In most places, becoming a PTSD therapist necessitates first becoming a trained and licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, or clinical social worker. If you want to prescribe medication to patients, you’ll either need a medical degree or, if you don’t live in a state that does, you’ll likely need to take additional pharmacology training and pass an additional exam. Any of these disciplines can help you get ready for a career in counseling. You can choose to specialize in treating anxiety disorders and receive specific training to help you counsel people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after obtaining the necessary licensing to counsel others.
The training required to become a PTSD therapist varies depending on where you live and where you plan to practice. In the United States, the first step is to obtain a post-graduate degree in psychology or psychiatry, which requires at least five years of graduate and post-graduate study before taking the appropriate licensing examination. A person can also get into counseling getting a master’s degree in social work and then working toward becoming a licensed clinical social worker.
In many places, you may be required to complete a lengthy internship to gain supervised experience before taking the licensing exam. Before being allowed to counsel the general public, most go through psychological counseling to ensure their mental and emotional well-being. After gaining experience and receiving individual counseling, candidates are eligible to take an examination to become a licensed therapist.
A counselor who obtains a license and chooses to specialize in PTSD therapy can become a PTSD therapist. Additional coursework may or may not be required depending on where you choose to practice. In order to provide therapy for patients with PTSD, most reputable therapists participate in continuing education as well as personal study, as well as joining relevant organizations and pursuing additional certification.
It’ll be crucial to stay up to date on the latest research in this field even after you’ve graduated as a PTSD therapist. As a result, it’s likely that you’ll participate in continuing education on a regular basis throughout your career. This will not only raise your professional profile and outreach capabilities, but it will also better prepare you to assist clients with PTSD as new research and insight into patient treatment becomes available.