Published on 19 April 2023

What Are The Duties And Responsibilities Of A Therapist?

General Psychology what-are-the-duties-and-responsibilities-of-a-therapist
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In this fast-paced world, most people are running towards the dream they want to fulfill instantly, but they tend to become mentally ill due to this or other situations. 

A study by the (NIMH) National Institute Of Health says that more than one in five U.S. adults have a mental illness. That's why people want professional guidance to cope with this issue which can be only given by the 'Therapist.'

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, many youngsters are also planning to be a therapist. The rate of therapist jobs has grown compared to the other positions. Even it is predicted that the number of job opportunities for therapists would be increased by 54,200 in 2028. But great work has always come with great responsibility. So, first, understand the therapist and their duties.

What Is A Therapist?

Therapists are the ones who are licensed, and medical professionals relieve a person's stress by using different techniques. Usually, they counsel individuals, families, or groups. A therapist is responsible for maintaining or improving a patient's mental health by providing physical and psychological support. 

Mostly, therapists use effective relaxation techniques on their clients so they can feel much better. Additionally, therapists must know about the medical industry to detect clients' issues and get proper medications.

Different Kind Of Therapists

Mental illness can occur through various incidents in life. That's why many therapists use their therapy according to different situations. Sometimes a therapist and psychologist work together to guide a particular individual's situation.

Family Therapist 

A family Therapist gives counseling through various sessions, which can help family members improve communication and resolve issues among themselves. It can also help families to cope with problems that are affecting them.

Grief And Loss Therapist

Being human, it is natural to get emotional when someone close to your heart leaves you permanently. Sometimes, this separation can cause mental illness for which you need grief counseling. In that case, a therapist helps patients to cope with the pain through various techniques.

Marriage Therapist 

Marriage therapists help couples stressed because of their married life or about to get separated. Usually, therapists take sessions with married couples where they can tell their issues and get them resolved.

Group Therapist

Group therapy or group counseling takes sessions with people with the same issues. Even there are some chances of having more than one therapist. During sessions, therapists can also build a communication chain that helps patients express themselves more. 

Techniques A Therapist Uses

Techniques are the best ways to treat mental illness. Many therapists develop these techniques to serve their clients in the best way possible. Even sometimes, these techniques also become helpful in different phases of life. These techniques not only help the patients but also the therapist to connect with them mentally.

In solution-focused therapy, the therapist asks clients to imagine a miracle that suddenly occurred in their life. Being human, it is natural to believe in miracles, which sometimes happen too. This 'miracle question' assist the therapist in understanding the mind of their client. Below are some best techniques that therapists use.

Reflection 

In this technique, the therapist tries to communicate with patients by emphasizing them. This technique helps the therapist realize the patient's feelings so that they can use meaningful words while having sessions with them. This technique acts like a mirror where the patient's issues are reflected in the eyes of the therapist as it is.

Paraphrasing 

This is also a relationship-building technique where the therapist returns to the client what they said during the session. Usually, in this technique, the therapist gives more opportunities for the client to talk more about essential topics.  

Thought Stopping 

This is the best technique for those who are frequently overthinking. It stops unusual, repetitive thoughts in the mind. You should say stop loudly or silently when unwanted thoughts hit your mind. Sometimes it's better to restrict yourself from the unusual thing. You can also use other techniques, such as listening to music, watching movies, etc. 

Push Button Technique 

During a session, the therapist asks the clients to think and focus on a pleasant experience and note their feelings. This can connect the client's thoughts with feelings. Because of this Technique, the client learns that concentrating on the positive aspect of life can reduce unwanted thinking.

Role-playing 

This technique allows the client to play new roles in any random situation where they can learn new behaviors and self-awareness. This usually helps the client to think through various perspectives. 

Types Of Therapies 

There are some types of therapies that a therapist use depending on the client's state of mind. A therapist may use the above techniques in these therapies, which include.

Psychodynamic Therapy

This therapy is developed from psychoanalysis, a long-term approach to mental health treatment. In this therapy, you can talk about anything to reduce the unusual patterns of thought that tend to stress. You can also talk about your childhood memories or dreams you want to fulfill.

Behavioral Therapy 

Many individuals come into your lives with different behaviors in this world of people. This can impact your life positively or negatively. Even sometimes, your behavior can also increase the level of stress. This therapy focuses on different ways to change your behavioral reactions and patterns that lead to distress. The following are the subtypes of behavioral therapy, which include.

Systematic desensitization combines relaxation exercises with slow exposure to something you fear. This can teach you how to replace fear or anxiety with relaxation.

Aversion therapy helps you change undesirable and unnecessary behavior in some situations. If a person is under aversion therapy and wants to quit smoking, they might pinch their skin whenever they urge to smoke. This therapy is highly controversial.  

