People offering psychotherapy and counseling services to the public identify themselves by a confusingly wide array of titles, including psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, marriage and family therapist, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, counselor, hypnotist, hypnotherapist and psychotherapist. How can you make sense out of all of these confusing choices?
First, it helps to have some knowledge about the state laws governing the use of these titles. In
California, as in most states, anyone can call themselves a psychoanalyst, a counselor, a hypnotist a hypnotherapist or a psychotherapist without any kind of training or education. These titles are not regulated, licensed or controlled in any way.
The following information is based upon standards in the State of California. Some of the rules and regulations are the same in other states, but you can check with the state board for each profession in your own state. Any professional person in your own state should be able and willing to give you the phone number, address or web page of their particular profession in that state. You will find information about resources to check on the qualifications of mental health professionals both in California and in other states at how to check qualifications.
Some of the professional designations listed above do involve state requirements and standards for licensing. Here is some information which will be useful in general.
To represent oneself as a psychologist to the public in California it is necessary to hold a doctorate degree in psychology (Ph.D.), which is a post-graduate degree, to have completed an approved course of study at an accredited college or university and to have completed a supervised training program in the field of clinical psychology. Both the undergraduate and graduate training of a licensed psychologist is focused in the field of clinical psychology, including normal and abnormal psychology, learning theory, social psychology, psychotherapy, psychodiagnosis, psychological testing and research.
In addition it is necessary to pass a state board of psychology sanctioned licensing examination in California as is true in most states.
To represent oneself as a psychiatrist to the public it is necessary to hold a doctorate degree in medicine (M.D.), which is an undergraduate degree. Any physician can practice psychiatry once he has completed medical school, passed the state board examination in general medicine and obtained a medical license. If you consult a psychiatrist, it is important to make sure that he is Board Certified in psychiatry, which means that he has had training in psychiatry as well as medicine, and that he has passed an examination in the field of psychiatry. For a further discussion of the differences between the education and training of a psychologist and psychiatrist, see
"A commonly asked question" on my page about psychologists.
A licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in California has a master’s degree in social work (MSW) and has completed a training program and passed an examination in clinical social work.
A marriage and family therapist (MFT) is the new designation for what was previously known as a marriage and family counselor (MFC) in California. An MFT has a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy and has completed a training program and passed a state sanctioned examination in this field.
Many people who look for help with personal or emotional problems consult a psychologist or psychiatrist because of their more extensive training. However, managed care insurance programs are moving in the direction of using more marriage and family therapists and licensed clinical social workers than psychologists and psychiatrists for treatment. Some of them do not authorize psychiatrists to provide psychotherapy, but restrict them to providing medication only.
If someone identifies themselves only as a psychoanalyst, a counselor, a hypnotist a hypnotherapist or a psychotherapist, with no other professional designation listed above, be sure to inquire carefully about their training and qualifications. The use of these terms is generally unregulated and may be used by anyone. Such a person may not meet the standards of training, education and experience that you would want in the professional person whom you consult on important personal issues. Some of them have no training, or may have taken a weekend or mail correspondence course only.
For further information about how to evaluate the qualifications of a professional therapist, see Check Qualifications.
Your choice of the type of professional person you consult will determine a lot about the type of treatment or counseling which you get.
For more information right here about why you might prefer to choose a clinical psychologist for professional help rather than another type of professional, see my copy of the Orange County Psychological Association's Web Page entitled "What is a Psychologist?"
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
HYPNOSIS
Hypnosis can be a useful psychological tool if it is properly and ethically utilized. For example, hypnosis can be used as one element in a treatment plan to control symptoms such as anxiety, panic attacks and phobias. As discussed below, it is important to make sure that the hypnosis is being done by a well qualified and experienced mental health professional, and not just by a "hypnotist" or hypnotherapist.
Other applications of hypnosis in my practice include the correction of negative habit patterns, such as using it for smoking cessation, for the modification of eating habits for weight control and hypnosis for pain management. (I will soon be adding further information on this page about how hypnosis works for pain control.) Another application of hypnosis is to reinforce positive mental attitudes to help a person perform at their optimal level psychologically or physically.
Physical examples would include the enhancement of sports performance with special attention to issues of confidence, level of motivation, positive visual imagery, focus of attention, and freedom from anxiety, excessive tension and distractibility.
