Wondering if its because of a difference of credentials and higher training or what?

I will explain, with t1 lcsw and just to point out out, I understand that, its within the therapist sometimes and not, abou the credentials, but, just wanted some explanation here.

So with t1 which I had no previous t experience with, I though it was good, but , she referred to alot of books in session and thier was not much talk, at one point I asked if she had experience with csa because, she was always reading me something from a book, instead of talking.

That didnt work for me all of 2 months so I shut down.

t2 we had a deep connection we worked alot better, we spoke, no books, she showed me vulnerability and how to be more open, although we didnt get into alot of csa, or specific questioning, or homelife. T2 opened up a path for me which im forever greatful. T2 was a family individual and marriage therapist.

T3 She is a clinical psychologist/art therapist, the difference here, she asks questions that neither therapist has asked before, she digs deeper, she says she needs to know the roots of things. She mostly likes analyzing my behaviors, and processing, where they came from.

Wants to know everything about my marriage, my social habits, my behaviors, in and out of the home, my routines, what sets me off my triggers.

She analyzes my silences , she can tell when im frustrated or just thought of something distrssing. She is humorous and she discloses about herself.

I dont mind too much her approach, because it seems if she doesnt leave, I can achieve something here. We keep coming up with new goals by the way. And she told me she knew I was testing her, and that it was ok.

I've had three great therapists with three different sets of credentials, but I will say my current therapist with higher credentials and more training does do deeper work than the other two did and in a markedly different way than the other two. Not sure it has anything to do with the credentials (I do think his training is a big factor), but it "feels" like a broader scope of knowledge and skills which probably is due to his focus during his education and training if I had to put a finger on it. His skill set appears to be much larger.

Clinical psychologists do have more supervised training in therapy (and some in research too) before they actually practice solo, so that gives them an edge over social workers or counselors. It is also much harder to get into a doctoral program than a masters program, so you will have to do less weeding out of not-so-bright people. Not that masters level therapists are not intelligent, most are. Some people just don't have the time or resources to pursue the higher degree. Still, there are some who aren't the smartest people. In doctoral programs, you have to be very intelligent to make it through. They might not all have great people skills, but none are dumb.

I might have more faith in the power of degrees if I did not have some myself.

Also you were kinda referred up the ranks, from one person to the next to the next. That is, each t tried to find someone for you who had more skills or experience than they did? So you got lucky there. You had somebody doing the matchmaking for you.

I'll have to agree here. The first person to even suggest my daughter was on the autism spectrum was a counselor. She may not have had the same skill set of someone with a higher degree, but she could sense what it was and was the most helpful person I've had yet. She bent over backwards to find us information and resources to even test her. She was the first to validate what I suspected after being dismissed by 2 neurologists and a psychologist.

We've been to another psychologist who was knowledgeable in a textbook sense, but totally useless in treating her. None of his therapy was remotely helpful, and he called her "an enigma". The next psychiatrist I saw? Useless as well. Her present psychiatrist knew what to do right away and is very helpful, but I don't think it's due to her medical degree. I think it's her client population (which was the same as the previous psychologist and psychiatrist) and experience. So it really is individual a lot of the time.

I really liked the LCSW I saw because of her warmth. She shared so much more of herself with me than my current phd psychotherapist. BUT the latter challenges me much more.

I think it may be a combo of approach, training and personality at play.

It's ALWAYS really individual a lot of the time.

Studies have shown that the credentials do not impact the quality of treatment.