Patrick Yates MA LPC Inc
As with all professionals, competence depends on training, experience, and personal qualities and talents. Professional designation alone (including LPC) does not distinguish the best counselor. A competent counselor has the combination of training and experience, as well as the personal qualities of a good helper.
Below are some professional designations you might encounter.
Professional Designations:
*** Counselor/Psychotherapist/Therapist*** |
Letters after a name don’t make an effective counselor.
The professionals listed above are not always trained and experienced as counselors. Though they may have a license, they may have only minimal schooling, training and experience specific to counseling. The license they hold may have been obtained through experience in the areas of administration, research, school, or government, but this type of work may not be directly related to counseling. So possession of a license does not insure high quality in a counselor.
As important as training and experience are, there are other essential factors that contribute to competence in a counselor. Personal gifts and talents are needed for excellence as a helper. Some examples include: the desire for professional growth, the ability to listen, compassion, being emotionally in touch, etc. In addition to these personal qualities a counselor must have expertise with the problem presented in counseling. Skills that can be used to help with depression or anxiety do not equip a counselor to help with, say for instance, addiction issues. Issue specific experience and training is necessary in order for a counselor to be a competent helper.
If not by professional designation, how does one assess the quality of a counselor?
So . . . . . . The letters after a professional’s name don’t tell the whole story. LPC’s as well as other professionals may be competent to counsel, but only if they possess the necessary talents, training and experience.
The Good News! There are many competent, well-trained, and caring professionals. Seek and you will find!
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