Flooding is the same as systematic desensitization, but you experience fear at the start of sessions. If you have a phobia of darkness where you feel weird vibes, the Therapist might keep you in a room without lights. This can make you stronger to cope with your fear.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

This therapy is used to treat short-term mental health problems. In some situations, it is similar to behavioral therapy; it doesn't spend much time dealing with past events rather than focusing on the current issues you are experiencing. In CBT, you will learn and work on how thought patterns can affect you negatively.

Humanistic Therapy

Humanistic therapy is psychotherapy (humanistic psychology definition) that concentrates on someone's unique potential to improve their life. It emphasizes empathy, self-exploration, and personal growth. This approach believes people have an inherent capacity for personal growth and change. Humanistic therapy views individuals as whole beings and works to help them develop self-awareness and self-acceptance.

Humanistic therapy also emphasizes the importance of the therapeutic relationship, emphasizing the client's autonomy and personal responsibility. Humanistic therapy often treats depression, anxiety, relationship problems, and other mental health issues. This approach aims to help individuals lead more fulfilling lives by helping them discover their unique strengths and abilities.

Holistic Therapy

This type of therapy assists the whole person, which forms spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional forms of well-being. The treatment helps the patient to understand themselves through all these levels. It includes diet, exercise, relationships, spiritual counseling, etc.

Activities Used By Therapists 

Mental illness can occur at any age, especially in children with problems. But sometimes parents think this is a common problem, so they don't appoint a therapist. This may challenge your child's mental health. So, getting a therapist's guidance is advisable if your child has experienced much fear. 

Using various activities on children is a creative and challenging moment for any therapist. Many therapists understand their behavior through art, writing, and plays. Not only in children, they also use some exciting therapies for adults to connect the link between the patient and the therapist. These therapies include dance therapy, drama therapy, music therapy, hypnotherapy, etc.

Therapeutic Intervention Strategies

There are many strategies a therapist uses on their clients to get out of stress. These strategies are used according to the situation. Here are a few well-known interventions.

Group Interventions

This strategy helps those who refuse to participate in changing their habits and harmful behaviors. For this scenario, a small meeting is organized where the client's family members, friends, and others from their environment come to share their problems with the client.

Individual Behavioral Interventions

It is a type of therapy that uses reinforcement to intervene in behaviors that may affect negatively. It usually affects the actions of individuals regarding their health. This strategy is helpful for those who had difficulty in their behavior in the past.

Crisis Intervention

It's a short-term management technique used to treat those lives affected by the crisis. In this situation, the therapist supports the patient and gives a clear perspective on life. This intervention takes special skills.  

Psychopharmacology Interventions

In this intervention, clients use medications to treat mental health disorders. Drugs also play an essential role in improving mental health conditions, but they should be taken with a therapist's guidance. Some patients only take medication alone, whereas others take medicines along with the therapy. 

Job Responsibilities Of A Therapist

The role of a therapist in treating mental health is essential. As a therapist, I always support and understand clients' feelings. Therapists should create an environment where patients can adjust themselves without any hesitation. The following are the responsibilities of a therapist.

  • Therapists should establish a positive relationship with their clients.
  • Create individualized treatment for their clients according to the situations.
  • Meeting patients regularly to see how they are feeling.
  • Involve and advise the client's family members when appropriate.
  • Refer clients to specialists if necessary.
  • Maintained the records of sessions and meetings with their patient.
  • Always believe in their clients so they can connect with you quickly.

Therapist Requirement

Therapists should have skills that can be used to calm their patients. Mainly, therapists take one-on-one sessions where they understand the patient's issue.

Know what requirements a therapist should have.

  • A master's degree in psychology.
  • Excellent communication skills.
  • Trustworthiness.
  • Patience as the therapy session may take a lot of time.
  • Creative thinking.
  • Ability to understand patient's stress.

Things You Should Know Before Appointing A Therapist

Usually, many people don't appoint a therapist as they think they are just having a bad phase of life that would end in a couple of days. Still, some people show courage by appointing a therapist but don't feel helpful. This could happen because of a lack of understanding. So, to avoid these things, here are some tips below that you can follow before consulting a therapist.

  • Take time to find a therapist you feel comfortable with.
  • Discuss a financial issue with a therapist, as the therapy may be expensive.
  • Understand their policies.
  • If your therapist hurts your sentiments, speak up.
  • Make sure your therapist does not disclose your personal information.
  • It's ok to leave the session if you are uncomfortable.

Bottom Line From Practical Anxiety Solutions

A therapist is like a life jacket that never dips you into the ocean of mental disorders. But, the life jacket also needs some essential things which make them trustworthy, and this trust factor is 'responsibilities and skills.'

A therapist should have various skills such as excellent communication skills, trustworthiness, understanding patients' issues, creative thinking, etc. A therapist should have patience cause sometimes the therapy may take much time if the patient is not recovering. 

Responsibilities are the central factor behind any work. There are many responsibilities a therapist should maintain. This includes establishing a positive relationship with their clients, taking individual sessions for them as per the situation, referring clients to specialists if necessary, advising the client's family members when appropriate, etc., are mentioned above.

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