country which can easily be found online.
Although they do not do therapy, you can look into becoming a Life Coach. The programs for Life Coaching vary in length and vary in price, so again, search on the internet for a suitable Life Coach program. The CTAA certification would be ideal along with getting certified as a Life Coach. I would recommend having some sort of human services education before going into Life Coaching, however. You will need to approach and be able to analyze situations as a professional and it does take some formal education. An Associates Degree in Psychology would be helpful along with a Life Coach Certificate.
There are more options that you can explore but a college path will prepare you for the career you want. I wish you all the best !
CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORK https://www.casw-acts.ca/en
The initials CTAA can mean a couple of things and you should clarify this further going forward to obtain accurate information. That being said, if you mean a Christian Teacher Training Association certificate, no, you cannot become a therapist with that and you would need an academic degree in order to do so. That CTAA certificate would allow you to work in a church or school teaching or in a ministry as a supplement to a teaching degree and credential.
To be a therapist, you would have to have at least a Masters Degree to obtain substantial employment and you could go to college for either Social Work or Psychology. There's a lot to learn and the CTAA certificate would be something that certifies you in a specialty. It takes a while to study human behavior because it is so diverse, conditional and complex, so just wanting to help people is not going to effectively prepare you to understand and work with the various situations you will need to work with. I am not sure what the job market in Canada is like for Bachelor level Social Workers, but in the U.S. most positions require a Masters Degree, so you can choose how far in education you may go, but realize that the salary is better with a Masters Degree. Most employers expect the candidates to have a Masters, though.
One of the best routes to becoming a therapist (for the United States and your country) would be to become a Social Worker as they do Clinical Therapy. In the U.S. it is a six year college study. Similarly in your country, you would need certification, hands on experience, register with your province after working required hours. After certification, you would need to do supervised work in the therapy field.
One thing that you can do is do searches online for counselor and therapist jobs and see the predominant education requirement. I encourage you to also do the certification you've mentioned because any certifications will be a benefit along with a degree, licensing, and hands on experience.
There are options, but a Bachelors Degree in Psychology would be most helpful to you. You can then choose to go for the Masters in Social Work or Psychology or something else related that will give you experience in working with populations on a clinical level. Explore all of the types of counselors and therapists that there are in your country which can easily be found online.
Although they do not do therapy, you can look into becoming a Life Coach. The programs for Life Coaching vary in length and vary in price, so again, search on the internet for a suitable Life Coach program. The CTAA certification would be ideal along with getting certified as a Life Coach. I would recommend having some sort of human services education before going into Life Coaching, however. You will need to approach and be able to analyze situations as a professional and it does take some formal education. An Associates Degree in Psychology would be helpful along with a Life Coach Certificate.
There are more options that you can explore but a college path will prepare you for the career you want. I wish you all the best !
Michelle recommends the following next steps:
Nyair Washington, M.A., LGPC, NCC
School-Based Therapist
22
Answers
Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Updated
Nyair’s Answer
Good morning, Rachel,
I am so happy that you are considering counseling! I recently completed my Master's degree in Mental Health Counseling and love the field! Counseling does require a degree, however. Michelle did an amazing job explaining the process, CTAA certification, and education, so I want to provide some other alternatives that still have the essence of counseling:
1. Life Coaching
2. Behavioral Health Aide
3. Community Health Worker
4. Peer Counselor
5. Career Coach
With care,
Nyair Washington
I am so happy that you are considering counseling! I recently completed my Master's degree in Mental Health Counseling and love the field! Counseling does require a degree, however. Michelle did an amazing job explaining the process, CTAA certification, and education, so I want to provide some other alternatives that still have the essence of counseling:
1. Life Coaching
2. Behavioral Health Aide
3. Community Health Worker
4. Peer Counselor
5. Career Coach
With care,
Nyair Washington