Are there free online courses in therapy? Growing up, I used to have a natural ability to dig into people’s hearts in a few conversations while sitting and listening to how they shared their pains, thoughts, and concerns with me. The more I respond with empathy, the more they open up. Often they’ll live with a feeling of relief because I’ll prefer solutions through my words that might help, and it usually produces results.
I never understood what that skill meant until I later discovered that it has something to do with psychotherapy. Then I took more attention to building on that part of me. Enough about me; let’s talk about you because this post is about you.
Does this story resonate with you? Do you also naturally find your way into people’s hearts while they pour out their vulnerability to you? You can convert this skill into a profitable career. Thus, to give you a head start, you can apply for courses in therapy in college or gain the basic knowledge by enrolling in any of the free online courses in therapy that I will be sharing with you.
Therapists are currently in high demand and will continue to be, which is why the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 17 percent increase in the need for therapists from now to the next decade. To help you understand what a career as a therapist looks like. This article will show you the career outlook of a therapist, how you can become a therapist, and the free online courses in therapy.
Let’s delve in!
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What is Therapy?
Therapy is the process of treating psychological disorders and mental distress through verbal and psychological techniques. During this process, a trained psychotherapist assists the client in addressing specific or general issues like mental illness or life stress.
Therapists, on the other hand, are licensed mental health professionals who specialize in assisting clients with various mental health conditions in developing coping mechanisms, improving emotional skills, and dealing with multiple life challenges to enhance their well-being.
A therapist is a broad term that can refer to various mental health professionals. Therapists include counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and psychologists. In addition, they also diagnose and teach their clients coping mechanisms, change thought patterns and stress management techniques, and provide advice.
There are various types of therapists, all with their unique functions, but they are all interwoven.
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Types of Therapist
Some of the common types of therapists are:
- Psychiatrist
- Psychotherapy
- Clinical social worker
- Clinical psychologist
- Mental health counselor
Why Should You Have a Career in Therapy?
A career in therapy is lucrative and fulfilling because you’ll be working with different people. If you are skeptical about pursuing a career in therapy, the following reasons will strengthen your conviction:
1. Opportunity To Help Others
The most obvious reason for pursuing a career in therapy is that it provides you with numerous opportunities to help others, regardless of your path. Perhaps you enjoy assisting people in diagnosing their problems and believe that a rewarding career as a therapist in any niche will allow you to do more.
2. A Good Work-Life Balance
Assuming you’re a mental health counselor, your working hours will be flexible, and you can also decide when clients can schedule appointments with you. As a result, a career in therapy will be flexible enough to allow you to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
3. You Get a Sense of Fulfillment
What could be more appealing than a job where you can feel fulfilled because you contribute to people’s well-being by assisting them through difficult times? Furthermore, many therapists become so later in life because they look for a sense of meaning that their previous career may not have provided.
4. Increasing Growth and Financial Benefits
Aside from a sense of accomplishment, financial benefits are always essential. You’ll require funds for your personal and family well-being. Therefore, average therapist’s salary is between $30,000 and $100,000. However, wages are determined by education and training and clinical specialization. Furthermore, the BLS forecasts a 17 percent increase in demand for therapists over the next decade, including need and salary. As a result, a career in therapy is financially rewarding and in high demand.
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Why Enroll in Online Courses in Therapy?
Online therapy courses often come with certificates of completion and are also flexible and affordable. There are even free online courses in therapy that you can enroll in and learn at your pace. Below are reasons why you should take online classes in therapy:
1. It’s Relatively Cheap
Consider the cost of gas, food, and lodging if you were attending a university to study therapy. Examine the costs of balancing work, family, and possibly a business to compensate for classes. As a result, enrolling in free online therapy courses will save you a lot of money because you can attend the classes anywhere. All you need is a computer and an internet connection, and you’re good to go.
2. Adaptable Learning
Technology has simplified education; you can now be anywhere in the world and receive lectures from great minds while completing coursework, and assignments, taking exams, and earning a certificate of completion. You can even enroll in free online certificate courses in therapy.
3. It Connects You to the Global World
The Internet has succeeded in connecting people to a global audience. You can connect with institutions, instructors, and students from anywhere with online learning. As a result, online therapy classes will expose you to a large global audience.
Having known what a career as a therapist looks like, I believe you have come to terms that it’s both lucrative and fulfilling, so before we delve into the free online courses in therapy, let’s look at how you can become a therapist.
How to Become a Therapist?
The following are the process you need to follow to become a therapist:
Step 1: Choose Your Specialty
The first step toward becoming a therapist is deciding on a specialty. Whether it’s mental health, psychiatric, clinical social work, or something else, Although the general path to these careers is similar, you can specialize in a therapy area early on by taking relevant coursework in undergraduate and graduate studies, completing certifications, attending seminars, and joining industry organizations.
