How to Become a Behavioral Therapist
Behavioral therapists help people overcome unhealthy behaviors that are self-destructive. Behavioral therapists typically treat people with cognitive disabilities, such as autism, to manage their behaviors, but may also work with people with obsessive-compulsive disorders or substance abuse issues (Falkenstein et al., 2016; Moyers et al., 2016).
Someone who wants to become a behavioral therapist should first earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field. After earning a bachelor’s degree, one can start working as a behavioral disorder counselor. In order to become a licensed behavioral therapist, one must earn their master’s degree in psychology or counseling, and work towards licensure.
Licensing requirements vary by region, and similar to psychotherapy requirements, every state in the United States requires a master’s degree and 2,000 to 4,000 hours of supervised clinical experience for behavioral therapist licensure.
For more information on behavioral therapists, visit this website.
How to Become a CBT Therapist
CBT therapists are similar to behavioral therapists, as they help people overcome destructive behaviors, but CBT therapists ultimately focus on thoughts and thought patterns (Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, 2015).
For example, a CBT therapist might help someone who consistently lashes out at work to figure out which thought patterns are causing them to do so. A CBT therapist would then work with their client to change these thought patterns, so the client stops lashing out at work.
The process of becoming a CBT therapist is almost identical to the process of becoming a psychotherapist, except that one may specialize and obtain extra certification in CBT techniques.
After earning their master’s degree, prospective CBT therapists have two options: they can either become accredited in psychotherapy and start offering CBT programs, or they can specifically become accredited in CBT therapy.
For example, in the United Kingdom, the first option might consist of getting licensed by the UKCP or the British Association for Counseling & Psychotherapy (BACP) as a general psychotherapist.
The second option consists of earning psychotherapist accreditation and then getting specifically accredited as a CBT therapist by the British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Therapy (BABCT) or the Association for Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (AREBT).
BABCT requires 200 hours of supervised clinical experience on top of the 450 required for UKCP accreditation, to give you an idea.
For more information on CBT therapists, visit this or this website.
How to Become a Recreational Therapist
Recreational therapists help people with mental or physical health issues to improve their levels of wellbeing (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022f). For example, a recreational therapist might help someone living in a nursing home lead a more fulfilling life by playing games or doing activities with them. A recreational therapist might also use sports to teach someone how to be more independent after an accident.
To become a recreational therapist one must earn a bachelor’s degree in recreational therapy or a related field. Many regions do not have specific requirements for recreational therapists. That said, most hospitals and clinical offices prefer to hire certified recreational therapists (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022f).
In the United States, the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) offers a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) certification, which is earned after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in recreational therapy and passing an exam on recreational therapy, although one can earn it by simply passing the exam on top of any other bachelor’s degree.
Further specialty certification can be obtained in areas such as behavioral health or physical rehabilitation, which might help a prospective therapist be a more competitive candidate when searching for a job.
For more information on recreational therapists, visit this website.
How to Become a Child Therapist
Child therapists help children develop in a healthier way. For example, a child therapist might help a child understand why they cannot focus in school, and figure out ways to help the child focus better in the classroom (Miller, 2015).
Child therapists also help diagnose and treat mental health disorders in children and work with families to support the child.
Like most therapists, the path to becoming a child therapist begins with a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field. From there, one should earn a master’s degree in child development or clinical psychology, and accrue the requisite number of supervised hours of clinical experience.
This path is again similar to that of a psychotherapist, although one interested in specifically working with children may tailor their training to specialize in techniques like expressive art therapy and child-centered play therapy. One can also go on to earn a Ph.D. or Psy.D. to be a more desirable candidate.
For more information on child therapists, visit this, this or this website.
How to Become a Family Therapist
Marriage and family therapists help families and couples overcome interpersonal issues between one another, and also help treat individuals who have mental health issues which affect their familial relationships (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022e).
For example, a marriage and family therapist might help a married couple understand why they have been fighting.
A marriage and family therapist might also help a family learn how to better deal with one of their member’s anxiety issues.
To become a marriage and family therapist, one must first earn a bachelor’s degree, ideally in psychology or a similar field. After that, one can enter a master’s program in counseling psychology, marriage and family therapy, or a related field, and earn their supervised clinical hours of experience (American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, 2015).
In the United States, licensing is administered regionally by governing boards—in California, this is the Board of Behavioral Sciences.
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Really helpful
Hi! Thanks a great deal for this article.
I currently possess an advanced diploma in counseling psychology obtained in 2010, and then moved on to do my MBBS and graduated as a medical doctor in the year 2015. Since then i am working in the medical administration of a healthcare organization.
I am now interested in moving towards a career in counseling and am at crossroads wondering what my next step towards it should be. Please do advice. Greatly appreciate.
thank you
thank you
Hello! Thank you for this article. I’m 31 and have a Bachelor’s degree in Comp. Science, along with a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering. I’m looking to do a complete career change, and psychology is something that I have been interested in going to school for.
I do not have too much clarity on what specialization I want to do, but I know it would be somewhere in the area of depression and helping people overcome that.
Is it essential to have a Ph.D or Psy.D to start practicing as a therapist? Or is getting my Masters through school (4+2 years – Bachelor’s+Master’s) enough to start practicing?
I live in the US.
Thanks in advance!
Vishal.
Hi Vishal,
Thanks for your comment. How exciting that you want to pursue a career in psychology!
As this article states, having a Ph.D. or Psy.D. is not essential to start practicing as a therapist. However, it does make you a better candidate for most practices. Additionally, states usually require you to obtain an additional license according to the sector of psychology you wish to work in.
That said, it is not impossible to become an accomplished therapist with just a Master’s education.
I hope this helps!
Kind regards,
-Caroline | Community Manager
Thanks for the feedback Caroline, I appreciate it!
-Vishal
Hello, thank you for the thorough explanation. I am currently 45 years old and I would like to know if it is too late for me to pursue a career as a counselor. I am interested in a field that deals with helping clients with issues like anger management, depression, etc. and also would like to help couples with marriage counseling. I have never been to college so I would also like to know which therapist field should I pursue? Thank you.
Hi Michael,
Thanks so much for your question! It is definitely never too late to pursue a career as a counselor, plus there’s an extremely high demand for counselors at the moment.
No matter which issues you would like to help clients deal with, most aspiring therapists start with a regular Bachelor’s degree in Psychology which is often followed by a Master’s degree. Depending on where you live, this education can take 3-6 years. Some countries may not require a Master’s degree but rather specific therapist training. Once you have completed your education, you can start specializing in different niches such as Anger Management or Marriage Counseling.
I hope this helps! Best of luck 🙂
-Caroline | Community Manager