Dear Friends,
I believe we can learn a lot from each other’s difficulties and accomplishments. I created the Ask Dr. Michelle column to share my advice with many people at the same time, who although they don’t know it, are often facing some of the same challenges. I hope that my comments provide you with some insight into situations that you are facing in your life. If you have a question that you want me to answer, submit it below. I wish you all the best. (I try to answer as many questions as possible, but please understand that due to the number of questions that I receive I am not able to answer every question.)
How do I know if I need to see a counselor?
-
Question: Hi Dr. Michelle. I’ve seen you on television several times and I really like the advice you give. I had something bad happen to me when I was younger. Do I need to see a counselor? What can I do?
-
Answer: Congratulations on having the strength and maturity to reach out for help when you need it. If you are having painful memories of your past and you feel that you can’t stop thinking about what happened or that your painful thoughts affect your day to day life (especially by depression or anxiety) for more than a couple weeks, then you should seek counseling with the help of a licensed clinical psychologist or social worker.
You can try several referral services to find someone who is certified or licensed to work with people with the type of problem you are having. Below are some suggestions:
• Go to www.therapistlocator.net to find a marriage and family therapist
• Call the American Psychological Association at 1-800-964-2000. They can use your zip code to give you a referral to a psychologist in your state. Or you can visit their website at http://locator.apa.org/ to locate a referral online.
• Visit http://www.helpstartshere.org/common/search/default.asp to search the National Association of Social Workers database for a Clinical Social Worker
• If you are looking for an African-American therapist, you can visit the Association of Black Psychologists’ Psychologist Listing page at http://www.abpsi.org/index.php/listing
I wish you all the best!
Dr. Michelle
Copyright 2009 Dr. Michelle Callahan. All rights reserved. This article on referrals to mental health counselors was originally published in Dr. Michelle’s online advice column at www.drmichelle.com/ask-dr-michelle
How do I become a successful relationship and family counselor?
-
Question: I watch you on TV and I must say that I love what you do. My major is sociology and my minor is psychology. My aspirations are to go to graduate school and get my Master’s in Counseling and become certified in Marriage and Family Therapy. My question is “do you have any advice for someone who is aspiring to become a relationship counselor?” Is there any specific path that I should take in order to become a successful relationship and family counselor?
-
Answer: There are several approaches to a career as a mental health professional who specializes in working with couples. You could become a clinical psychologist, a counseling psychologist, a clinical social worker, a marriage and family therapist, or a relationship coach. Each profession differs by its focus on human behavior and its approach to helping the client(s) resolve problems. In order to know which classes to take and subjects to major in, you really have to do more research to understand which of these jobs (or others) might appeal to you most. Most of the careers require a master’s degree or a Ph.D. and when you are finished with graduate school you typically have to take an exam and become “licensed” to practice psychotherapy in your state.
Some great places to look for more information are:
• The American Psychological Association (www.apa.org). Visit http://www.apa.org/students/brochure/index.html for an online brochure about careers in psychology that explains all of the different types of psychology (clinical, developmental, social, etc.), what psychologists do and how to plan your education and career as a psychologist.
