Tag: therapist

The choice of becoming a therapist can stream out of passion but can actually be puzzling while choosing a field.

However, in this piece, we shall detail to you how to become a therapist in Canada. You are in the right place if you are looking for the requirements to become a therapist in Canada.

Therapists in Canada are always engaged as the educational system makes it compulsory for every school to have a therapist in the form of a counselor or psychologist.

On the other hand institutions and individuals also employ the services of therapists for different mental or physical needs. Not to mention the ones that work at hospitals and clinics.

This goes a long way to show that therapists are actually among the most respected professionals in Canada.

Their job is very lucrative and is very essential to many parts of our life. With the help of our research associates, we shall detail for our readers how to become a therapist in Canada along with the requirements.

How to Become a Therapist in Canada

For easy understanding, we shall detail in steps, what is needed for one to become a Therapist in Canada.

• Enroll for a Bachelor’s Degree

Before you can be certified as a therapist in any field in Canada, you must have completed and obtained your bachelor’s degree certificate.

You must also ensure that the institution is accredited. It will amount to a waste of time if the institution you obtained your degree is not recognized by the educational authorities.

It is going to cost quite a lot but, there are affordable and cheaper in-state colleges and universities one can obtain a bachelor’s degree in therapy. Program duration lasts for an average of 3 to 4 years.

• Obtain your Master’s Degree

A bachelor’s degree might be enough to get licensed to practice as a therapist but an M.sc solidifies your professional stand as a therapist.

The system is designed in a way that one can actually combine work with his/her Masters’ degree studies.

Additionally, an M.sc holder has a bigger opportunity of being hired for a job than a B.sc holder. The same applies to salary, as M.sc attracts higher salaries than B.sc. In Masters’s degree program, the student is exposed to more logical aspects in his/her chosen field.

They are paired with licensed therapists who put them through clinical experimental trials. Knowledge from these is what they apply to real-life clients.

• Apply for Licensure

Applying for a license is the last phase of becoming a therapist in Canada. These come after you have finished the mandatory internship with a licensed therapist. The process and requirements are not the same for all states and provinces in Canada.

Institutions tailor their own to the requirements of the states they are situated. Nonetheless, one will be required to take licensing exam peculiar to his/her chosen field in therapy.

Counselors, children therapists, psychologists, sex therapists, family therapists, occupational therapists don’t take the same exam while applying for licensing.

What Does a Therapist Do?

A therapist is integrally involved in the mental and physical well-being of people, especially those going through one issue or the other.

There are different therapists for different problems. The problems can range from drug abuse, anger issues, addictions, mental stress, emotional problems, family issues, and marriage problems among many other things.

The different fields in therapy deal with problems relating to that field.

• addictions Therapist
• alcohol addiction Therapist
• behavioral consultant
• bereavement Therapist
• child and family Therapist
• child and youth Therapist
• children’s Therapist
• clinical Therapist
• community mental health Therapist
• counseling program supervisor
• Therapists for persons who are intellectually impaired
• couples therapist
• crisis Therapist
• disability consultant
• drug addiction Therapist
• eating disorder therapist
• family therapist
• family therapist (FT)
• gambling addictions Therapist
• gambling addictions therapist
• genetic Therapist
• grief Therapist
• group home Therapist
• marital Therapist
• marriage Therapist
• mental health Therapist
• preretirement Therapist
• psychoeducational consultant
• registered clinical Therapist
• registered family therapist
• registered marriage and family therapist
• registered marriage therapist
• rehabilitation Therapist
• And others.

Qualities of a Good Therapist

Therapists form strong connections with their patients and clients. It goes beyond just a meeting of two people. One needs to deeply connect and listen to really help someone that needs therapy.

Therefore, there are so many skills and traits required to make a good therapist. The skills expected of therapists are analytical skills, communication skills, compassion, flexibility, interpersonal skills, leadership skills, listening skills, observational skills, organization, patience, resourcefulness, speaking skills, and writing skills among many others.

Good therapists are empathetic, active listeners, they are patient, and not judgemental. These traits and skills are what create a good rapport and relationship between the therapist and the client or patient.

You must also be good at compiling and utilizing data gathered from the experiences of your patient and clients. Tools like charts and data compiling apps must always be at the disposal of the therapist.

• How Much Do Therapists Make in Canada?

The basic salary for a therapist in Canada is $69,985 annually. Entry-level position therapists earn around $52,777 while the highly experienced ones earn as much as $88,740 per annum.

Other factors like state legislation, work hours, certifications, and level of experience also play a huge role in the amount a therapist can earn.

Conclusion on How to Become a Therapist in Canada

As simple as it might appear to be a Therapist, one should also bear in mind that the job is actually one of the most challenging to do.

It requires a deep understanding of the person’s situation to offer the needed help and therapy. Therapists are people with deep analytical skills and sense.

You will have to put yourself in the person’s position to understand how to profer a solution to the problem at hand.

The most important skill needed here is communication because, without communication, one cannot be able to effectively relate with his/her client.

Patience is equally a trait one needs to have because a good number of times you need to be really patient with the client while listening to arrive at the bottom root of the problem.

Recommendation

How to become a mental therapist 

Breaking the Stigma: Why Seeking Therapy is a Sign of Strength?

