Many people are still experiencing as a serious overcoming, practically a revolution. In American films, heroes go to psychotherapists as a job, in America making an appointment is a turning point, which not everyone dares to. And in vain, because conditions like depression are not a whim to deal with on their own, but a disease that can be treated. Choosing a good doctor is not easy at all, and finding a suitable psychotherapist is from occupational therapist jobs Los Angeles double more difficult. The market has not yet formed – a big risk to stumble on charlatans or simply incompetent people. The costs of making the wrong choice are very large: the patient will receive psychological trauma, and will hardly accept even qualified help in the future.
A good psychotherapist must meet a set of mandatory criteria – to have a kind of “minimal package”, a package of guarantees necessary for the healing process to begin at all. In countries with strict legislation, physicians who fail to undergo these procedures are screened out or additionally trained so that they eventually grow to standard.
The psychotherapist should have an education in psychotherapy or psychological counseling. The international level implies at least three to four years of study. This education can be obtained from scratch or in addition to higher education: psychological, medical, any other. It is important that higher education and even specialization in psychiatry alone do not make it possible to work as a psychotherapist.
There are certain features of the training and work of psychotherapists in America. On the one hand, there is a clear definition: a psychotherapist, according to the legislation of the US Federation, is a professional with a higher medical education and two specializations (in psychiatry and psychotherapy) for at least nine months. On the other hand, in everyday life the word “psychotherapist” is used to mean everyone who has something to do with working with the psyche, including psychiatrists, psychologists and consultants.
It is very good if the specialist has already led and leads clients – then the likelihood that he will be able to help you increases. The more clients, the higher the likelihood of effective assistance, because with experience not only knowledge is accumulated, but also the number of hours of supervision and personal therapy is growing. If a specialist has focused counseling experience (for example, working with pregnant women or with abuse victims), then this is an additional plus for those whose situation is similar.
Unfortunately, the legislation governing psychotherapeutic services in the USA is in its infancy. There are no requirements for professional level, there is no clear code of ethics, there is no unified certification procedure, and there is no state register of specialists. There is no protection at the law level, both for clients and for the consultants themselves. As a result, the number of strong professionals who meet international standards in America is small.
Another important criterion is supervision, during which the professional, together with a more experienced psychotherapist, analyzes the work with clients, comprehends the methods used, exchange experience, and understands how to correct mistakes. Supervision is mandatory for all, without exception, practicing psychotherapists, both beginners and experienced. 40-50 hours are enough for certification, but it’s good if there are 100 hours or more, and 200 hours of supervision is required for membership in the associations of therapists.
A supervisor is an external observer and that is why he is needed. Any phrase or question uttered by the therapist at the session may come from his personal experience and personal “picture”; Of course, they may be appropriate and appropriate to the client’s experience and goals. But this does not always happen, the probability of coincidence is not 100%. This is not scary and does not always lead to some kind of damage, but it is difficult for a psychotherapist to see this, to realize it, while inside the situation. Therefore, the supervisor catches such “controversial” moments in sessions and discusses them with the therapist. He also assesses how much work complies with the principles – including ethical – of psychotherapy. In some countries, the supervisor responds with his license for the safety of clients of the therapist he leads.
