You go onto your phone and google “find a therapist in my area” and get a list of people with different letters at the end of their name. How do you decide which therapist to reach out to? Who has the most experience? Who will help you/or your child get better?
You likely feel overwhelmed in finding the best therapist as if you’re driving with an end destination BUT without a map.
1. THE DEGREE CORRESPONDS TO THE TYPE, LENGTH, AND FOCUS OF EDUCATION THE PROVIDER RECEIVED.
For example. someone who got a PhD or PsyD has a doctorate degree had close to 5,000 supervised clinical hours, and went to at least 6 years of official schooling and clinical placements. Someone with a PhD conducted their own research while someone with a PsyD likely focused solely on clinical experiences. In order to get licensed as a psychologist, the individual needs 4,000 supervised hours after three years of building up clinical experiences. Also, someone with a doctorate (PhD and PsyD) is called Dr. since they have earned a doctorate in philosophy or psychology.
On the other hand, a person with an MFT got a Masters degree in family therapy and has fewer supervised hours but focused most of their clinical experiences in a community setting: treatment settings, school setting, family therapy. They received ~2 years of schooling and had around 2,000 supervised clinical hours. In general, if you are seeking treatment by someone with a Master’s degree, the sessions generally cost less money for the hour.
You may see (but very rarely) someone with a PhD and ABPP. ABPP means that the person has a doctorate degree AND they are board certified in psychology for their specialized expertise. Did you know that all medical doctors are required to have board certification to practice medicine but this is not the case for therapy and psychology? However, the American Board of Professional Psychology certifies psychologists for 15 different specializations- having a doctorate and board certification is the highest level of education and training you can receive for a psychologist. These providers tend to charge the most in a private practice setting.
2. THERAPISTS TEND TO CHARGE MORE OR LESS DEPENDING ON THE EDUCATION THEY RECEIVED.
This is a generalization but overall, therapists with a doctorate degree charge more than someone with their Masters because Psychologists have invested more time and money in their education. Also, someone with a PhD or PsyD will call themselves a psychologist (if they got licensed by the state) and someone with a Masters will call themselves a therapist, counselor, or clinician.
3. SOME THERAPISTS MAY BE BETTER EQUIPPED TO WORK WITH YOU THAN OTHERS. THERE IS ALWAYS A REASON TO CHOOSE ONE TYPE OF PROVIDER OVER ANOTHER.
If you are looking to help your child in the academic or school setting, most likely someone with a masters-level degree with be working with your child. However, if your child needs to be evaluated for an IEP (Individualized Education Plan), then a school psychologist (aka someone with a PhD or PsyD) will conduct a psychoeducational assessment.
