I'm tired of the fakes and the poorly trained. Finding a qualified therapist shouldn't be a gamble, but in too many places, it is.
Most of the information we see online about therapists comes from the EU, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. That's a problem because it gives a very false impression of the field.
Mental health professionals deal with vulnerable people, but in most of the world, the profession is totally unregulated.
Shocking, right? If you're in Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, or many other countries, you can simply announce, "I'm a psychologist!" and nobody will do a blessed thing to stop you messing about with people who are suicidal, struggling with learning issues, and other serious problems.
There are con artists with no training whatsoever, not even a basic diploma in psychology, running companies that advertise in newspapers, setting up their own endorsement agencies, and even their own training centres. They 'diagnose' you and often charge the earth, too.
There is plenty of discussion about it in the field, but in my opinion, this will be an ongoing issue for some years to come. Even if you fix the problem with a quick bit of legislation, enforcement is difficult - especially as these people will simply rebrand themselves as "clinical therapists" or whatever other title sounds cool to continue their unregulated practice.
Ready for a Safe, Qualified Start—with Me?
I'm Ellen Whyte, and if you're looking for a therapist skilled in anxiety, depression, relationships, abuse, and other common issues, I’m happy to put my credentials up against the high standards I’ve outlined below. After years of international work from Malaysia to my base in England, this means you have a credible resource right here! Oh, and if you want to check me out on social media, have a look at my Facebook page or my LinkedIn profile.
A safe bet is to work with someone like me: I have a basic Bachelor’s degree in psychology as well as a Masters in counselling that includes 300 hours of supervised practical clinical work.
That way you have someone who's done all the academic work with a healthy dollop of practical work. (I did my supervised training in AWAM, a domestic abuse charity, Dresser-Rand-Siemens, an international engineering firm, and Asia Pacific University.)
Take the Risk-Free Step: message me today via email ellen.whyte@gmail.com or WhatsApp: +44 7514 408143 for your free 15-minute consultation.
So when you need a therapist like me, how do you spot the real deal and avoid the cons?
I had a look yesterday at the social media (Facebook and LinkedIn) of several leading lights in the community and then I compared it to some known crooks.
The legitimate people were posting cartoons of owls, photos of their lunch, moaning about their kids, giggling about silly things that happened to them, sharing jokes—and very occasionally commenting on a psychological issue.
The cons had a steady stream consisting of shares of journal articles, press articles, motivational quotes, and their own evil advertising.
Also, you should know that cons make up fake associations. Yes, it doesn't take much to register an association, and as anyone can be a therapist in many places, nobody cares who's proper and who isn't.
Depressing, right? The cons looked so damn good that if I didn't know better, I'd consult them!
What else can you check to be sure?
Sourcing specialists, say those who work with eating disorders or autism, is best done through your national hospital network and public universities.
When you see a therapist you think you want to work with, ask where they went to college and what their qualifications are. As a first step, make sure that the school exists and that they have the programme your contact says they have completed. (You can call the school but in my experience, they rarely know who's in class this week, never mind who's graduated in the years before.)
The Social Media Spy Test
Then, do a little spying on their social media. One thing that stood out from my looking around is that professionals have connections to universities. They don't necessarily work in them but they'll have friends there.
So, see who their friends are. If you see their pals are from recognisable unis, you're probably okay. Like with me—I've got the uni ties and the hours logged.
You can also ask me directly about your situation. Mental health is a huge field. I don't work with every issue so if you need something that it's outside my expertise (like addiction counselling), I'll be honest and draw on my worldwide network of trusted professionals to ensure you get a quality referral.
Did you like this? Then you may enjoy this, “If it’s quackery, why is it working for me?”
