Leader Board Ad box

Tips For Choosing A Reliable Counselling Psychologist Calgary

By Karyn Shields


Mental problems can have devastating consequences on the life of an individual. It could be a simple problem of stress, but if not addressed it could lead to depression and even mental collapse. This makes it very important that people seek medical attention before the issues gets out of hand. If you have been looking for help but you cannot find any, read on and discover how you can easily find a counselling psychologist Calgary expert.

Check if the counselor has a graduate degree at the minimum. You would want to deal with a professional. There are many people who call themselves professionals in this field simply because they have attended a few seminars and have learned a particular therapeutic approach. Get someone who is formally trained in relevant fields such as psychology, counseling, social work, and family and marriage therapy.

The human mind is very complex. Without a graduate degree, it would be difficult to deal with complex problem because such an individual would not have any expertise in diagnosis, which would help him or her address the issue from its route cause. To understand how the human minds functions and responds, it would take several years of education.

Ask the counselor if he or she is licensed. The state requires that these professional be licensed before starting to offer their services to the public. Having a license shows that the professional has met the minimum state requirements, including a give hours of supervised experience. Of course, licensing is not mandatory and you will find several counselors with provide effective services without a license.

Ensure that the professional adheres to the principles of ethics. There are boundary, confidentiality, and dual relationships guidelines that must be observed during the entire period of treatment. This ensure that the client maintains autonomy and is treated with the required level of respect so as not to jeopardize the treatment process. Entering into any kind of relationship with a patient, therefore, is highly unprofessional and unethical.

It is not appropriate for psychologist to make promises. No one can tell how a particular individual would respond to treatment. Promising a patient on an unknown outcome is unethical because some people may not respond to particular approaches as expected. One may try several methods before finding one that works. Some individual may even fail to respond to all types of treatment.

It is best to go for a professional that seeks regular peer consultation. It takes years to understand human psychology. It is therefore important for professionals in this field to come together regularly to share their experiences in the field. These will help them learn and even discover their own blind spots.

Experience is also necessary. A fresh graduate relies a lot on theory, but as one soon discovers, education is only a benchmark. It is a guide on what one should do. The real study takes place during practice. Therefore, the more one has practiced, the more knowledgeable he/she should be.

Make sure that the expert has no complaints against him or her. Check with the licensing board. If you find any, choose another individual.




About the Author: