| The Excel Center Counselling and Mental Health Degrees Therapist Qualifications Page 1 |
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There are so many different types of therapists, all with different types of credentials. It can be a confusing process to try to figure out what types of degrees and credentials a certain therapist holds. This section is intended to provide some enlightenment on the various 'diplomas', and 'degrees' which people have or can earn in the mental health, counselling, and psychology fields.
Simply stated a doctorate degree is an advanced degree. There are many different types of doctoral degrees, all with different types of specialties, areas of studies, dissertations, and residency requirements. Some of these advanced degrees can lead to license to practice in a mental health profession; while on the other hand, some of these degrees do not lead to provincial or state license. Depending on the Province or State the license requirements are different, there is no 'one' standard which every mental health therapist must follow. None the less, I will attempt to describe these degrees to the best of my knowledge. Should any of these descriptions need to be altered or clarified please e-mail me and let me know. You can e-mail me at the excel center listed in the contacts page from the main directory.
A Ph.D. degree means that someone has achieved the degree "Doctor of Philosophy" in a particular area of study. While the standards for achievement are high, all Ph.D. degrees are not created equal. There are many areas of specialty. In the mental health realm some specialty areas are: counselling, clinical psychology, psychology, school psychology, and even clinical hypnotherapy. Ph.D. degrees may also be granted for some quite esoteric schools of thought which may or may not lend themselves to the mental health professions.
An M.D. program leads to the "Medical Doctor" degree. Often a person has to have a previous degree in a science or social science program to be accepted into a medical program. A medical program will last from 3 to 4 years plus a residency and internship training program after the accomplishment of the MD degree.
A Psy.D. degree is a "Doctor of Psychology" degree. This degree to the best of my knowledge is not available in Canada, but is quite popular in the United States. There are schools in Canada planning to develop the Psy.D degree. Often these degrees do not require the in-depth research of the Ph.D degree. The Psy.D degree does require a great deal of course work and practical work related to assessment and treatment of mental disorders.
This is a "Master of Arts", or "Master of Science" program. These degrees are a post-graduate degree usually taken after the Bachelors program. The degree of "MA" does not usually focus on research to the extent of the MSc or ("MS" in the USA) degree. The MSc degree is the "Master of Science" and can be taken in many various courses of study such as counselling, psychology, and marriage and family therapy, to name a few.
The first is the "M Ed." which is a "Master of Education". Again the M Ed. degree is a graduate degree taken after a undergraduate degree. Many people take the M Ed. degree in psychology, which focuses of the psychology of education, teaching, students, and the educational environment. There is another track which is popular which is the M Ed in counselling. A person who has the M Ed. in counselling is a trained in the specifics of counselling and therapy as it relates to the counselling environment. The "Ed D." is the is the next level of the education degree or "Doctor of Education". If the program meets the requirements of the psychology or counselling registrations these people may be qualified to provide mental health therapy.
The BSW is the "Bachelor of Social Work" degree this is an undergraduate degree. To the best of my knowledge you will find most BSW's applying their trade in agencies, delivering front line services in the field of social work. The "Master of Social Work" is the graduate degree of social work, which has a strong clinical component in the nature of the training. In Alberta, Canada Social Workers are registered with their governing body and some MSW's can practice as private practitioners.
An RPN, is a "Registered Psychiatric Nurse" often these are persons who have received specialized training in psychiatric issues throughout their schooling. Often RPNs are found working in Psychiatric hospitals, or other agencies which look after the mentally ill. Depending on requirements in certain States and Provinces RPNs may be in private practice.
Basically, bachelor degrees can be obtained in many different areas of studies. The bachelor degree is usually a requirement for a person to advance in their academic area of study.
As the advancement of the profession of hypnotherapy continues you will now begin to hear of advanced degrees in hypnotherapy. An advanced degree in hypnotherapy requires a previous degree in a related discipline. The only place I can recommend these degrees from is the American Institute of Hypnotherapy which is located in California, USA. These degrees are approved by and sanctioned by the State of California. California has the highest educational standards in the USA. If you have any questions you can always e-mail me, for further information.
There are numerous degrees and areas of focus in the mental health field. It can be confusing to understand just what each degree can mean to the person looking for therapy. While I have not provided information about who is best qualified to deliver particular types of therapy, I have tried to provide a brief overview of most of the degrees which you may see in the mental health field. In the next pages, I will be talking about types of therapy, degrees, and license to practice requirements in the mental health field.
Just a further note of clarification on what type of abbreviations are allowed to be listed behind a persons name. It is my view that only degrees, or registrations in a regulatory board, awarded medals of achievement, or positions of importance should be listed formally as an abbreviation behind someone's name. I don't believe that types of therapy or course completion should be used as an abbreviation behind someone's name, it only serves to confuse the general public as to what the therapist's actual qualifications are. I believe that the types of therapy you practice should be explained on a separate line. You can and should list the types of therapy practiced, but please spell them out and explain them.
Our professions are being inundated by abbreviation which the general public are rarely educated about. Let's try to clarify just what we are doing in the mental health field, so that we can better serve our clients and the general public. If you are a client or seeking more information please do not hesitate to ask your therapist or potential therapist what qualifications they have, what those letters behind their names stand for, and if you are still not clear ask for clarification until you understand. An ethical practitioner will always be completely up-front about their qualifications, what they do, and who they are.
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