Coach. Counsellor. Social Worker. Psychologist. Psychiatrist. Psychotherapist.
With the boom in mental health care support across the world, these titles are becoming more in number and a little hard to understand. I offer here an overview of how I see these professions.
The overview is not comprehensive, and serves to explain how I fit in as an Integrative Therapist. Always ask about a person's professional background to see what fits best for you!
I explain title into the following parts terms of (1) Title, (2) Function & Examples, (3) Education & Training, and (4) my own background.
Coach
Counsellor
Social Worker
Psychologist
Psychiatrist
Psychotherapist
The overview is not comprehensive, and serves to explain how I fit in as an Integrative Therapist. Always ask about a person's professional background to see what fits best for you!
I explain title into the following parts terms of (1) Title, (2) Function & Examples, (3) Education & Training, and (4) my own background.
Coach
- Coach, Advisor, Strategist, Mentor, Peer Support Facilitator.
- Coaches help you set goals, cheer you on, and give feedback on how you can improve. Widely used in sports world for training athletes . There is also executive coaching - where a leader in particular industry seeks feedback on ways to improve their own leadership knowledge, skills, and attitudes, as well as that of their organization. Sometimes a close friend can be coach-like, but this relationship is not often provides a biased perspective, and advice may not be completely relevant to the context. The outcomes with a coach are specifically designed for the trainee.
- Coaches are often trained with formal programs, such as in athletics or executive coaching training programs. The informal side of education is through experience of working with people individually and in groups, and years of experience can add great value.
- I coached, advised, and mentorship students in higher education and those at-risk in community agencies for over 10 years. I have a refined capacity on giving and receiving feedback.
Counsellor
- Counsellor, Advisor.
- Typically, a counsellor is a trained professional who helps others through psycho-social distress in the field of mental health. There are examples of financial advisors at a bank or student advisor in a school. An informal counsellor/advisor may not be the expert in the topic area, but can support clients by providing information towards making their own decisions.
- Mental health counsellors typically have training from their employing institution or through educational or training institutions. Depending on the local and national governments, this training can be regulated, i.e. the educational program is registered so that the training is certified and serves the public's interest. In informal cases, counsellors may rely on on-the -job work experience
- I have served as a formally trained counsellor supporting mental health, leadership, mentorship, and organisational development.
Social Worker
- Social Workers, Service Worker.
- Social Workers are responsible for supporting groups of people in a systematic way towards advancing the well-being of all of society. Such groups include individuals, families, and communities to better manage problems they face and to find ways to improve life in a holistic way. Social Workers often teach skills, provide research-informed policy recommendations, and work in a variety of settings from home-care, hospital, community agencies, and health clinics.
- Social Workers receive training in higher education from college and university institutions towards protected and regulated titles such as a Bachelor of Social Work or Masters of Social Work. Many social workers are also trained psychotherapists.
- I am not a social worker. I have worked alongside social workers in providing individual and group support to others seeking out how to better cope in life.
Psychologist
- Psychologist.
- Psychologists play dual roles as both as a researcher/scholar and a practitioner. Most psychologists have studied to great extent a and have conducted research in a psychological area, e.g. addictions, gerontology, neuroscience, and so on. Due to their research background and additional clinical work, they can also practice individual and group psychotherapy.
- They receive an educational credential as psychologist at the masters and doctoral levels, and they are lawfully registered to hold the title of "psychologist". Although not medically trained, their doctoral degrees earn the title of doctor (Dr.) to support their expertise in the assessing and reporting on psychopathology. They often work alongside social workers, mental health counsellors, and psychiatrists. Many are trained to provide psychological assessments (cognitive, behavioural, and diagnostic).
- I am not a trained psychologist. I have studied psychology, neuroscience, and psychopathology in my baccalaureate and masters education.
Psychiatrist
- Psychiatrist.