Behavioral therapy for a child

Cognitive Behavioral therapy techniques

Allow us to give you the right approach on How to Become a Mental Health Therapist

Are you interested in becoming a mental health therapist but aren’t sure what path to take to achieve that?

Introduction to How to Become a Mental Health Therapist

A mental health therapist is a rewarding career choice as you will have the opportunity to assist people in dealing with their cognitive challenges more often.

According to National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), more than 43 million American adults have mental difficulties every year.

This figure is so high and also stresses the importance of the profession of mental health therapy. Mental issues, in addition to hard drugs, dementia, and childhood trauma continue to make the demand for licensed mental health therapists high.

This article will work you through the important steps to be taken if you must be among the mental health therapists making a real difference in today’s health sector.

Ready to learn more? Let’s get right into it!

Pursue and Earn a Bachelor’s Degree

You need to follow a bachelor’s degree and earn it to be a mental health therapist. However, you don’t need to major in psychology or sociology to obtain a graduate degree in mental therapy.

Furthermore, many notable persons in the field have advised every prospective therapist to get a good foundation in these subjects, as doing so makes the journey quite easy to follow.

According to Franc Hudspeth, courses in human growth and development assist students to comprehend the process of human growth while giving them a clearer understanding of the transitions that take place during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

There’s also a need to take classes that focus on cultural diversity as these professionals would be working with people from different socioeconomic and multicultural backgrounds.

Complete a Master’s Degree in a Related Subject

Another important step to take if you want to become a mental health therapist is to follow a master’s degree program related to mental therapy.

By standard, mental health specialist is expected to complete 60 credits hours of graduate modules in counseling.

Courses should cut across themes such as research methods and program evaluation, substance use disorders, group counseling and addictions, and diagnosis of emotional and mental disorders.

Also, budding therapists should learn to work individually with little or no supervision during this coursework, as this is one of the major requirements of the field.

You must be able to take as much as possible, skills, and requisite knowledge from the program. You also must develop your listening skills, which will foster your ability to clearly hear peoples’ ideas without hassles and make the needed mental notes.

Develop your Soft Skills

You must also work on your soft skills as they are needed skills when you start practicing.

The best time to do this is when you’re still following your degrees, you should set aside time to work on these soft skills.

Here are some of the skills you should develop:

•  Empathy 

Trying to understand the way your patients feel is one of the surefire ways of assisting them with whatever challenges they are facing.

Empathy makes you assist the patients more objectively about their experiences.

• Active listening 

Every therapist must develop their listening skills so as to be able to understand every detail about the challenges the patients are undergoing.

It’s when you know this that you can assist them well. One important strategy here is that it’s a good practice for the therapist to repeat often what the patients have said so that they know you are indeed following everything they are saying.

• Communication 

As you continue to practice as a therapist, you will get to encounter patients who aren’t comfortable spilling every detail about them.

But with the use of advanced communication skills, you can get every detail about these patients. This is one of the reasons why every mental health therapist needs to develop communication skills.

To promote a comfortable and successful section, you must adopt different communication styles to suit the patient you are trying to help.

Also, you may have to break down the complex concept to them, and this can only be possible with great communication skills in place.

Complete a Clinical Work

If you want to be a licensed mental health therapist, there’s a need for you to complete thousand of logged and clinical hours under supervision.

The purpose of this is to intimate you with the practical aspect of the coursework you have done while pursuing your studies.

Many undergraduate and graduate degree programs have been structured in such a way that there are practical clinics where students can attend to patients under licensed and well-experienced therapists.

This brings them to the realities of the profession, and they also get to put everything they have learned theoretically to use.

Apply for Licensure 

If you want to be a mental health therapist, the next thing to do is to apply to sit for the state’s legally required licensure exam.

This can only be done after you have completed your degrees in an appropriate subject.

The state licensure exam covers the psychological theories of therapy and the state’s laws regarding mental treatment.

To remain licensed, there’s a need to complete 40 hours of continuing further studies every two years.

Root for Voluntary Certificates 

There are many voluntary certifications you should root for as a budding mental health therapist. These certificates highlight how exceptional therapists in various therapy specializations.

The certificates include certified clinical mental health counselors and nationally certified counselors.

Work on your Resume and Cover Letter 

Now there’s a need to put the icing on the cake by positioning yourself for the life-changing career of being a mental health therapist by working on your resume and cover letter.

You must show the employer you are the ideal candidate for the position by carefully and concisely putting all the information on paper.

Ensure you include your education, relevant courses you did, and details about the clinical experience. What roles have you played and the achievements you’ve had throughout working as a volunteer.

Also, the cover letter must show the motivation for applying for a mental health therapist role and the relevant experience you’ve had that makes you an ideal candidate. You should also include the future plans as to what you intend to do in the coming years.

Final Thoughts on How to Become a Mental Health Therapist

From the foregoing, it can be conveniently said that becoming a mental health therapist isn’t rocket science but certainly not as easy as a walk in the park.

You’ve got to work towards achieving this lofty goal of being a human helper. This is a respectful and rewarding profession, and every person seems to know and want to associate with you.

Recommendations

How to be mentally healthy and happy

10 Best Telehealth companies for mental health services

How Do Academic Problems Affect Your Mental Health?

Clinical mental health counseling

Best 6 reasons why eye health is important