Psychological examples would include improved sales performance, improved performance in preparing for and taking a difficult examination and improved performance in public speaking situations.
How can you choose a qualified professional person to consult for hypnosis? Unfortunately, in most states, anyone can call himself or herself a hypnotist or hypnotherapist and display an impressive appearing certificate simply by taking a correspondence course or paying a fee. It is, in fact, easy to learn how to induce hypnosis, but it takes a high level of psychological knowledge and training to apply hypnosis effectively safely and ethically. Is hypnotherapy dangerous? Not if it is induced by an experienced and well qualified mental health professional.
Here are some guidelines I would recommend that you use to select a hypnotist. First, do not see someone who makes extravagant claims, or who says they can guarantee the results of hypnosis. Second, make sure that the professional person you see identifies himself or herself as a licensed mental health professional such as a psychologist and not just as a "hypnotist" or "hypnotherapist."
You should feel free to ask any psychologist you consult about his or her qualifications and experience. A well-qualified psychologist will not be offended by such questions and will be happy to tell you about his or her training. Be sure to ask how long the psychologist has been in practice in your community and whether he or she has had any university or hospital affiliations.
A psychologist should hold a doctorate degree in psychology (Ph.D.) from an accredited university of good reputation. In California, and in most states, a psychologist must be licensed by a professional state board. California law requires psychologists to show their psychology license number in the telephone book. Here is an example of the kind of information you might look for, based upon my own qualifications.
My own training and experience are as follows. I took my doctorate degree in psychology at UCLA and my California psychology license number is PSY1036. I have been in private practice in this community for over 20 years and at the same time have held a part time position as an assistant professor of psychology on the Clinical Teaching Faculty of the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of California at Irvine. I am on staff at Long Beach Community Hospital and at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital.
If you see someone with good professional qualifications for hypnosis, it may prove to be a valuable tool in helping you make the positive changes you want to make in your life. If you are interested in getting more information about checking on the professional qualifications of a mental health professional, click on check qualifications.
I do not do hypnosis other than in a one to one situation in my office with selected patients who would benefit from such a procedure. In my opinion it is neither ethical, effective or safe for a psychologist to offer hypnotic audiotapes to people he has not seen and evaluated in an office visit.
Other applications of hypnosis in my practice include the correction of negative habit patterns, such as using it for smoking cessation, for the modification of eating habits for weight control and hypnosis for pain management. (I will soon be adding further information on this page about how hypnosis works for pain control.) Another application of hypnosis is to reinforce positive mental attitudes to help a person perform at their optimal level psychologically or physically.
Physical examples would include the enhancement of sports performance with special attention to issues of confidence, level of motivation, positive visual imagery, focus of attention, and freedom from anxiety, excessive tension and distractibility.
Psychological examples would include improved sales performance, improved performance in preparing for and taking a difficult examination and improved performance in public speaking situations.
How can you choose a qualified professional person to consult for hypnosis? Unfortunately, in most states, anyone can call himself or herself a hypnotist or hypnotherapist and display an impressive appearing certificate simply by taking a correspondence course or paying a fee. It is, in fact, easy to learn how to induce hypnosis, but it takes a high level of psychological knowledge and training to apply hypnosis effectively safely and ethically. Is hypnotherapy dangerous? Not if it is induced by an experienced and well qualified mental health professional.
Here are some guidelines I would recommend that you use to select a hypnotist. First, do not see someone who makes extravagant claims, or who says they can guarantee the results of hypnosis. Second, make sure that the professional person you see identifies himself or herself as a licensed mental health professional such as a psychologist and not just as a "hypnotist" or "hypnotherapist."
You should feel free to ask any psychologist you consult about his or her qualifications and experience. A well-qualified psychologist will not be offended by such questions and will be happy to tell you about his or her training. Be sure to ask how long the psychologist has been in practice in your community and whether he or she has had any university or hospital affiliations.
A psychologist should hold a doctorate degree in psychology (Ph.D.) from an accredited university of good reputation. In California, and in most states, a psychologist must be licensed by a professional state board. California law requires psychologists to show their psychology license number in the telephone book. Here is an example of the kind of information you might look for, based upon my own qualifications.
