Therapist Amber Naglie works for UCFS inside our school. It is a complex job and there are numerous steps and paths to becoming a therapist.
Major routes to becoming a therapist include obtaining a master’s degree in a field such as Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), or a Doctorate in Psychology to earn a PhD in Psychology. If someone is already a social worker, then they would need a master’s degree to become a therapist.
If someone goes to school for therapy, the most common suggestion is to get a Bachelor’s and Master’s in the same degree because then one year gets voided from graduation. This allows people considering a career in therapy to complete a master’s degree in one year, rather than two. After someone obtains their master’s degree, some on-the-job training and tests are required.
For the social work route, take the Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) test immediately following graduation from the master’s degree program. This provides a provisional license, meaning people with the license can practice therapy under the supervision of another therapist. With a provisional license, 3,000 hours of work as a therapist and 100 hours of supervision with a therapist supervisor are required.
Individuals then take the test to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), which is a test to show a full capability to provide psychotherapy and diagnose different mental health disorders with the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).
When Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in social work are obtained, they have to be accredited by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE). All tests taken are through the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB).
There are no true classes that can be taken in high school for therapy, but some that Naglie suggested are psychology classes, health, child development, forensic psychology classes (to work in court or domestic violence), sociology, politics, and history classes to better understand how culture and systems influence opportunities and challenges.
There is a difference between school counseling and outpatient therapists. A school counselor works in schools to offer various beneficial short-term support for students’ academic, social/emotional/behavioral, and career needs. Outpatient therapists provide medical-level psychotherapy, which requires interventions backed by evidence-based practice.
For students who want to become therapists, Naglie suggested, “Be compassionate and mindful of your own biases and how they may affect the clients you are working with.” If students are questioning which path to take, look up the “code of ethics” for each degree path. For social work, they follow the NASW Code of Ethics.
Therapists have to take care of their own mental health as well, which can be challenging at times. Therapists learn a level of “compartmentalizing.” Therapists have to be able to be there for their patients but learn not to take the work home.
Understanding the steps and certifications required helps students understand the process, considering this path. Now is the perfect time to explore interests and start building the foundation for a future in mental health.
