497 SelfWork: The Current Controversy Over What “Licensed Mental Health Professional” Means

Today we’ll focus on what it means to be a licensed mental health professional. How are coaches and influencers different from licensed mental health professionals? And how has the rise of therapists themselves online affected the social media culture, while unlicensed influencers are offering mental health advice?

We’ll focus on five major concerns of the online presence (and often persistence) of online ‘therapists’, be they the licensed kind, coaches, or unlicensed influencers, including the impact of licensed mental health professionals.

And here are 23  true red flags of what SHOULD NOT happen in therapy – just fyi!

Our listener voicemail is from a listener who herself has been diagnosed with BPD – and how she’s struggling with her adult child not being in her life.

 

Why a license? 

Whether you’re a psychologist with a PhD, a licensed professional counselor (LPC) , a marriage and family therapist(MFY)  – maybe you have a Masters in psychology, or have a licensed social work degree (LCSW) – those licenses protect the public.

How?

Five major concerns with online therapists, licensed professionals, coaches, and influencers…

1) Unlicensed influencers. These are influencers providing mental health guidance without any formal training or licensure. One of my issues with it is that often, what they say is based on their individual experience, rather than having studies or worked with a broader swath of people. This can lead those being influenced to blindly follow their advice.

Probably the most dangerous one are anorexic young people talking about ways to get even skinnier – and demonstrating that. Anorexia is THE most lethal mental illness there is and it’s of grave concern that this is being allowed and promoted.

2) Ethical Violations and Licensing Risks: If you do have a license, it’s becoming more and more likely that your licensing board will be reviewing your social media posts or conversations. Some of the key concerns include breaching client confidentiality, blurring professional boundaries (e.g., interacting with clients on social media), and making unsubstantiated claims.

3) The “Cringe” Content Debate: Even licensed therapists can make the mistake of trying to become “popular” and aren’t presenting material or ideas that are what’s known as “evidenced-based.” Meaning they come from good research or your own clinical expertise.

Instead, the therapist can become overly enamored with the spotlight, or the followers. Or even in some cases, book deals or “fame.” It’s a little cringe-y (Dr. Oz comes to mind as does Dr. Phil…).

You might be saying, “Well Margaret, you made the decision to get onto social media!”

And yes, I did. And I’ve been very aware of not wanting to do things that I thought were “too much” or somehow risking my professional identity as professional. Certainly, I’ve shared things about myself and my own struggles. I think that’s helpful to others who might be struggling to be more transparent in their own lives.

4) Blurring Boundaries: Some use social media to sell you something, which can lead to questions about whether they’re clinicians or entertainers. Or the way they present themselves isn’t very professional at all.

I think this is very confusing. One quite respectable therapist online I know said, “I used to be one of the only mental health folks on Instagram. Now it’s so crowded and there’s so much noise -and there’s confusion about what is good advice – and what’s “click bait.”

Here’s the last one..

4) Complaints and Disciplinary Actions: Therapists are, at times, reported to their state boards for personal social media posts that are seen as inconsistent with professional standards.

Licensed mental health professional or not? 

So what does all this mean for you? Who are you supposed to trust? And what yardstick should you use to know if that influencer or coach or therapist is trustworthy?

I’d like to suggest this. Do they talk with you clearly about what they can offer – and what they can’t? Or do they not get clear about what they have training in – and what they do not?

And if someone promises a quick transformation, well – I’d question that.

The difference between a licensed mental health professional and a coach…

Let’s talk briefly about the difference between therapy and coaching. There’s some interesting info out there as well about the difference between therapy and coaching. Most of what I read in my research for this episode said this; Therapy focuses on the past. Coaching is about present-day solutions.

Let me say this to wrap up. I’ve always believed that the license itself gives a therapist the right to say they have the expertise – they’ve taken courses, they’ve been supervised. And that’s it. What do the letters after their name really mean? I agree that there are so many certifications out there – and some people seem to collect them. But that could also mean they are really dedicated to a certain niche of clients.

Yes. A license protects you. You can make a complaint to their licensing board – and it will be looked into.

It’s the person that matters. Not the degree. Not the certification. Do you feel safe with them? Do they provide a secure, helpful environment for you? Are they themselves stable? On time, billing you appropriately, not crossing any personal boundaries.

Ask questions. Be aware. And remember… it’s great to ask friends or someone you trust for referrals.

By the way… 

Send me a message about what your own mom was like!! You can record by clicking below and ask your question or make a comment. You’ll have 90 seconds to do so and that time goes quickly. By recording, you’re giving SelfWork (and me) permission to use your voice on the podcast. I’ll look forward to hearing from you!