{"id":3240,"date":"2022-08-16T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-16T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relationshipsrelearned.com\/staging\/9213\/1\/?p=3240"},"modified":"2023-11-02T12:47:40","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T17:47:40","slug":"how-to-find-the-right-therapist-for-you-credentials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relationshipsrelearned.com\/staging\/9213\/how-to-find-the-right-therapist-for-you-credentials\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Find The Right Therapist For You – Credentials"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Therapist
Therapist credentials are like flower species, growth is dependent on individual needs. Photo by Dave Harrington<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Between COVID, inflation, work, school, kids and relationships you may have been feeling depressed, anxious, stressed and overwhelmed. Maybe you have decided to see a therapist. Congratulations! This is the first step in getting the support you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes it is difficult to know who to see if you are struggling in your life. Perhaps the following may give you some ideas of the right therapist to choose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example 1:<\/strong> Natalie is married, works full-time and has two children. Her bosses have been pressuring her to go back to college to get her MBA if she wants to advance at the company. She has started school, but feels totally overwhelmed and anxious. She doesn\u2019t sleep well and wakes up as tired as when she went to bed 8 hours ago. She needs someone to help her manage the stress she has been feeling.

She contacts a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who can help her with her anxiety and teach her some skills for managing her stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example 2:<\/strong> Stephen has just landed a great new job. When he is at work he is easily distracted by noises and people talking. He \u201closes\u201d track of items he needs to complete a task and he struggles to complete tasks on time. His primary care provider thinks Stephen might have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and that medication might help.

Stephen is referred to a psychiatric mental health – nurse practitioner (PMH-NP) who can provide him with talk therapy and if needed, medication to help him with his ADHD symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example 3:<\/strong> Meagan has spent 2 years of COVID lockdowns juggling working from home and remote learning for her 3 children. In the evening, after her children go to bed, Meagan started drinking \u201ca glass or two\u201d of wine to relax. She knows this really isn\u2019t good for her, but feels she may need some help to reach her goal of abstinence.

Meagan contacts a licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselor (LADC) to learn skills to cut down or maybe even abstain from her alcohol usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example 4:<\/strong> Andrew has struggled with hearing voices when no one is around. The voices sometimes tell him he is a \u201closer\u201d or that he should do something \u201cbad\u201d or destructive. He is usually pretty good at controlling the voices, except when he is drinking alcohol. He talked with his primary care provider about the voices.

Andrew is referred to a psychiatrist to make a diagnosis and provide medication if needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The terms that are used for people who provide mental health treatment vary. Therapist, clinician, provider, counselor, behavioral health provider and mental health clinician are all fairly interchangeable and can be used to describe someone who provides behavioral health or mental health counseling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Providers who are licensed are people who have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n