Step 2: Earn a Bachelor’s Degree
The second step toward becoming a therapist is to obtain a bachelor’s degree in a therapy-related field. It would be best if you only considered schools with regional accreditation, as other master’s degree programs will not accept bachelor’s degrees from unaccredited institutions.
Step 3: Complete Relevant Training
Some states permit students with a bachelor’s degree in therapy to work under the supervision of a licensed therapist. You can get on-the-job training to become a therapist while also pursuing your master’s degree.
Step 4; Complete Clinical Supervised Work
Future therapists must complete 2,000 to 4,000 supervised clinical hours to practise without supervision in any state. You may be able to apply your new knowledge in a real-world setting with actual clients during your clinical studies.
Step 5: Apply for a License
The final step in becoming a therapist is to apply for a license. Consequently, each state establishes its own licensure requirements, and schools typically tailor their curriculum to a specific state’s requirements.
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Top Ten Free Online Courses in Therapy With Certificates in 2022
The following are the free online courses in therapy:
1. Positive Psychiatry and Mental Health
The first course on our list of free online courses in therapy is Positive Psychiatry and Mental Health. And this is because mental illness and distress are common in today’s world, and they account for a significant burden of disability in our community. At the same time, there is a growing interest in understanding and improving positive mental health and well-being, owing to advances in positive psychology and mental health promotion.
Learners will explore various aspects of good mental health and an overview of the major types of mental disorders, their causes, treatments, and how to seek help and support in this course. Furthermore, the course will include many Australian experts in psychiatry, psychology, and mental health research and “lived experience experts,” people who have lived with mental illness and will share their personal stories of recovery.
Provider: Coursera
Subject: Positive Psychiatry and Mental Health
Duration: 20 Hours
Start Date: Self-Paced
2. Engineering Health: Introduction to Yoga and Physiology
Engineering Health is the second on our list of free online courses in therapy. This course will provide you with access to an investigation of physiological systems from overall health and wellness. As a result, emphasis is placed on yoga, meditation, and mindfulness as therapeutic interventions in chronic illness and long-term treatment.
Taking this New York University course will help you understand how yoga can help you reduce stress and heal or prevent physiological pathologies. Furthermore, throughout this course, you will learn about various physiological systems and yoga practices that can influence different systems and reduce pathology. In addition, the reading material will include an analysis of scientific studies that have successfully used yoga practice as a treatment tool for various illnesses.
Provider: Coursera
Subject: Engineering Health
Duration: 54 Hours
Start Date: Self-Paced
3. Integrative Health and Medicine Specialization
This course will provide you with the skills and knowledge to help your patients or clients manage conditions or symptoms such as pain and anxiety. It will introduce you to integrative therapies such as herbal medicine, guided imagery, aromatherapy, and mindfulness.
Another factor that makes this course stand out from the free online courses is that it’ll allow you to gain skills to assess if a therapy is appropriate for each therapy studied. You’d be able to educate patients or clients about the benefits and risks of the therapy, administer it or advise on how to use it, and assess its effectiveness.
Furthermore, you will be familiar with application methods, mechanisms of action, research evidence for specific therapies, and safety and quality considerations by the end of this specialization. In short, you will be prepared to collaborate with patients to develop an integrative care plan that meets their needs, preferences, and all of these characteristics.
Provider: Coursera
Subject: Integrative Health and Medicine Specialization
Duration: 7 Months
Start Date: Self-Paced
Learning How to Learn is another highly rated course among the free online courses in therapy. This free course provides easy access to the invaluable learning techniques used by experts in art, music, literature, math, science, sports, and various other fields. You’ll discover how the brain uses two distinct learning modes and how it stores information. It will also cover learning illusions, memory techniques, procrastination, and best practices proven by research to be the most effective in helping you master complex subjects.
4. Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects
You can change your thinking and your life by using these methods, regardless of your skill levels in the topics you want to master. If you’re already an expert, this look inside the mind will give you tips for accelerating your learning, including counter-intuitive test-taking strategies and insights that will help you maximize your time on homework and problem sets. In addition, if you’re having trouble, you’ll find a well-organized collection of practical techniques that will help you get back on track.
Provider: Coursera
Subject: Learning How to Learn
Duration: 15 Hours
Start Date: Self-Paced
5. Motivational Enhancement Techniques
Motivational Enhancement Techniques is another highly rated course among the free online courses in therapy since motivational interviewing effectively treats clients with various chronic illnesses. This class will cover techniques which can help clinicians treat patients with opioid addiction.
The therapy course comprises one 1-hour session for healthcare providers who want to improve their effectiveness in treating high-risk patients or those suffering from Substance Use Disorder. The session includes a self-assessment before and after the session and one recorded audio session.