- As may be well-known, psychiatrists are trained medical doctors that specialize in treatment of patients with mental health pathology. They work in clinics and hospitals. Psychiatrist diagnose mental health problem and often prescribe medication. Not all psychiatrist provide individual or group support like a social worker, psychologist, or psychotherapist would.
- Psychiatrists are those who have gone to medical school and then specialized in psychiatry. All psychiatrists are required to have a licence to practice under the laws that govern medical care and give them the doctor title (Dr.).
- I am not Psychiatrist. Many of the psychiatrists I have encountered rarely conduct psychotherapeutic interventions. They usually employ the biomedical model of treatment as opposed to the biopsychosocial model of care.
Psychotherapist
- Psychotherapist, therapist, mental health counsellor.
- This title provides client's with healing through a therapeutic relationship. An individual who is experiencing a serious disorder seeks out their help to engage in levels of talking through issues . The disorder is based on thought, cognition, mood, emotional regulation, perception or memory, any of which may disrupt their judgement, insight, behaviour, communication or social functioning.
- Not all jurisdictions have educational training or lawfully registered bodies to govern this practice. I come from such a jurisdiction that does regulated the title for the value of public safety. Psychotherapists vary in their interventions they use based on their training (i.e. psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioural, art, and many others) as well as the demographic of client they serve (e.g. unemployed, trauma, addictions, seniors, depressed).
- I received my masters training in counselling and psychotherapy, and I am qualifying member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. I have provided psychotherapy to high-achieving students and the under-served members of society (i.e. unemployed, seniors, crisis, homeless, marginalised).
Why I call myself a Thrivist?
Yes, technically I am trained counsellor and psychotherapist. But, I see myself as a Thrivist when I support clients.
Most of the titles above worked under the paradigm of the biomedical model in supporting others through life challenges. This model suggests that when there is a problem there is a solution, especially if it is biologically based. Although we all expect the biomedical model for medical care it is not the only way of addressing issues. There are also cultural, social, psychological, financial, and individual factors that contribute to the problems in our lives, and as a result as many number of solutions.
The biomedical model relies on a problem-based scenario, and focuses on diagnoses and those in crisis. The work of these title-holders is changing; a broader approach to supporting people is becoming more mainstream. Dr. Martin Seligman is a leader in this area and speaks to a new way of approaching the work of the development of people - to not only to survive, but to also thrive. This modern approach is line with the well-known, but not widely practiced, biopsychosocial model - a fundamental part of my title of Thrivist. I also did not like deriving the word psycho-thrivist, because life challenges may not always be psychological.
As aThrivist, my goal is to help you find better ways to thrive in life - whether from trauma or unexpected treasures - that come from within and from those who surround us.
As a Thrivist, I hope to:
Most of the titles above worked under the paradigm of the biomedical model in supporting others through life challenges. This model suggests that when there is a problem there is a solution, especially if it is biologically based. Although we all expect the biomedical model for medical care it is not the only way of addressing issues. There are also cultural, social, psychological, financial, and individual factors that contribute to the problems in our lives, and as a result as many number of solutions.
The biomedical model relies on a problem-based scenario, and focuses on diagnoses and those in crisis. The work of these title-holders is changing; a broader approach to supporting people is becoming more mainstream. Dr. Martin Seligman is a leader in this area and speaks to a new way of approaching the work of the development of people - to not only to survive, but to also thrive. This modern approach is line with the well-known, but not widely practiced, biopsychosocial model - a fundamental part of my title of Thrivist. I also did not like deriving the word psycho-thrivist, because life challenges may not always be psychological.
As aThrivist, my goal is to help you find better ways to thrive in life - whether from trauma or unexpected treasures - that come from within and from those who surround us.
As a Thrivist, I hope to:
- provide you the time needed to build trust with me
- create a non-judgemental, positive space for true learning and growth
- use evidence-based approaches tailored to your needs
- integrate ways to cope with life challenges at home, school, play, work and neighbourhoods
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