My own training and experience are as follows. I took my doctorate degree in psychology at UCLA and my California psychology license number is PSY1036. I have been in private practice in this community for over 20 years and at the same time have held a part time position as an assistant professor of psychology on the Clinical Teaching Faculty of the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of California at Irvine. I am on staff at Long Beach Community Hospital and at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital.
If you see someone with good professional qualifications for hypnosis, it may prove to be a valuable tool in helping you make the positive changes you want to make in your life. If you are interested in getting more information about checking on the professional qualifications of a mental health professional, click on check qualifications.
I do not do hypnosis other than in a one to one situation in my office with selected patients who would benefit from such a procedure. In my opinion it is neither ethical, effective or safe for a psychologist to offer hypnotic audiotapes to people he has not seen and evaluated in an office visit.
PSYCHOLOGIST
A clinical psychologist is an expert at helping people resolve personal, emotional and relationship problems. You can expect a psychologist to conduct himself or herself in an ethical, professional manner, to show sensitivity to your feelings and to explain the issues of privacy and confidentiality regarding your visits. Some people are a little apprehensive about their initial visit to see a psychologist because they don’t know what to expect. Most people feel considerably relieved after their first visit because an experienced psychologist will make them feel comfortable talking about their problems.
An example of what you might expect is my own approach. I use my initial visit to get a clear idea of the problem that brings my patient in and to establish some goals, based on what they want to accomplish. I usually start out by asking a few questions to get some general background information and to find out how they have dealt with their problems in the past, and what the results have been.
People resolve many life problems on their own. When they find themselves stuck on a disturbing problem in spite of their best efforts to resolve it, professional help may make a big difference. I try to determine why their usual, common sense efforts have been unsuccessful. Sometimes blind spots are interfering with their efforts; sometimes they are taking actions which work exactly against their goals. It is my goal to identify their mistakes and the obstacles that are getting in the way of a successful resolution of the problem and to help them establish some more effective solutions.
Problems often treated by psychologists include anxiety, fears, phobias, panic attacks, depression, marital and family problems, sexual problems and other relationship and emotional problems. The professional services of a licensed psychologist are often covered by medical insurance plans. You should feel free to ask a psychologist questions about fees and about insurance coverage.
You should also feel free to ask any psychologist you consult about his or her qualifications and experience. A well-qualified psychologist will not be offended by such questions and will be happy to provide the information you request. These are some of the things you should look for.
A psychologist should hold a doctorate degree (Ph.D.) in psychology from an accredited university of good reputation, and should have specialized training in the field of clinical psychology.
A psychologist must be licensed to practice in most states. Feel free to ask any psychologist where he or she took their doctorate degree in psychology, and about their psychology license number. Ask how long the psychologist has been in practice in your community and whether he or she has any university or hospital affiliations. Ask if the psychologist is listed in the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology, which is a useful resource for information about psychologists.
A commonly asked question is, "What is the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?" The short answer is that a psychologist's training is focused mainly in the field of psychology. A psychologist's undergraduate (B.A.) and graduate (M.A. and Ph.D.) degrees are all in the field of psychology, including learning theory, developmental psychology, social psychology, clinical psychology and abnormal psychology. In addition to this academic training, the psychologist gets his clinical training and experience in post-graduate clinical psychology training program. The training of a psychologist includes the psychodiagnosis and treatment of emotional or mental disorders. In addition, a psychologist is trained in psychodiagnostic testing and in research.
While a psychologist's doctorate degree (Ph.D.) is a graduate degree in psychology, a psychiatrist's doctorate degree is an undergraduate degree in medicine (M.D.) A psychiatrist spends four years in medical school, learning all the things that any physician learns. The psychiatrist's training in the psychodiagnosis and treatment of emotional and mental disorders comes in a "residency" program after he gets his degree in medicine. This is essentially "on the job training" under the supervision of other psychiatrists.
A psychiatrist's medical training qualifies him to prescribe medications and to administer electroshock treatment. A psychiatrist is not trained at all in many the fields of psychology, such as learning theory, developmental psychology, social psychology, clinical psychology, abnormal psychology psychodiagnostic testing and research. As an example of information about qualifications and training that a psychologist might provide, here is the information I would provide about myself:
I took my B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in psychology at the University of California at Los Angeles. My field of concentration was clinical psychology. In addition to my full time private practice of clinical psychology I was an Assistant Professor of Medical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of California at Irvine for more than 20 years. I am on staff at Long Beach Community Medical Center and Fountain Valley Regional Hospital.
