In the article entitled, "The Patient-Therapist Relationship: Part 1: Choosing a Therapist", the author makes several errors in regards to educational preparation in the various fields.

1. While most psychologists hold Ph.D. or Psy.D. degrees, some doctoral-level psychologists hold Ed.D. degrees.

2. Several states license Master's Level psychologists to practice independently.

3. Most "Counsellor/Therapists" earn degrees in "Counseling" or "Counselor Education" rather than Counseling Psychology or Clinical Psychology.

4. Some "Counsellor/Therapists" go on to earn Ph.D.'s or Ed.D's in Counseling or Counselor Education.

5. Some psychologists (that is, people who have doctorate degrees in psychology) are choosing to license as Licensed Professional Counselors rather than Licensed Psychologists.

6. Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT's) were ommitted from the list entirely, though they are certainly state-licensed mental health professionals authorized to deliver independent psychotherapy in addition to family and couples therapy. (They typically earn MA's or MS's in Marriage and Family Therapy.)

I don't mean to be nit-picky, but some people will look at this article and assume that anyone who isn't on the list must be a quack, so it seemed worthwhile to submit these corrections. It might also be useful to let people know that "clinical" Master's Degrees (whether they be in counseling, counseling or clinical psych, or social work) are very different than Master's degrees in other disciplines (MBA's, the humanities, academic psychology, etc.) insofar as they tend to require 24-32 more credits and typically require extensive internships.

There are many other factors that a client/patient may want to take into consideration after education and licensing have been verified: Does the therapist have experience or specialized training in the area(s) in which the client/patient is having problems? Is the client/patient comfortable with the therapist on a personal level?