In the world of mental health care there are specific ethical guidelines that outline the ways in which we engage with our clients. Until you are aware of these rules, you might not spend much time thinking about them as a consumer of care. Licensure of particular titles (therapist, counselor/counsellor, psychologist, pscychotherapist) and roles in the realm of mental health care are generally specific to the region of the license; this can be narrowed further than a country and might apply to a particular state or province.
Most of the time, it is the ethical duty of a practitioner to explain their role to you and ensure that you understand to the best of their ability. This usually happens early in the work and may be at a time where you’re already feeling mentally overwhelmed and have diminished capacity to retain information. I thought I would write this post to further my ethical practices by putting this information in a convenient spot for clients to access.
I wasn’t aware of the difference between the terms: psychotherapist, therapist, or counselor until more recently and I’ve been studying psychology since I was a teenager. Part of the reason for this, is that these colloquialisms are used interchangeably and can also have a geographical influence. There are a few guidelines that seem to overlap across continents.
In some countries, the term ‘counselor’ might be used for someone without a license for the region they are practicing in, which is totally legal. They might not have formal academic training, but perhaps gone an alternative route to the development of their skills. In some cases the term ‘therapist’ or ‘psychotherapist’ is protected by the institutions that regulate therapy. Also at times, the terms ‘counselor’ and ‘therapist’ are just used interchangeably with no differentiating characteristics.
When mental health practitioners are licensed in a specific area, that license determines where the clients you are working with have their primary residence. The insurance that you carry as a practitioner will cover any incidents that might occur, the licensing institution will receive any complaints that are made about you, and overall there are systems in place that are legally protecting both sides of the relationship and the business itself.
Depending on the license, there will be language that describes where you are encouraged to practice and where you might be able to practice. Someone I know in California said that their license specified that they can see clients in other countries as long as the local licensing body of the client gives the go ahead. A license from British Columbia, Canada also encourages holders to become familiar with the local licensing rules of the client’s place of residence. Ultimately, you are encouraged to practice within your region.
With the increase in virtual counseling these past few years, this can create some level of complication. There are more digital nomads than before and how are they meant to access counseling if they are often on the move? Or what if you live in a country where the primary language is not your native tongue and you would like to seek a therapist that speaks your first language fluently? There are several circumstances where the practitioner’s duty to care for those requesting it can be called into question.
Ultimately, it is everyone’s obligation to become informed about both the services they are offering as well as consuming. Knowledge can help guide us in the process of having agency over the type of care that we access. I desire to provide care that is transparent and allows the individuals I work with to feel a sense of agency over their healing journey.
Heal Into Your Desires 