I am licensed in the State of California as a Psychologist (license no. PSY 1036) and as a Marriage and Family Therapist (license no. M676). My National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology number is1288. I have been in the practice of clinical psychology and marriage counseling in the Long Beach, California and Orange County, California communities for more than 20 years.
For information about why you might prefer to choose a clinical psychologist for professional help rather than another type of professional, see my copy of the Orange County Psychological Association's Web Page entitled "What is a Psychologist?"
An example of what you might expect is my own approach. I use my initial visit to get a clear idea of the problem that brings my patient in and to establish some goals, based on what they want to accomplish. I usually start out by asking a few questions to get some general background information and to find out how they have dealt with their problems in the past, and what the results have been.
People resolve many life problems on their own. When they find themselves stuck on a disturbing problem in spite of their best efforts to resolve it, professional help may make a big difference. I try to determine why their usual, common sense efforts have been unsuccessful. Sometimes blind spots are interfering with their efforts; sometimes they are taking actions which work exactly against their goals. It is my goal to identify their mistakes and the obstacles that are getting in the way of a successful resolution of the problem and to help them establish some more effective solutions.
Problems often treated by psychologists include anxiety, fears, phobias, panic attacks, depression, marital and family problems, sexual problems and other relationship and emotional problems. The professional services of a licensed psychologist are often covered by medical insurance plans. You should feel free to ask a psychologist questions about fees and about insurance coverage.
You should also feel free to ask any psychologist you consult about his or her qualifications and experience. A well-qualified psychologist will not be offended by such questions and will be happy to provide the information you request. These are some of the things you should look for.
A psychologist should hold a doctorate degree (Ph.D.) in psychology from an accredited university of good reputation, and should have specialized training in the field of clinical psychology.
A psychologist must be licensed to practice in most states. Feel free to ask any psychologist where he or she took their doctorate degree in psychology, and about their psychology license number. Ask how long the psychologist has been in practice in your community and whether he or she has any university or hospital affiliations. Ask if the psychologist is listed in the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology, which is a useful resource for information about psychologists.
A commonly asked question is, "What is the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?" The short answer is that a psychologist's training is focused mainly in the field of psychology. A psychologist's undergraduate (B.A.) and graduate (M.A. and Ph.D.) degrees are all in the field of psychology, including learning theory, developmental psychology, social psychology, clinical psychology and abnormal psychology. In addition to this academic training, the psychologist gets his clinical training and experience in post-graduate clinical psychology training program. The training of a psychologist includes the psychodiagnosis and treatment of emotional or mental disorders. In addition, a psychologist is trained in psychodiagnostic testing and in research.
While a psychologist's doctorate degree (Ph.D.) is a graduate degree in psychology, a psychiatrist's doctorate degree is an undergraduate degree in medicine (M.D.) A psychiatrist spends four years in medical school, learning all the things that any physician learns. The psychiatrist's training in the psychodiagnosis and treatment of emotional and mental disorders comes in a "residency" program after he gets his degree in medicine. This is essentially "on the job training" under the supervision of other psychiatrists.
A psychiatrist's medical training qualifies him to prescribe medications and to administer electroshock treatment. A psychiatrist is not trained at all in many the fields of psychology, such as learning theory, developmental psychology, social psychology, clinical psychology, abnormal psychology psychodiagnostic testing and research. As an example of information about qualifications and training that a psychologist might provide, here is the information I would provide about myself:
I took my B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in psychology at the University of California at Los Angeles. My field of concentration was clinical psychology. In addition to my full time private practice of clinical psychology I was an Assistant Professor of Medical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of California at Irvine for more than 20 years. I am on staff at Long Beach Community Medical Center and Fountain Valley Regional Hospital.
I am licensed in the State of California as a Psychologist (license no. PSY 1036) and as a Marriage and Family Therapist (license no. M676). My National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology number is1288. I have been in the practice of clinical psychology and marriage counseling in the Long Beach, California and Orange County, California communities for more than 20 years.
For information about why you might prefer to choose a clinical psychologist for professional help rather than another type of professional, see my copy of the Orange County Psychological Association's Web Page entitled "What is a Psychologist?"
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