Apply for graduate school at a university with a competitive, accredited program related to your chosen career. For example, you might become a marriage and family therapist or a licensed clinical social worker. Choose an academic concentration that helps you master skills related to your chosen career. Future child therapists, for example, might choose to study child or developmental psychology. You will, at minimum, need a master’s degree to become a therapist, though some therapists pursue doctoral-level degrees. If you are pursuing a doctorate degree such as a PhD, it can take five or more years and you will need to write a dissertation presenting new research.

Therapist Educational Requirements

“Therapist” and “counselor” are often used interchangeably since there is considerable overlap between these careers. Both types of professionals address mental health issues and use conversations with their clients to understand, diagnose and improve conditions. Forbes Advisor’s education editors are committed to producing unbiased rankings and informative articles covering online colleges, tech bootcamps and career paths. Our ranking methodologies use data from the National Center for Education Statistics, education providers, and reputable educational and professional organizations. An advisory board of educators and other subject matter experts reviews and verifies our content to bring you trustworthy, up-to-date information. Say you’re pivoting into counseling from another career or simply want to craft a flexible schedule while pursuing your master’s degree.

Once you’ve been accepted, you’ll be in the graduate program for several years. Many programs include internships or work experiences, so they’re longer than standard two-year Master’s programs. Here’s a chart of how long you can expect different programs for therapy students to take (though there can be some variations). If you’re still unsure, use how to become a therapist the summer between your junior and senior years of college to get as much experience as you can. You can try job shadowing different therapists, volunteering at different places, getting internships, etc.

A Glimpse into the Work and Life of a Grow Therapy Provider

The exams are mostly multiple-choice, although some may have short answer, practical, or oral questions included as part of the process. By Kendra Cherry, MSEdKendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the “Everything Psychology Book.” Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and international bestselling author. Her books, including “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do,” have been translated into more than 40 languages.

Ready to Start Your Career in Therapy?

Psychiatrists must be board-certified and can prescribe medications to patients. If you’re more interested in working in a school or health care setting, then you can work on teams that could include a school nurse or other specialized counselors in a hospital. If you have ever considered becoming a therapist, this article will help guide you through whether this is the right career path for you.

Different types of therapists will use a combination of techniques and methods in their practice. When considering becoming a therapist, there are several types of therapy to choose from. As you can see “therapist” is a very broad term, and lots of jobs fall under that umbrella. In the most basic distinction, occupational therapists focus on peoples’ bodies, while other therapists focus on patients’ minds. Embarking on a therapy career is a rewarding way to make a living helping others. Find out more about what it takes to become a therapist and some of the degree pathways you can consider.

1. Such other degrees relate to fields such as applied behavior analysis, counseling psychology, school psychology, and school counseling, to name a few.
2. Let’s cover the critical skills great therapists should have, and how to get some experience under your belt.
3. Therapy is such a broad career field that it is helpful to choose a specialization or two to pursue.
4. Psychiatric nurse practitioners have a broad scope of practice, enabling them to address a range of mental health concerns.
5. After you are licensed, you can start your own private practice or work for a mental health clinic or hospital.
6. In these diverse settings, therapists strive to create supportive and therapeutic environments to assist individuals in navigating their emotional, psychological, and interpersonal challenges.

Different states sometimes have different exam requirements, so you should know where you want to practice as a therapist before choosing which exam to take. Most graduate programs will have prepared you well for the exam, but you’ll likely want to do some additional studying several weeks before the test to give yourself the best chance of passing it. Demand for many types of therapists is skyrocketing, so it’s a great field to join. However, it’s important to know what you’re getting into before you embark on a therapy career.

1. Letters of recommendation from psychology professors will be considered the strongest, but any professor who can write you a glowing letter of recommendation will be a bonus to your grad applications.
2. This is part of the process of becoming a licensed therapist (see step 5), so it doesn’t actually lengthen the time it takes to become a therapist.
3. When you apply for a master’s program in psychology or a master’s in counseling psychology, you should have a clear idea of the type of therapy you want to practice.
4. Different states sometimes have different exam requirements, so you should know where you want to practice as a therapist before choosing which exam to take.
5. If you don’t currently have a therapist, we can connect you with one who can offer support and address any questions or concerns.

As we discussed above, supervised clinical hours are required for gaining licensure as a therapist. Beyond those required hours, it’s important to take any additional opportunities for hands on learning you can. Consider engaging in volunteer positions, seeking the wisdom and mentorship of professors or senior colleagues, pursuing internships, and joining professional therapy associations or attending webinars/live talks. You already be thinking this career path requires a whole lot of learning to become a licensed therapist, but be warned – it doesn’t end after graduate schoo. Once licensed, therapists are often required to take part in ongoing education throughout their careers in order to keep their license up-to-date.

Therapists’ roles and responsibilities can vary significantly depending on the type of therapist. Common therapy types include clinical psychologists, behavioral therapists, marriage and family therapists, child psychologists, psychotherapists, and more. If you aren’t sure yet which type or specialization you’re interested in, keep in mind that the therapy profession as a whole has a profound impact on public and individual health.

Practical experience bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application. It allows budding therapists to interact with different types of patients, understand unique challenges, and tailor interventions accordingly. This experience cultivates confidence, adaptability, and a deep appreciation for the nuances of human emotions. What sets psychiatrists apart is their dual expertise in medicine and psychology. They have a deep understanding of the brain’s complexities and the interplay of biochemical factors in mental health disorders. This knowledge informs their ability to diagnose and treat conditions ranging from depression to schizophrenia.

Therapist Licensure and Certification

Classes in writing, communication, psychology, etc. will help you be as prepared as possible before starting graduate work. Many graduate programs for therapists require a minimum GPA of 2.75 or 3.0. Therapists serve clients across various settings, and their work extends beyond conventional counseling, with specialties tailored to meet the diverse needs of individuals facing emotional, psychological, or behavioral difficulties. As the demand for mental health services continues to rise, therapy careers provide an avenue for professionals to make a positive impact, fostering resilience, growth, and overall mental well-being in the lives of those they serve. Some people begin training to do therapy immediately after college, while others enter the profession after years spent working in a completely different field.