How to become a Therapist

2,174

3,413

£25,000/y

avg. starting salary

So you’re thinking about becoming a therapist? And how does that make you feel…? Therapists, more formally known as a Psychotherapists, help people overcome any emotional issues they may face. They could work with children or adults, and consultations could be made individually, to couples or even to groups or families. However, no matter how big the audience their main goal remains the same – to alleviate distress and to improve the mental wellbeing of all of their clients. Typical duties for a Therapist could include:

Holding individual sessions with clients to assess their needs
Encouraging clients to open up and share their feelings or past experiences
Understanding the issues faced by each client
Suggesting ways to help alleviate distress and work through problems, and developing individual treatment plans
Practicing a range of talking therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, psychoanalytic therapy and systemic therapy

Contrary to the depiction often portrayed on TV, being a Therapist is about far more than simply sitting and nodding for long periods of time. You’ll be dealing with clients facing a number of different issues, ranging from psychological problems such as depression or anxiety, to difficult past experiences such as relationship breakdown or domestic abuse. The ability to build trust in your clients and remain objective in difficult situations will be key to your success. A personable and compassionate personality will also be absolutely essential. Other key skills include:

Excellent communication skills (listening, in particular, will be essential)
The ability to build natural rapport with clients
Empathy
Sincerity
Self-awareness
Confidentiality and trustworthiness

Trainee Therapist

Up to £25,000

Therapist

Up to £35,000

Training Therapist

Up to £45,000

"I've always been someone that wants to help people, and becoming a Therapist seemed like a perfect fit. I couldn't have been more right. I get to work with a range of different clients, which always keep me on my toes. However, no matter what issues are being faced, often the main thing they need is just someone to listen and someone to understand them. Once you've built a good rapport and gained their trust, there’s almost no limit to what you can achieve together. It’s amazing to be a part of."

Get qualified

You will generally need a postgraduate qualification and registration with a professional body to become a Therapist. However, work within a similar role or a professional qualification relevant to the subject could be enough to begin training:

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