Written by: Chris Klem, MS
After completing hundreds of intake calls with new clients, I can count on one hand how many times a potential client has asked this question. Many clients assume that once licensed, all therapists have the same level and type of training. This often leads to disappointment in the therapeutic process. Others believe they need a therapist with advanced training and decades of experience to heal from complex trauma or complex PTSD, which is often not true.
So, how much experience does a therapist need to be considered a “good therapist”? To answer this question, we first need to explore therapists’ formal education.
Education and Experience
In Pennsylvania, professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, and clinical social workers typically receive similar education in their post-graduate programs. They also all require internship experience before graduating with their master’s (MS, MA, MSW, or MFT). After graduation, these therapists generally receive a provisional license and must practice under the supervision of a fully licensed professional.
All therapists must acquire a certain number of direct client hours to be eligible for full licensure. For social workers, counselors, and marriage and family therapists, this often amounts to 3,000 client hours after graduation. Many times this amounts to 2-3 years of experience, working full time as a therapist, plus a year or more during internship while in school.
By the time a therapist is fully licensed, they will have three or more years of experience doing direct, face-to-face clinical work with clients.
Benefits of Working with Pre-licensed Therapists
There are many benefits to working with a pre-licensed therapist. The most noticeable difference is cost. Pre-licensed therapists tend to offer lower rates as they are working towards full licensure. During this time, they must be supervised by at least one licensed therapist. This oversight can be extremely beneficial to a client. Supervision provides another set of eyes, or ears, along with different ideas and perspectives. If a client feels stuck in the process, you have two or three therapists brainstorming and bouncing ideas off each other. Once a therapist becomes fully licensed, that therapist is often flying solo and the client loses that oversight.
If you have been in and out of therapy for most of your life, you likely understand that formal education and experience do not always guarantee positive outcomes. For instance, you might see a therapist who is fully licensed, has multiple advanced certifications, but is currently experiencing burnout or personal turmoil. This could affect their presence and empathy during sessions. Alternatively, a pre-licensed therapist who gained substantial experience during their internship, arrives ready to engage in each session, and provides you with the best therapy experience you’ve ever had.
The Benefits of a Phoenix Center Intern
At the Phoenix Center, we believe that valuable experience begins during an internship. Many of our interns have received more trauma training in their first year than the majority of licensed therapists in the field. Most licensed therapists have been trained to avoid discussing past trauma due to inexperience, it falling outside their scope of practice, or fear that it may cause further harm to a client. Many therapists completed their school/training years ago, before trauma was more fully recognized as an underlying fueling factor of many mental health disorders.
If an intern or pre-licensed therapist has received extensive training in a trauma-focused environment, they can provide quality care that meets or exceeds that of a fully licensed professional. Many of our interns pursue advanced training while on-site and are skilled in offering EMDR, psychodramatic interventions, somatic techniques, and internal family systems.
Scope of Practice & Specialties
Between a therapist’s internship and full licensure, they can begin forming their scope of practice and pursuing advanced trainings and certifications. This often delineates therapists trained in trauma therapy, DBT, or EMDR, which is typically what clients seek.
It’s important to recognize that these advanced trainings and certifications are often funded by the therapists themselves, contributing to higher hourly rates. These certified trainings can be time-consuming and costly; for example, becoming a certified psychodramatist requires 780 hours of hands-on training, potentially costing upwards of $30,000. Adding certifications in EMDR, IFS, or somatic therapy increases that expense further.
Think of these therapeutic modalities similarly to specialists in the medical field. As their specialties increase, their rates typically rise, and their availability decreases due to high demand. Unfortunately, insurance companies do not reimburse therapists at a rate that makes acquiring these advanced trainings financially feasible, leading many therapists who offer these modalities to practice out of network.
Choosing to work with a pre-licensed therapist who is actively engaged in training that aligns with your therapeutic goals can be a way to access quality care at a more affordable cost.
Which type of therapist is right for me?
The type and level of experience you prefer in a therapist is unique to your needs and expectations. Financial considerations are also essential since clients may not be able to afford out-of-network therapists. This is one reason we maintain a large intern team, allowing us to offer trauma-focused therapy at a significantly lower rate than a pre-licensed or licensed therapist.
Our interns are fully committed to their internships, often attending advanced trainings on weekends and receiving 3-4 hours of supervision per week from trained trauma professionals. All our pre-licensed therapists started as interns at our center, ensuring that even a new pre-licensed therapist has at least a year of specialty training with us.
It Starts at Intake
As the intake specialist, my goal is to ask questions that will help us determine what level of experience you might need and which member of our team aligns best with your goals and expectations. It’s essential to remember that much of the work done in therapy is based on the formation and continuation of a healthy relationship between you and your therapist. This connection should model a healthy relationship characterized by trust, respect, reliability, and accountability.
It’s within this relationship that we can begin to accept and foster healthy interactions in our lives. While training and experience are important, the relationship you develop is even more significant.
About the Author
Chris Klem is the Manager of Community Relationships at The Phoenix Center and connects with every new client to complete intake, assessment, and referrals. Chris’ main goal is to ensure every client feels seen, heard, and paired with a therapist that will help them meet their goals. Having worked in the mental health field for twenty years, Chris brings experience and compassion to every intake call. He also provides continuing education and training for organizations.
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