Would any counselor be okay to see or should they hold specific qualifications?

Hi, I'm Nicole Myers, Licensed Professional Counselor. If you would like to know more about me or my colleagues, please check out our introductions available in video, audio or text.

The question I'm going to be discussing today: Would any counselor be okay to see or should they hold specific qualifications?

This one in a nutshell is very easy to answer because it is absolutely Yes, you should be seeking someone who has specific qualifications. There are reasons for that because if you are simply looking for someone to listen to you, you probably have friends and/or relatives who are able to listen to you. However, if you are looking to make changes to feel better and function better through your divorce, then that is someone with a professional degree who can help you figure those things out and learn new tools for improving how you are handling things. Qualifications to look for include someone with a master's degree and someone who is licensed in counseling, licensed in marriage and family therapy or a licensed clinical social worker. Those are variations of counselors. There are other ones out there but you want to look for licensure and having at least a master's degree.

You also then want to find out the people that have the qualifications, do they have the history and background of helping people in similar situations and with similar problems as you? Ways to do that is doing an online search or checking with your insurance company for who might be covered by your particular insurance. Then, call the different offices up and ask what the qualifications are of the people available, what their history is and how they might be able to be of assistance. All of these are normal questions and they should be able to answer them, either through their front office or by the therapist themselves.

If you are needing to take your children to see a therapist, please be aware that many states have rules about children under the age of 12 that a therapist must have some history with them and/or extra training to be able to work younger children. So, you may find that somebody who would be able to see you for therapy would not be able to assist your children but you may find someone who can help both of you within the same office. So, it's very important to figure out who needs therapy and who is seeking services and then beyond that, making sure you make a connection with someone. Beyond their qualifications, a therapist needs to be someone that you feel you are able to share your concerns with. You need to be able to make a human connection with a qualified therapist in order to feel that you can implement the tools and techniques that you will learn from working with them.

Thank you for listening to today's question. If you would like to know more about divorce or would like to submit your own question, please visit us on Facebook or subscribe to our newsletter.

*Disclaimer: The materials provided in this article are for informational purposes only. Use of and access to this article or any of the links contained within the article or website do not create a relationship between the author and the user or browser. We are professionals that have been trained and have experience in assisting individuals going through a divorce. Please click on DivorceInTexas.org for information about this service as well as privacy policy in terms of use. We are not lawyers and do not provide legal advice.

Hola. Soy Cinthia Kent, psicoterapeuta licenciada en salud mental y alcohol y drogas. Si deseas saber más sobre mí o mis colegas por favor consulta nuestras presentaciones que están disponibles en video, audio o texto.

La pregunta de hoy es: ¿Cómo encuentro un terapeuta? ¿Debe tener ciertas certificaciones, o cualquiera está bien?

Eso es muy buena pregunta. La terapia de divorcio es a veces difícil de coordinar. El terapeuta debe tener experiencia en estos casos y cierto entrenamiento en terapia de pareja. La terapia marital y familiar es lo más indicado, pero también hay otros profesionales que tienen entrenamiento o experiencia en este tipo de situaciones. Hay trabajadores o trabajadoras sociales que tienen también este tipo de entrenamiento. Te recomiendo que, por lo menos, la persona tenga una maestría. Hay muchas personas que tienen mucha experiencia con licenciatura o el "bachelors" como se dice aquí, pero la maestría les da más entrenamiento y también más experiencia.

También un psicólogo con experiencia en relaciones maritales, porque hay psicólogos que no tienen ese tipo de experiencias. Se dedican a otras cosas, ¿no? El divorcio con los niños es más complicado. Requiere de alguien que sepa comprobar la relación entre padres, de manera cordial, por los niños. Entonces, aquí te recomiendo que sea alguien con mucha experiencia, sabiendo acerca de las necesidades de los niños, y las necesidades de los padres.

Y también, el terapeuta puede recomendar grupos de apoyo para ti o para tus hijos. Esto es lo recomendado en otros videos. Si tus hijos son pequeños, puede el terapeuta recomendar terapia de juego.

Bueno, gracias por escuchar la pregunta de hoy. Si deseas escuchar más sesiones o si deseas enviarnos tu propia pregunta, visítenos en Facebook, o suscríbete a nuestro boletín.

* Descargo de responsabilidad: Los materiales proporcionados en este artículo son sólo para propósitos informativos. El uso y el acceso a este artículo o cualquiera de los enlaces contenidos en el artículo o en el sitio web no crean una relación entre el autor y el usuario o navegador. Somos profesionales que hemos sido entrenados y tenemos experiencia en ayudar a las personas que pasan por un divorcio. Por favor, haga clic en http://www.DivorceInTexas.org para obtener información sobre este servicio, así como la política de privacidad en términos de uso. No somos abogados y no proporcionamos asesoramiento legal.