Should You Get More Advanced Training?

Therapists often ask me if they should embark on a new advanced training or go for certification in a therapy method.

I love training! I’ve spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours getting in-depth training in the methods I use as a therapist. It's changed me as a therapist and it's enriched my life. I don’t ever want to discourage you from pursuing the training that will inspire you and make you an even better therapist.

But you can’t do all the trainings, so you have to figure out which training to choose, and when.

I walk each therapist through a process to figure this out.

When you’re considering a particular training, consider these questions:

1. Will this training help you feel more confident and inspired in working with your ideal clients?  

First identify who you most love working with, and discern whether this training will allow you to help these folks more skillfully. If this method will help you do even better work with the people you love working with, consider investing. On the other hand, if this training will help you in an area you don’t love working in, let it go and allow other therapists who are passionate in that area do that work.

2. Are you expecting this training to make you feel ready to market your practice?

As therapists, we’re never done learning. You’ll seek out training over the entire course of your career. And yet, sometimes I see therapists waiting to get certified in a particular method before they will allow themselves to feel good enough. Don’t put off marketing your practice and putting yourself out there. You don’t need another certification before you reach out to your ideal clients. They need you now.

3. Do you want this training because of what you’ll learn, or how it will make you look?

If you think having a particular certification or letters after your name will make a big difference in your business, this is usually the wrong reason to invest your time and money in training. I recommend pursuing the training that inspires and helps your clinical work the most. The certifications are just icing on the cake. For most clients, what matters is that you have a way to help them, not the particular certifications you’ve received.

4. Is this training a should or a want?

Usually the answer of whether to invest in training comes down to this question. Do you want to do this training, or do you think you should take it? I believe we must go into learning situations with curiosity and even hunger for what we will receive. If you’re not in that place, perhaps this is not the right training or not the right time.

5. Is this training in-depth or does it just scratch the surface?

Consider going deeply into a small number of methods, perhaps one or two, rather than learning an overview of every method. If you haven’t had a chance to practice any of the skills you learned at your last training, perhaps it’s not time to move on to something new.

If it’s time to get help building a bold and unique practice, apply for a free 20-minute phone consultation with me now.