Thursday, February 12, 2015
Check if the counselor has a graduate degree at the minimum. You would want to deal with a professional. There are many people who call themselves professionals in this field simply because they have attended a few seminars and have learned a particular therapeutic approach. Get someone who is formally trained in relevant fields such as psychology, counseling, social work, and family and marriage therapy.
Humans have a very complex mind. Even with the best machines and equipment, it has never been fully studied. However, a psychologist with a degree is better placed to diagnose and deal with many of the psychological problems that people encounter. Without proper diagnosis, the problem could keep recurring, which can be damaging.
Choose a licensed expert. It is not a mandatory requirement that psychologists be licensed because the services they provide are not purely medical and vary quite a lot. Therefore, you will find so many professional who are highly reputed and they have practiced for many years but they are not licensed. License is only an indication that the individual has met the minimum state requirements set for this profession.
Choose a counselor that adheres to ethical principles. Human psychology has many issues and the professional will have to deal with many problems that the patient may not want out in the open. The therapist must, therefore, understand and respect the stated dual relationships, boundaries, and confidentiality. These guidelines are set to ensure that the needs of the patient are met.
Avoid counselors that make promises. A therapist can provide hope, but it is wrong to offer the patient absolute unconditional guarantees. It is impossible to know the outcome of a therapeutic process until the end. Patients are different and because a certain approach produced positive results on one person does not guarantee that the same will work on another.
Continued classes are recommended for therapists. This ensures that they add to their theoretical knowledge concerning emerging cases and they can sharpen their skills. They should also attend seminars and workshops regularly to share with their peers on the challenges they face so that they can get secondary opinions.
Choose an experienced counselor. Because the field of psychology is wide, many people learn on the field rather than through classroom. Formal education only helps in understanding the theory that is underneath human psychology. That is why someone who has practiced for twenty years may understand several issues.
Make sure that the expert has no complaints against him or her. Check with the licensing board. If you find any, choose another individual.
