Helping People Find Therapists & Advocating for Ethical Therapy
Poll - Spring 2011
Are you in favor of state licensing boards requiring pre-licensed therapists to undergo psychotherapy as part of licensure requirements, assuming all potential issues are addressed and adequately resolved prior to implementing such a requirement?
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Dear Respondent,
Thanks for taking part in this poll. As a longtime advocate for reducing harm in psychotherapy, I was pleased to see the large number of therapists in favor of such a requirement. My operating belief is that the more training, consultation, and personal psychotherapy a therapist does, the less likely he or she will be to cause harm, to abuse power, or get their own needs met at the expense of their clients. However, the troubling reality is that there are practicing therapists who have never experienced therapy for themselves. This reality is what lies behind GoodTherapy.org's effort to gather more information from respondents like you and to see if there's anything our organization can do to improve the quality of psychotherapeutic care.
The poll results, especially respondent notes in the Comments section, have been extremely helpful, not just in gauging the level of support for making a change in licensure requirements, but in outlining the potential pitfalls inherent in such a change. Even though a clear majority of respondents were in favor of requiring pre-licensed therapists to undergo therapy of their own, those respondents who were not in favor of this requirement raised some very important and valid concerns which should be addressed. In an effort to address these concerns, GoodTherapy.org has conducted a qualitative analysis of the comments made by those who answered NO or MAYBE to the poll. The analysis yielded seven general categories of arguments against requiring pre-licensed therapists to undergo their own psychotherapy, and they are as follows:
- Therapy Must be Warranted by Illness
- Effectiveness As a Therapist May Not be Directly Linked with Having Done Therapy
- Not all Therapy is Created Equal - How to Assure Quality Control?
- People Should Not be Forced to Undergo Therapy
- Therapy Requirements Are Better Regulated at the Graduate School Level
- Monetary Cost Associated with Mandatory Therapy is a Potential Hardship
- Confidentiality Issues Are a Consideration
Over the next eight weeks, I will present summaries of, and possible solutions to, each argument against having pre-licensed therapists undergo their own therapy to meet state licensure requirements. It is my hope that you will get involved, share your ideas, and be part of the process of improving the quality of psychotherapy services. Below I've addressed the first argument against requiring pre-licensed therapists to undergo therapy. Please visit the following web page and leave your remarks: Therapy Must be Warranted by Illness
Kind Regards,
Noah Rubinstein, LMFT, Founder and CEO
GoodTherapy.org
200 West 34th Avenue, Suite 501
Anchorage, Alaska 99503
Comments
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I don't know that psychotherapy would be necessary for everyone, but I had to take several psych tests to be admitted into the counseling program. I think that's a great idea. I found the classes themselves to be rather like being in therapy - in a great way.
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I'd certainly encourage it for all, and more vigorously for some, but I have some personal agency concerns about requiring it.
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In general I'm in favor of this, though I would be very cautious as to how this is regulated and how therapists are approved to provide therapy for interns.
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I am definhately NOT in favor of this potential requirement. If it is not broke - why fix it? In other words, the intent of this potential "law" can and should be achieved without regulation. That is what Accreditation Boards are for to see that programs are preparing individuals for their profession.
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There are many issues that need to be addressed. I think all students should have some counseling. It should be done as part of their degree program. I do believe that we could easily exploit pre-licensed folks with such a reg.
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As an intern I think this is a great idea, however, also as an intern I think it could be difficult. On average interns are paying $200 to $500 a month for supervision and then on top of that would have to pay for personal therapy. The cost for me would be too much and I would no longer be able to work towards my LPC.
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Counseling is not about giving advice, it is about personal growth. A counselor, in my opinion, needs to experience personal therapy to be a good counselor.
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I believe individual psychotherapy is the most effective way to make therapists aware of there own issues and to
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It could easily become just more stuff to do, more cost - more obstacles to being licensed. However, I would recommend some kind of incentive for doing so. Either way, I would recommend having people do up to 10 sessions with a cognitive-behavioral therapist, then 10 with a gestalt or mindfulness therapist, then 10 with a more emotionally-oriented therapist, then 10 with someone else. That way several modalities experienced, and four different therapists. Offer a debriefing opportunity for practitioners to discuss the experience (in terms of process, not content). Still, I doubt that it wouldn't become just more complication for folks trying to be licensed. Be much more motivating if we actually got decent wages....
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I am a therapist in private practice, as well as an instructor at UT Austin. Although it is not a requirement in our program, I encourage all my students to get into therapy if they have not done so. How can you effectively sit in the therapist's chair if you've never sat in the client's? If you have a belief that therapy is for people who "have problems" or are "mentally ill" what message will you be sending your clients who come see you?
