How To Become a Therapist for Trauma

The article is developed in partnership with BetterHelp.

Becoming a therapist is a huge decision and often takes many years of schooling and experience. If you plan to become a therapist and specialize in something specific, like trauma, you may have to take even more courses or major in a certain specialty. You will have to learn the types of therapy you hope to practice.

In the end, becoming a therapist is an excellent way to contribute to your community and help people heal. Many patients describe therapy as “life-changing” and “eye-opening.” If you’re ready to help others heal from their past and present traumas, read on to learn how to do it.

Undergraduate Studies

Before becoming a trauma therapist, you have to get an undergraduate degree in a relevant major. It’s best if you choose one from the following list:

Psychology (Bachelor’s degree)
Sociology (Associates or Bachelors)
Biology (if you plan to do research or be a psychiatrist)
Human Studies (Bachelors)
Gender and Sexuality Studies (Bachelor’s- If you hope to be a sex therapist or focus on LGBTQ topics)

After you get your degree, you will use it to apply to a master’s (graduate) program. Depending on your grades and your studies, you will be accepted or denied into your institution of choice, so try to choose something that you feel encompasses all you need to learn to be prepared for your master’s.

Remember, a bachelor’s degree takes about four years to complete for most people. An associate’s degree in sociology will likely take two years, but most master’s programs require you to have four years of credits in an undergraduate program before applying.

Graduate Schooling

After you have received your bachelor’s degree, you can apply to get your master’s degree in graduate school. Many people choose to master in something more specific, such as:

Clinical psychology
Forensic psychology
Sociology
Clinical sociology
Applied behavioral analysis
Doctorate or Ph.D. in psychology

Any of these degrees can be taken alongside specialty courses and classes that attend to your specific interests. For example, if you’re interested in learning more about trauma therapy, you will likely have the chance to sign up for clinical trials, practice hours, and work with students.

In graduate school, you will learn more about the “how” of being a therapist. You will also get more important shadowing experience with more experienced licensed psychologists. You may also get credit for working outside of school on a project or with a psychologist.

Classes and Courses

Even though you will learn a lot in university, it’s important to utilize outside resources to learn as much as possible about the career field you hope to go into. If you want to provide EMDR therapy for traumatized patients, for example, you’ll likely want to attend a class or a lecture that gives you more information on how to do it.

There are courses held by licensed psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers all over the country, and you can find one that fits your needs and expertise. Just sign up and go!

Licensure

Once you have graduated with your master’s or Ph.D. in psychology or a related field, it’s time to celebrate. You can officially get your first shadow job.

To get a license in psychology, you’ll likely have to have a certain number of “supervised hours” logged in a professional environment. Most people get this from job opportunities they found during their graduate program. These hours can range from 3,000 to 6,000, depending on the state you live in.

After you have completed the requested number of hours of training and job experience, you can apply to take your state’s licensure exam to get your license. Make sure you study because you’ll need it!

After you’ve passed the state licensure exam, you may have to pass a jurisprudence exam as well. You will then apply with the board of psychology to get approval for your license to be sent to you.

After this has taken place, you are officially a licensed psychologist. Congratulations!

Opening Your Practice or Finding Work

After licensure, it’s time to find work! If you don’t already have a job in psychology, you will likely want to apply to entry-level psychologist positions first. Make sure you have letters of recommendation from your “supervised experience” from graduate school. Any experience in undergraduate work in psychology or sociology is also important to include on your resume.

If you prefer to open your own practice, you will have to obtain a business license and business state licensing to practice psychology. It can be expensive to open your own practice right out of school, so many people choose to work for an organization before they open their own business.

Once your practice has been opened, you can take clients. You will have to also advertise your services and do all of your marketing. Signing up for popular psychologist websites or deciding to work online is one great way to get clients. You can learn more about how to become a therapist on BetterHelp’s blog.

How to Specialize in Trauma Therapy

To establish a trauma therapy practice, make sure you have passed training for the types of therapies you want to practice. For example, you may want to attend a two-week training on EMDR therapy before attempting to practice something you only know from schoolwork.

You should also establish yourself as a trauma therapist by stating your expertise on any profiles you create and on your website. If you have worked with traumatized clients in the past, mention the ways you have helped people heal and the types of mental health conditions you have experience treating (PTSD, etc.)

People with trauma are more likely to find your page if you use keywords such as:

Trauma
Trauma therapy
Trauma psychologist
PTSD
C-PTSD
EMDR therapy
Childhood trauma
Childhood healing
Healing the past

Make sure to mention these things more than once on your profile or website and attach your work email. You’ll likely get emails from potential clients looking for services this way.

Overall, it takes experience and expertise to fully be an “expert” in your field, so continue to help people and learn more each day, and you’ll get there!