In addition, the course is made possible by a collaboration between the University of Virginia School of Medicine (UVASOM) and Nursing (SON), as well as the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP), a DATA 2000 sponsor.
Provider: Coursera
Subject: Motivational Enhancement Techniques
Duration: 1 Hour
Start Date: Self-Paced
6. Abnormal Psychology Specialization
Abnormal Psychology Specialization is another highly rated course among the free online courses in therapy. This course will introduce students to the study of abnormal psychology through a survey of various mental health issues from both a modern and historical perspective. It concludes with an opportunity to practice affecting behavioural change in your own life through an overview of scientifically supported treatment strategies.
The specialization is not intended to be a replacement for therapy, nor a substitute for formal psychiatric training, but – through a series of lectures, readings, and reflective projects – you will learn many of the basic tenets of how diagnosis and treatment have been applied throughout the existence of the discipline of psychology, how to respond to people in distress empathically, and some essential tools to make desired changes in your own life.
Provider: Coursera
Subject: Abnormal Psychology Specialization
Duration: 4 Months
Start Date: Self-Paced
7. Managing Your Health: The Role of Physical Therapy and Exercise
Managing Your Health will introduce learners to the concepts and benefits of physical therapy. Exercise is another highly rated course on the list of free online courses in therapy.
Over the course of six weeks, students will investigate:
Why are physical activity and exercise necessary?
Exercise and Diabetes, Exercise and Osteoporosis, Exercise and Cancer
Sporting Injuries, Exercise, and Arthritis
The University of Toronto designs the course.
Provider: Coursera
Subject: Managing Your Health
Duration: 13 Hours
Start Date: Self-Paced
8. Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is also on our top picks of free online courses in therapy. The primary goal of this course is to provide students with an introduction to the scientific nature of the psychiatric disorder known as schizophrenia.
This course will teach you about various findings from scientific research into biological and psychological factors related to schizophrenia and its treatment. You will learn about a brief historical overview of the recent emergence of the psychiatric category of schizophrenia.
Provider: Coursera
Subject: Schizophrenia
Duration: 6 Hours
Start Date: Self-Paced
9. The Arts and Science of Relationships: Understanding Human Needs
This free online therapy course from the University of Toronto will introduce you to:
1. Fundamental concepts of The Strategies and Skills Learning and Development System (SSLD), their application in everyday relationships, and advanced concepts for social work and health care participants.
2. SSLD fundamental practice principles and methods, as illustrated by relationship management case studies.
3. The SSLD framework for assessing relationship management; N3C (needs, circumstances, characteristics, capacity); and problem translation.
4. Core competencies in the SSLD system’s relationship management application: observation learning, simulation, real-life implementation, review, and monitoring.
Provider: Coursera
Subject: The Arts and Science of Relationships
Duration: 32 Hours
Start Date: Self-Paced
10. Psychological First Aid
The last on our list of free online courses in therapy is Psychological First Aid. In this course, students will learn how to provide psychological first aid to people in an emergency using the RAPID model, which includes reflective listening, needs assessment, prioritization, intervention, and disposition.
Furthermore, the RAPID model is easily adaptable to public health settings, the workplace, the military, faith-based organizations, mass disaster sites, and even the demands of more commonplace critical events, such as dealing with the psychological aftermath of car accident robberies, suicide, homicide, or community violence. Furthermore, the RAPID model has increased personal and community resilience.
Provider: Coursera
Subject: Psychological First Aid
Duration: 7 Hours
Start Date: Self-Paced
Conclusion
Just as I earlier said, a career as a therapist is lucrative and fulfilling. The demand for therapists will continue to increase as years roll by, so if you enjoy helping people get healed from mental illness and trauma, a career in therapy will help you to build that path.
Also, you will have the opportunity to probe into people’s vulnerability. At the same time, offer them solutions that can bring peace. You can gain the fundamental knowledge of therapy by enrolling in any free online therapy courses that we’ve shared. I hope you found this article valuable. P.S: if you have friends and family that need to read this post, feel free to share the article with them. Cheers
Frequently Asked Questions About the Free Online Courses in Therapy
Generally, therapists need a bachelor’s degree, which takes four years on average, followed by a master’s degree, which takes two to three years on average, or a doctoral degree, which may take five to seven years.
Yes! You can be a counselor without a degree because training as a counselor entails both practical experience and theoretical study.
The following are skills you’ll need to become a therapist:
Listening skills
Critical thinking skills
Boundary setting
Analytic skills
Business management
Communication skills
Yes, there are many psychotherapists who provide online therapy; services can be provided over the phone, through video conferencing, or through messaging.
Reference
- bls.gov – Occupational Outlook for Therapists
- indeed.com – What are the Types of Therapists?
- studentjob.co.uk – Why is therapy a Great Career Option?
- learnhowtobecome.org – How to Become a Therapist
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